There was nothing cooler than Age of Mythology in the early 2000s, particularly for those kids obsessed with world history and mythology. As one of my first real-time strategy (RTS) games, alongside Age of Empires, it was a lightning bolt of “computer time” fun, filled with over-the-top battles as gods clashed, and monsters littered the isometric battlefield.
With the release of modern remaster, Age of Mythology: Retold, developer World’s Edge aims to recapture that sense of childhood joy, elevating the experience of clashing monsters and gods for a whole new generation, and those who remember it best.
Age of Mythology: Retold is built by fans
“Mythologies have always captured people’s imaginations, for centuries, but very few games out there let you have epic battles between multiple pantheons, and Age of Mythology captures that feeling brilliantly,” Earnest Yuen, Senior Director of Production At World’s Edge told GamesHub. “When you see the Greek, Egyptians, Norse and Atlantean heroes, myth units and god powers all clash against one another it really is crazy, chaotic, pure fun.”
While developing Retold, World’s Edge leant on lessons learned in remastering Age of Empires, as well as the memories of Age of Mythology fans, both within the studio, and without. The original game was studied “extremely closely” to bring Retold to life, and that was made much easier given “everyone on the team had played the original game.”
“Many of us are huge fans, remembering the game very fondly,” Yuen said. “We also worked with some of the most passionate players in the world to give them an early look of the title and get their feedback, to make sure we capture the magic of the original title.”
Read: Age of Empires IV wants to teach valuable lessons about history
That magic includes revamping monster models and gameplay with increased hardware power, and “the ability to push the graphics and animations” of the game’s main units “more than ever before.” As previously detailed by World’s Edge, the character models of Age of Mythology: Retold are now far more detailed, with individual feathers and snake scales rendered for added style and flash.
When you send your units into battle, you’ll see the clash of monster parts, and extra pizzazz in your lightning bolts and magic whirls. For those who’ve played the excellent Age of Empires remasters, you can anticipate similar visual and gameplay improvements, including some tweaks to established systems, to make RTS gameplay more accessible for newer players.
“We took on a lot of learnings from previous Age titles to help make Age of Mythology: Retold accessible to even more players,” Yeun said. The team has introduce a range of changes to make the game more approachable, including the adoption of AI assist features to “really help lower the cognitive load and barrier of entry to RTS, while still keeping the core fun, strategic decisions players make fully intact.”
To that end, Yuen believes World’s Edge has created its “most approachable title” to date. Whether you’re new to RTS games, or a veteran of the Age franchise, there’ll be plenty to help you build your armies.
Why RTS games remain so popular
An Age of Mythology remaster has been on the wishlists of many for years, for the simple fact that RTS games pioneered in the early 2000s remain incredibly popular. Beyond nostalgia, these games still have a passionate audience for their memorable, age-defying mechanics, and their bright sense of fun.
According to Yeun, RTS games are unique because they tap into multiple sides of the brain, and allow players to challenge their skills in an inspiring sandbox environment. It’s for this reason that World’s Edge remains so excited by the genre’s past.
“RTS games are special because they tap into both the action and strategy-craving sides of gamers. They let you think in a much more macro level when it comes to battles and economy, and give players the space to play the game in a way that suits them,” Yeun said.
“It’s like having a huge sandbox of toys that allow players to create their own stories. And while they have a lot of depth, it is super easy to get started – you can play most RTS games with just a mouse and keyboard.”
That sense of approachability, mixed with well-balanced strategy, has defined work on Age of Mythology: Retold. When the game launches for PC and Xbox on 4 September 2024, the World’s Edge team hopes that all players – young, old, nostalgic, or hungry for something new – will be able to experience the same joy of discovery that Age of Mythology first inspired, decades ago. Given precedent with World’s Edge’s fantastic Age of Empires remasters, we expect big things from Age of Mythology: Retold in future.
