Strategy game absolutely cult, focus on the irreplaceable Age of Mythology
Most PC players must have a thrill of nostalgia at the simple evocation of this name: Age of Mythology. Released in 2002 and developed by Ensemble Studios, the creators of the franchise Age Of Empires whose mythology is moreover the spin-off was a real public and critical success. Because it is now a true myth of the game strategy, SooGeek decides to tell you about it with love of this step!
Age of Mythology is a strategy game that takes place during antiquity in a world inspired by mythology and the Legends of Greece, Egypt, and the Nordic countries. It distinguishes itself from the series Age Of Empires by a stronger differentiation between civilizations as well as by introducing new types of units, such as heroes and mythical creatures, and a system of deities allowing to unlock divine powers and technologies.
Origin
From the beginning of the development, Ensemble Studios decided to move away from the historical plot of the series of The Age Of Empires and to incorporate elements of mythology to make the game different from the previous opus of the series while keeping a familiar plot. Mythology thus allows having its share of characters, creatures, and epic stories. The main sources of information used by the development team were classical mythology texts such as the works of Thomas Bulfinch and Edith Hamilton, and the book Myths and Legends by Neil Philip. These were supplemented by information available on the Internet and by numerous books including children’s books which offer the advantage of being very well illustrated and thus give a working basis to the artistic team of the game.
A different path from the classic Age Of Empires
If the game system of Age of Mythology is similar to that of many real-time strategy games, that is to say, that to win the player must collect resources enabling him to build buildings, develop new technologies and create an army capable of defeating the enemy army and destroying its base, it is quite different for the means to achieve it. Indeed each civilization can be associated with a God, which the player must choose before the start of the game. Among the three available for each civilization, each God brings advantages and disadvantages to the player. It is possible to use devastating powers (of the gods), but also to use heroes and many overpowering mythological creatures. As in The Age Of Empires, the player must develop a civilization from a tribe to an empire by crossing four ages: the old age, the classical age, the Heroic Age and the mythical age. This evolution is done through research, with each transition to a later age providing the player with new technologies and units.
A sublime universe
Everything in the game has been done to have the most immersive experience possible; it goes Of course through the graphics which for the time are simply sublime, thanks to the performances of the BANG! The engine that made real feats notably in the management of the water and the lights the sea was. The PC players will remember this because it took a real racehorse to make it go all the way. The music of all beauty had succeeded in perfectly transcribing the atmosphere of antiquity. It was composed by Stephen Rippy and Kevin McMullan. Since the music was recorded by a symphony orchestra of 70 musicians, the work on Age of Mythology proved to be an exceptional experience for both composers.
Extended Edition
In 2014, Steam released an Edition version that includes improved visuals, time of day, improved water, shadows, specular maps, global lighting, Antialiasing & Ambient Occlusion. Everything remains a bit expensive (28 euros) for a game that dates back to 2002.
What nostalgia, it would take strategy games of this magnitude nowadays! Maybe an Age of Mythology 2? At E3 2015, an extension centered on Chinese civilization was announced, so this could eventually pave the way for a potential follow-up, who knows, only the future will tell us. Did you have the opportunity to play this great game and if so, what your favorite civilization was.