Summary
The strategy genre is experiencing a bit of a modern renaissance right now. The last few years have seen the rise ofCrusader Kings, the continued love forCivilization,Annosailing its way into the spotlight, and a plethora of exciting new IPs hitting the strategy scene, such asFropstpunkandStellaris. It’s simultaneously the best and worst time to be a new strategy game, butAge of Mythology: Retoldhas managed to navigate those rocky waters well.
Age of Mythology: Retoldtakes the original 2002 RTS hit and gives it a fresh coat of paint along with a wealth of long-requested gameplay tweaks and reworks, producing a strategy game that feels truly modern while not losing any of the original’s charm or identity. It’s great to see such a solid strategy game come from Xbox Game Studios, and hopefullyAge of Mythology: Retold’s success could lead to the resurgence of another Xbox first-party strategy series.
How Age of Mythology: Retold Proves It’s the Right Time for Halo Wars 3
Age of Mythology: Retold Proves Its Developers Could Tackle Halo Wars 3
Back in 1997, Ensemble Studios released thecritically acclaimedAge of Empires. Just a few years later, Ensemble released an even greater commercial and critical success,Age of Empires 2. And then, just a few short years after that genre-defining hit, Ensemble returned to deliverAge of Mythology, a spinoff that took the incredibly strong gameplay formula of its predecessor and gave it a fresh mythological spin.
With all of its previous games having been published by Microsoft, Ensemble Studios was a natural pick forHalo’s first foray into the realm of strategy games, andHalo Warswas released in 2009. Though there are some sizable differences betweenHalo Warsand Ensemble’s previous work, such as players being unable to freely place buildings, there are some key similarities that can be drawn betweenAge of MythologyandHalo Wars' gameplay.
For instance,Age of Mythologygrants players special God Powers that they can use to turn the tide of battle, andHalo Warsoffers similarly powerful Leader abilities. Hero units also play a major role in both games, withHalo Warsletting players take control ofcharacters like The Prophet of Regretor Spartan-092, andAge of Mythologyincluding heroes like Achilles, Perseus, and Odysseus.
The general gameplay loop ofHalo Warsalso seems to draw inspiration fromAge of Mythology, with both games sharing a rock-paper-scissors-like formula for their combat. This formula essentially means that the games' units are all weak to one other specific unit type, and strong against another. An example fromHalo Warsis the Hunter unit type, which is strong against vehicles, but weak against anti-infantry units like Jackals or Flamethrower Marines.
Though they weren’t the series' original developers,World’s Edge and Forgotten Empireshave worked onAge of Empiresfor years now, andAge of Mythology: Retoldis just the latest testament to how capable both studios are of producing a high-quality real-time strategy game. With all of their years of experience working with theAge of Empires/Mythologygameplay formula, it would make sense for World’s Edge and Forgotten Empires to be given the reins to theHalo Warsseries.
Age of Mythology: Retold Proves Strategy Games Are Still a Boon for Xbox
The hard part is probably trying to convince Microsoft thatHalo Wars 3would be a worthwhile venture, butAge of Mythology: Retoldseems to be showing some positive signs.Age of Mythology: Retoldis currently sitting at an 83 on Metacritic, and according to SteamDB, it has a 24-hour peak player count of 16,744. These stats aren’t groundbreaking by any means, but they do show that the strategy genre is still popular, and that paired with fans' desire fora thirdHalo Warsgamecould mean big things for Xbox.
Age of Mythology: Retold
WHERE TO PLAY
From the creators of the award-winning Age of Empires franchise, Age of Mythology: Retold goes beyond history to a mythical age where gods, monsters, and humans collide. Combining the best elements of the beloved Age of Mythology with modern real-time strategy design and visuals, Retold is an epic and innovative experience for old and new players alike. Secure your domain, command legendary monsters, and call upon the power of the gods to crush your enemies.Will you become Mythic?Call Upon the GodsChoose your gods from the Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and Atlantean pantheons. Devastate your enemies by summoning powerful lightning storms, earth-shattering quakes, and even the famed Nidhogg dragon. Or call upon nourishing rains and protective Dryads to help your people grow & prosper.Unleash the MonstersUnleash Centaurs, Trolls, Mummies, and more. From bejeweled crocodiles who harness the power of the sun to the mighty one-eyed Cyclops, you will command diverse units inspired by the world’s great mythologies.An Epic Mythological UniverseEmbark on multiple campaigns spanning 50-missions that take you across a vast, mythical world: besiege the mighty walls of Troy, battle Giants in the frozen wastes of Midgard, and discover the mysteries of Osiris in the shifting sands of Egypt. Become a hero of myth—or even a god.Better with FriendsPlay with your friends, either head-to-head or against the advanced AI on dozens of randomly generated maps and scenarios for limitless re-playability.
