Age of Mythology: Retold review

Our VerdictOld school strategy, sensibly modernised. Creaky cutscenes and character art aside, the visual overhaul works wonders.

Our Verdict

Old school strategy, sensibly modernised. Creaky cutscenes and character art aside, the visual overhaul works wonders.

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Need to knowWhat is it?A modern re-imagining of that RTS with all the Minotaurs.Expect to pay£23 / $30DeveloperWorld’s Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, CaptureAge, Virtuos GamesPublisherXbox Game StudiosReviewed oni7 9700K, RTX 2080 Ti, 16GB RAM, Win10Multiplayer?YesSteam DeckN/ALinkSteam

Need to know

What is it?A modern re-imagining of that RTS with all the Minotaurs.Expect to pay£23 / $30DeveloperWorld’s Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, CaptureAge, Virtuos GamesPublisherXbox Game StudiosReviewed oni7 9700K, RTX 2080 Ti, 16GB RAM, Win10Multiplayer?YesSteam DeckN/ALinkSteam

That’s despite a list of developers so long that it makes the average Call Of Duty seem like a mad auteur’s passion project. World’s Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, CaptureAge, and Virtuos Games have all lent their talents to this one, and maybe it’s unfair for me to be surprised that it feels so cohesive. This is modern game development after all, the pipeline that never sleeps.

Image1of6(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Image1of6

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

Onto more meaningful nuts-and-bolts changes: I’ve chalked up many Ls in RTS skirmishes past and present due to over-adventurous units taking mad hikes across the map, but with the new ‘attack move’ command in Retold comes a lifeline. Micromanagement’s still important for arranging your unit types so that they hit the battle in the right order, but ‘attack move’ tells everyonne to engage with all enemies they meet along the way to your waypoint. That meant no suicidal dashes towards buildings for my campaign armies while ignoring the infantry units pelting them in close proximity. Outside of combat units can still be caught going for an unsanctioned wander off into nothingness, but Retold feels like a big upgrade on the original’s often baffling pathfinding where it matters most.

The best thing about combat in this game is finding the sweet spot between human and mythical units, and knowing when to send super-tough heroes into battle with them. It took me a few skirmishes to find that mix for Nords, whose reworking now involves more ranged units but still play very differently to their enemies (pro tip: their military units also handle building construction).

Image1of3(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Image1of3

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

God powers aren’t exclusively about raining death down on your foes with satisfying AoE icons, though. Take wonders, for example. Where before you could construct certain wonders that would win you a round if you defended them for long enough, now they simply provide you with constant passive buffs that hasten your victory. That feels like a less stressful route to the win, but not necessarily a simpler one since you still need to carefully consider how to spend those resources.

The sell here, after sitting with all of Retold’s changes to a 22-year-old game, is that the slower pace and the combination of historic and mythological units makes for a relaxing, therapeutic RTS session. The Greeks, Egyptians, Norse and Atlanteans play differently enough to take some pleasure from mastery of each, and although it’s an odd business decision that the Chinese—added as DLC after the original’s release—haven’t been bundled in, they are at least being added in Retold’s first DLC.

Image1of3(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Image1of3

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Age of Mythology: Retold

The same’s probably true of the voice acting. It’s probably just a minor issue. Probably. After all, cutscenes are not the game. They’re the bits that bookend it. But the performances are a rogue’s gallery of slightly off accents, and that does detract from the drama and immersion. I found myself feeling harsher towards this one point as I got deeper through the campaigns, but we should all probably remember that bad cutscene performances are basically mandatory in real-time strategy. The great Tim Currytaught us that.

The Verdict75Read our review policyAge of Mythology: RetoldOld school strategy, sensibly modernised. Creaky cutscenes and character art aside, the visual overhaul works wonders.

The Verdict

75Read our review policyAge of Mythology: RetoldOld school strategy, sensibly modernised. Creaky cutscenes and character art aside, the visual overhaul works wonders.

75Read our review policy

Age of Mythology: RetoldOld school strategy, sensibly modernised. Creaky cutscenes and character art aside, the visual overhaul works wonders.

Age of Mythology: Retold

Old school strategy, sensibly modernised. Creaky cutscenes and character art aside, the visual overhaul works wonders.

More about age of mythology retoldAge of Mythology’s least-loved expansion looks like it’s had an overhaul in its remastered version, and we’ll be able to play as China ‘soon'‘Worse than horse armour’—Age of Mythology: Retold is charging $6 for 22-year-old jpegs, giving the DLC ‘very negative’ Steam reviews before the game’s even outLatestI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at baySee more latest►

More about age of mythology retold

Age of Mythology’s least-loved expansion looks like it’s had an overhaul in its remastered version, and we’ll be able to play as China ‘soon'‘Worse than horse armour’—Age of Mythology: Retold is charging $6 for 22-year-old jpegs, giving the DLC ‘very negative’ Steam reviews before the game’s even out

A sprawling battle in Age of Mythology: Retold’s Immortal Pillars expansion.

Age of Mythology’s least-loved expansion looks like it’s had an overhaul in its remastered version, and we’ll be able to play as China ‘soon’

Promotional art for Age of Mythology Retold, featuring several gods from the ages of mythologies past arranged in battle poses, prepared for war.

‘Worse than horse armour’—Age of Mythology: Retold is charging $6 for 22-year-old jpegs, giving the DLC ‘very negative’ Steam reviews before the game’s even out

LatestI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at baySee more latest►

Latest

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

Nitro Concepts CES 2025 booth with a sim racing rig that offered wind simulation from twin fans near the wheelbase.

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

See more latest►

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Our Verdict#

Our Verdict