Age of Mythology introduced concepts such as favor, deities, and hero units, seamlessly weaving mythical concepts with standard Age of Empires gameplay. The game initially launched with three factions: the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Norse. Further additions such as the Atlanteans and the Chinese were introduced through Age of Mythology’s expansion packs, to a somewhat mixed reception.
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The remaster was announced on Twitter by the game’s own account as opposed to the Age of Empires one, implying that Microsoft had a bigger plan for the spinoff than one might expect. This Definitive Edition isn’t the first attempt at remastering Age of Mythology, as 2014 saw the release of Age of Mythology: Extended Edition.
Unfortunately, Skybox Labs’ attempt was met with criticism at launch, as numerous bugs and glitches plagued an otherwise faithful glow-up to a strategy game classic. It released an expansion pack in 2016 titled Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon that featured a new playable faction, new fully-voiced campaign, and new maps.
Players were wondering if Relic Entertainment would tackle a proper remaster in the near future, as the Age of Empires developer teased an Age of Mythology remaster merely a year prior to the announcement. The recent renaissance of the franchise reaffirmed its place in video game history and brought new eyes to a genre that desperately needed it. With Microsoft acquiring Blizzard Entertainment, it now holds three of the most iconic real-time strategy IPs, and given the way Age of Empires’ revival was handled, it shows that Microsoft is very much keen to invest in the genre.
An important thing to note is that the video also features the Xbox logo, implying that this Age of Mythology remake will also be releasing on console. This has been a standard pattern for Microsoft’s remasters, most of which have been given console ports after carefully being touched-up for the modern era. In fact, Microsoft has also announced that Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires 4 would be getting Xbox releases in 2023. Whether Age of Mythology: Retold will open the way for full-fledged sequels of expansion packs remains unknown, but one thing keeps its fans at ease – the knowledge that this IP is in good hands.
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Age of Mythology: Retold is currently in development for PC.
