I remember booting up the original Age of Mythology nearly two decades ago, jaw dropped at its blend of history and legend. Age of Mythology: Retold arrives on September 4, 2024, from World’s Edge and Xbox Game Studios. It updates a classic with sharper visuals, rebalanced god powers, and fresh content. The result feels both familiar and refreshed. Yet a few missteps keep it from divine perfection.
Overall Impressions
I dove into Retold with cautious optimism. The core remains intact: you harvest wood, food, gold, and favor, then summon Centaurs or call down lightning. New cooldowns on god powers prevent the one-shot wonders that once broke every match. That tweak alone beats back Atlantean stomps and keeps games fair. Compared to modern RTS like Age of Empires IV, Retold feels more accessible. It lets me focus on mythic units without juggling dozens of upgrades. Still, the patchy polish in expansions and the odd AI-generated portraits leave me wanting a bit more studio pride.
Gameplay Mechanics
Retold refines resource gathering with smarter builders and better pathfinding. I no longer see villagers stuck in a perpetual loop. God powers recharge on a sensible timer, and limited uses now reward strategic timing. Naval battles feel weightier with updated ship models and tighter collision detection. One standout moment: I unleashed Poseidon’s Whirlpool on an enemy fleet, watched it spiral into the depths, and actually laughed out loud. However, user reports of occasional cursor glitches and missing tech-tree portraits ring true. Those hiccups never broke a match, but they did interrupt the flow. Overall, the core mechanics shine.
Story and Characters
The original campaign’s charm returns in full force. From Egyptian palaces flooded by Hathor’s wrath to Norse longhouses under Fenrir’s shadow, the narrative still thrills. Retold adds new missions and DLC that expand the Greek saga. Yet I struggled with the fresh portraits. Their stiff expressions clash with the art style. Thankfully, an old-voices mod restores the original cast’s warm performances. Still, I wish the studio had offered those classic visuals as in-game unlocks, rather than a paid extra.
Visuals and Graphics
Retold looks stunning in 4K. Dynamic lighting bathes temples in golden hues, and unit animations feel smoother than ever. Myth units—Cyclopes, Minotaurs, Phoenixes—leap off the battlefield with life. Yet the AI-crafted god portraits sit awkwardly beside hand‐painted character art. I kept squinting, convinced I’d triggered a filter. A developer diary hints they built on the Age of Empires IV engine, upgrading to 64-bit and supporting higher resolutions. That work shows in every rendered leaf and shadow.
Sound and Music
The iconic soundtrack returns, swelling perfectly during epic moments. New orchestral flourishes add weight without drowning out battlefield commands. Voice acting, however, feels uneven. Some performances hit the emotional highs we expect. Others drop flat, as if the actors were having an off day. Fans have already released a mod to swap in the beloved original voices. I recommend that tweak until official patches polish these lines.
Difficulty and Replayability
Retold offers adjustable AI skill modes and random map generators. Legendary missions and new expansions extend playtime, but quality varies. Early DLC feels crafted with care. Later packs show rushed design and reused assets. Multiplayer population seems modest but dedicated. I encountered no match-making nightmares, though peak hours see empty lobbies. Single-player alone delivers dozens of hours. I still return for a quick conquest, thanks to the smooth controls and fresh map templates.
Trivia and Behind the Scenes
World’s Edge formed in 2019 to steward the Age franchise. They ported Retold to a modern 64-bit code base. Studio leads admit to experimenting with AI art for portraits. Fans discovered that choice before any official mention. Xbox Game Studios supported an ambitious patch cycle, promising future balance updates and bug fixes.
Final Thoughts
Age of Mythology: Retold honors its predecessor while introducing meaningful improvements. Occasional technical quirks and odd art choices hold it back from true godhood. Still, most of its flaws are surface-deep. If you loved the original or crave a polished mythic RTS, this stands tall. I’ll keep summoning armies under its gleaming temples for many campaigns more.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
