Fresh and new yet faithful and true to the original.
Disclosure: Xbox provided the game for review.
Get ready for some mythological madness. Age of Mythology: Retold is a fresh take on the 2002 classic, and it’s the first Age game to launch on PC and console simultaneously. You choose your gods from the Greek, Norse, Egyptian and Atlantean pantheons. Heads up: we never played the original, and we don’t typically play real-time strategy games. This one hooked us anyway.
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Age of Mythology: Retold Review: Mythological Madness Done RightWant to play it? Grab it on the Xbox Store or see Where to buy.
Story
The campaign follows the Atlantean admiral Arkantos on a quest to hunt down Gargarensis, a cyclops working with Poseidon against Atlantis. Along the way you journey through ancient myths and legends, meeting gods and heroes. I was genuinely surprised by how much I got into it. I expected the story to be set dressing, but it’s fun and engaging, with a twist you won’t see coming and a satisfying ending. Each chapter gives enough of a story beat to keep you engaged, and that gives you a real one-more-chapter feeling.
Gameplay
This is where the game absolutely shines. I’m usually not a fan of the genre, and I was hooked. A game like this is typically best on PC, but I played the whole thing with a controller on Xbox and it played perfectly. There’s a learning curve, but the game eases you in well. Don’t skip the brief tutorials whenever you switch pantheons, because each pantheon brings new mechanics. The Norse are the only pantheon whose soldiers can build, which changes the flow of a match dramatically.
The gather, build and fight loop is incredibly satisfying, and nothing beats building a massive army and steamrolling an enemy base. Every chapter drops you into a new scenario that demands a new strategy for your base and forces. Every choice matters, and a wrong call can mean losing after an hour and starting over. Pro tip: save often and in different slots. It can get crazy hard at times, but you can choose the difficulty before every chapter.
It’s stacked: four pantheons, more than 50 campaign missions, PvE skirmish, PvE co-op, PvP multiplayer with ranked play, more than 40 maps and mod support. Accessibility is excellent, with narration, adjustable text size, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, adjustable difficulty including a story mode, friend-or-foe colors and outlines, pattern overlays, fully adjustable player colors and minimap contrast. If you’ve been waiting for this game, it has enough content to keep you busy for months.
Visuals
I was blown away by how good this game looks. The art style nails the isometric view, and distinct colors for forces and buildings make it easy to tell your side from the enemy. Each pantheon has its own vibe: lush grasslands and forests for the Greeks, desert for the Egyptians, snowy mountains for the Norse and water for the Atlanteans. The Egyptian portion is particularly stunning. The lighting is fantastic and looks even better reflecting off the water, and the mythological creatures truly feel brought to life, which is impressive for a remake of a 20-year-old game. The cutscenes stay true to the original’s charm with a major graphical upgrade, and the minor god artwork is beautiful. It feels fresh and new yet faithful and true to the original, and that’s a feat on its own.
Sound
The audio is solid. The voice acting is good, and the characters don’t take themselves too seriously. The music is neither amazing nor offensive.
Verdict
Coming from someone who doesn’t usually like these games, I had a blast. Age of Mythology: Retold balances challenge and enjoyment, and whether you’re a seasoned RTS player or a newcomer, there’s something here for you. It’s on Game Pass, too. We can’t recommend it enough.
Image: World's Edge / Xbox Game Studios
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The verdict: Amazing
Fresh and new yet faithful and true to the original.
Pros
- Gorgeous, faithful visual overhaul
- Satisfying gather, build and fight loop
- Plays perfectly with a controller on Xbox
- Surprisingly engaging story
- Huge amount of content and excellent accessibility
Cons
- Music is neither amazing nor offensive
- A wrong call can cost you an hour of progress
Platform played: Xbox Series X|S
