Age of Mythology
Ensemble's latest effort is anything but aged, mythologically speaking.
There are many other differences between the races. Egyptians build slowly, but don't use wood. Greeks gain favour easily, but have the fewest available heroes. The Norse have unlimited helsirs, but must continually be on the offensive to generate favour with their gods. Their workers are also unable to build, being used only for resource gathering. Instead, the Norse basic infantry unit is used to construct buildings. There are also fairly significant differences between the different races tech trees. Other changes have been made to the franchise. Settlements can no longer be built just anywhere, but only at predefined points on the map. Since settlements are important for raising the population limit, it becomes very important to expand. Relics also make a return, only this time they confer a variety of different bonuses. The result is that multiplayer games are almost always begun with a frantic rush to build a hero followed by a hectic relic hunt.
Related
Battles in AoM are very similar in feel to previous Age of Empires games. Units arrange themselves in an appropriate formation automatically, and move around the map at the speed of the slowest unit in the group. Clashes between armies are memorable. Viable tactics are roughly of the same mould as previous games - essentially being that the well-balanced army will prevail over a larger single-unit force. As has become the custom in RTS games these days, each unit has a specific counter - spearmen beats cavalry beats archers. What is different here is that this paper/scissors/stone model is a bit more three-dimensional, more multi-layered. Mythological units will pretty much beat any normal unit, but they can be swarmed effectively, and hero units are devastating against them. The abilities of heroes and myth units add another layer of complexity, and finally there are the abilities granted directly to the player from the gods themselves. These range from overtly offensive spells such as meteorite and lightning storm, to spells which increase the rate of food production or heal all your troops. Best of all, all this can be managed to a level that suits the player - most abilities (other than those granted directly to the player) may be automated, and unit AI is entirely adequate for most tasks. AoM definitely requires less in the way of stressful micromanagement than other recent RTS games like Warcraft III.
The single player campaign begins with the Greeks, and involves many well known locations and incidents, including Atlantis and the siege of Troy, before moving to Egypt and finally north to the Norse lands. Mission styles are fairly generic, involving the usual attack/defend and small-party missions, although there are some nice surprises. One excellent mission involves a tug-of-war between two cities over a cart-bound relic, with each city sending out waves of troops to capture and keep control of the cart as it trundles slowly back and forth in no mans land. The story is continuous throughout all three campaigns, and represents one area of marked improvement over previous ‘Age’ titles. For the most part, however, the missions are predictable, if still very enjoyable.
Age of Mythology is definitely evolution over revolution, but does innovate a lot more than you might expect. The basic play dynamic retained from previous games is solid, and the game makes the ever-necessary transition to three-dimensions seamlessly. The inclusion of mythology and heroes, however, represents the bulk of new content, and offers a well-thought out and immensely enjoyable addition that changes the core game play enough to keep the game fresh. The graphics are excellent, the sound is memorable, and the story is enough to keep you playing until you find some real opponents to play against. Worth both your money and your time.
A Herculean effort.
90%
Comments
In AOM all Norse infantry units can build not just the basic unit. Axe-throwers, huskarls and hersirs can all do the same things that the basic unit, the ulfsark, can do. In this game the only things Ensemble screwed up are:
1. The fixed town center locations (why in the world did they do this?) which limits growth severely, and forces migration into enemy territory.
2. The pitiful amount of favour that can be earned by the Norse. Forget making a lot of units that need favour unless you are rushing early, which you are forced to do, and can sustain the campaign while building up a decent economy. The only game that this makes sense for is when you are playing Norse and you have a Norse opponent.
3. I have not been able to figure out how to change the mouse interface. It seems as though a 2 button mouse control is the only option available, and I prefer the one button interface of the previous AOE and AOK.
I have been playing since the day after this came out and it is really a great game, awesome in fact, the problems I have with it are very minor but annoying. One really nice feature is that the campigns built in are very easy to play so younger players, like my 6 year old son, can play these set on easy and have fun with it. If you really want to see some fun give the cheat code for God powers to a 6 year old and sit back and watch.
Hehe. My 6-year-old is the 1 sam speaks of and yes, sometimes he can be real good (best was 6-1 on dust as T).
Being an admin on a server ( 62.80.115.242:27015) its great to gloat when he wipes out a small hoard of marauding Ts and then inform them they were aced by a 6-year-old ( was better when he was 4, hehe).
These kids are gonna kick our asses by the time they are 10.
Nice review btw.
This is a sweet little game, full of flare in the graphical touches that abound. From flowing seaweed to sharks and turtles in the sea, to the chipms and chickens that are on the ground. And every time a Minotaur hurls a calvary unit acroos the map a smile still creeps over me face.
Good review there Nick - if he hasn't convinced you then you must hae RTS games, otherwise help to ensure Santa never wants to see another AoM box in his long life
Six year olds and games, an amusing thing to see. My friend's son has been playing CS since he was four, and to be there when such a young person takes out a serious player with a headshot well, it is one of the finer points of gaming for us old-skool types who are advancing thru the years.
My little sister who is five once had to carry a real rifle for a picture and pretend she is killing with it. She was four. But a kid playing CS at four, wow! Is he any good at it?
Good review Nick.
is very cool and complicate, but i lake the gama. Thaks
Am looking foward to giving this to my dad for christmas since he is addicted to Conquerers. Also can't wait to play it myself having caught a glimpse of the massive spell list thingy.
SOY UNA EXELENTE JUGADORA DE AGE OF EMPIRES SI TU QUYIERES JUGAR COMNIGO ESTOY A TU DISPOSICION
IM EXCELENT PLAYER OF AGE OF EMPIRES PRESS MY BUTON
IT IS CLASS MAN!
si aceptas un reto podemos aprender los dos
If you want to know any facts about how to play this game or strategy then im open i have a 1667 rate but since i got titans it erased my rate on the regular one so i would say have fun gl
ya'll suck
90% pah more like a google% (1 with 100 noughts on the end)
whats the hole story of this game i need to no becase iam donig this for school like about greek ppl and he siad i can do this can any one tell meb plz hurry becase i donty have much time plz hurry plzzzzz and i give u a lollie pop lol i got the game as well but it stuffed up and i cant remeber what it exacly about plz write bAK PLLLLLZZZZZZ
estan todos muert
i lost my age of mythology key to, could you send one to ... I got the game age
of mythology but i lost the box a few days ago. now i dont know the 25 ...
perdi mi caja del juego y ahora necesito la key para volverlo a instalar
QUI SIERA LOS TRUCOS PARA EL AGE OF MITHOLOGY
How many more games like age of the empires & age of mythlolgy are going to come out?
quiero jugar contigo
:)
quisiera los trucos del age of mythology the titans
alguien sabe cual es la clave de instalacion de el aom, es que la perdi y ya no puedo instalarlo
h
quiero saber las clabes de age 1
gr
Could you please send the key(or key generator) to Age of Mythology to jot@araratcc.vic.edu.au
Many thanks,
Jo
ACEPTO TU TETO
me pueden dar la clave de instalacion de age of mithology porfa estoy tratando de hace como una semana
i've got the trial and it good but can anybody tell me some more control for the camara movement all i no is the
mouse wheel up
mouse wheel down
moi vous coucher toi
i lost my key
can sumone send me one??
este juego esta re vueno loco!!!!!!!!
soy mejor de todos y por eso me inscribo para patearle el trasero a ti
putos
chupenlaaa manga de piratas!! (se hacia el q no pirateabaaa!!)) jajaj un abrazoo
age of mythology titans key wanted plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
i want to play the game soooo badly but i dont know were my fwnd has it but not me!:@ cant you just put the game or tel me were to go i have bieng SEARCHING EVERYWERE FOR THE GAME BUT NON HAVE IT ONLY PICTURES RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
blah blah blah
hola soy un gujador super ecxelente y quiero gujar con oponenyes dignos