Age of Mythology is one of the first games I ever played. Back then the strategy hit was really tricky and even now I'm still biting my teeth into it. I'm particularly excited about the fantastic co-op and single player experience.
A comment from Martin Hartmann:
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Steam masterpiece is still unbeaten after more than 20 years
Ever since I started my gaming career on my parents' PC, I've been fascinated by strategy games. Buildings with axes which then start to burn – what could be better? One of my favorite games back then was Age of Mythology.
Age of Mythology was originally published in 2002. An extended edition for Steam followed in 2014. The obvious similarity to Age of Empires is no coincidence. After all, both come from the same developer, Ensemble Studios, and follow the same gameplay principle. You build a small city, let your farmers collect raw materials and then build warriors – all in real time. In Age of Mythology, however, you will be… mythical creatures like cyclops or fire giants and can use divine spells.
But the real highlight of the game is something else: It has an excellent single player mode. By that I don't just mean the game's great campaign. The artificial intelligence in the skirmish battles is also so brutally difficult that it really demands everything from you to achieve victory. Of course, this also applies to multiplayer with friends.
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Age of Mythology: Co-op is so important
Age of Mythology certainly doesn't have the smartest AI. Instead, she just cheats until the bars bend to be better than the player at literally everything. But I don't care. I love the challenge, to compete against such an overpowering opponent, where I have to use the most devious tactics to have any chance of winning. Other strategy games may be superior to Age of Mythology in terms of balance, complexity and game mechanics, but one good single player and co-op experience I miss it often.
Age of Mythology Retold: The AI must not weaken
Age of Mythology will hopefully receive the attention the game deserves in the future. After all, in the not so distant future even a complete new edition of the classic appear.
Of course I'm looking forward to the prospect of playing one of my favorite games in nice graphics to be able to examine. However, I also worry that the original's snappy AI will be toned down. So my personal request is: Don't just think about multiplayer duels, but make the AI a real danger. Then maybe I'll still be playing Age of Mythology in 20 years.