Age of Mythology: Retold Review — Classical Remastered

Age of Mythology was an RTS (Real-time strategy) game released in the early 2000s, a time which many consider the golden age of the genre, with such classics as Age of Empires and Empire Earth being incredibly popular in this era. Age of Mythology stood alongside them, earning a well-deserved, dedicated fanbase that patiently awaited a remaster or modern adaption of the game. Said fans have recently had their prayers answered with Age of Mythology: Retold, and after getting my own hands on it, I can say that it is not only a faithful remaster of the original but also features improvements on the original that both modernize the title and make it an overall better game.

For those unfamiliar, Age of Mythology: Retold (and the original Age of Mythology that the game is a remaster of) is your pretty standard RTS game with a twist, which is the inclusion of Mythological gods and creatures. Think Age of Empires: Two or more players spawn into a map and gather resources to build buildings and an army that is ultimately sent to crush the enemy player(s). Only this army can include Rocs, Hydras, Cyclops, and the powers of the gods themselves based on your chosen pantheon.

What impresses me the most about Age of Mythology: Retold is just how faithful it is to the mythology it draws from. Lesser-known Greek, Egyptian, and Norse gods and monsters described in obscure antiquity texts take the fields in carefully crafted models. Have you ever seen a Sphinx battle with a Hydra? You can in Age of Mythology: Retold, which should already be enough of a selling point. It was enough for me.

In addition to faithfully recreating all of these mythological monsters, the game also puts care into giving each faction a full roster of human soldiers and heroes to play with. It’s a little thing, but as you progress through the game, the armor, weapons, and shields change on each unit depending on the upgrades you purchase. You might expect most RTS games to do that, but it’s actually pretty rare, and I like to point it out whenever a developer takes the time to include it.

Age of Mythology: Retold is really just a remaster of the original game, with some quality-of-life improvements to modernize it, alongside redone graphics and new UI.

The graphics and UI look pretty good, considering where the game is, and if it were short of a full remake of the game, I don’t think the developers could have done a better job. There are, however, still some areas in which the game still feels a little dated, both in the color choice and models and the sound quality, which understandably would be the hardest thing to update. For fans of the original, the game will look good enough to feel new but still feel nostalgic, but brand-new players will definitely be able to tell that this is a new coat of paint on a 20+-year-old game.

Of the changes in quality of life, the one I most appreciate is that god powers are now reusable. These powerful abilities, which change depending on the pantheon you select and the gods you choose as you progress through a game, give you special effects that drastically change how the game can be played. From meteors crashing into the environment, decimating buildings and units alike, to something more productive like rain that increases the yield of all farms in the game,

In the original Age of Mythology, these abilities were severely limited, but thanks to the quality of life changes in Age of Mythology: Retold, you can now use them multiple times in a match, with a simple increase to the resource cost each time. This really helps the game feel unique and fun, in my opinion, and puts more emphasis on the myth in Age of Mythology. It also makes your pantheon pick at the start of each game feel far more important, especially in multiplayer matches.

All in all, as far as a remaster goes, Age of Mythology: Retold is all and more than you could ask for.

Short of creating a brand new Age of Mythology game, which I would absolutely love to see made, I think the community around the series could truly prosper if Age of Mythology: Retold sees consistent updates. Balance and multiplayer patches are one thing, but I think the game has room to add even more pantheons to play as. Particularly, I think missing out on East Asian, Aztec, and Hindu pantheons like the game Smite did could make Age of Mythology: Retold a massively popular RTS game.

Honestly, it would be a missed opportunity if they didn’t. At the moment, the game contains Greek, Egyptian, Norse, and Atlantean gods, with the Atlanteans really just being lesser-known figures from the Greek pantheon. The game has a lot of room to expand on this roster, though again, I think I would rather see them make a new, completely modern Age of Mythology game rather than add new models to this remaster.

At just $30, I think Age of Mythology: Retold is a fantastic RTS game worth checking out if you are a fan of the original or are looking to get into the genre. The game is also included on the Xbox Game Pass, meaning subscribers can check it out for free, so if you’re already subscribed and curious, there’s no reason not to give it a download.

Age of Mythology: Retold was reviewed on the PC. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Age of Mythology: Retold is available on Steam and Xbox.