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Age of Mythology (AoM) is MicroSoft’s latest real-time strategy game. Built on the Age of Empires game engine, AoM combines the resource management aspects of Age of Empires and adds a new twist—gods and creatures from classic mythology. Together, the solid Age of Empires resource- and technology- management mechanics, combined with the influence the gods have over the flow of the game, lead to a fast-paced game with a multitude of strategic possibilities.

Play Modes:

AoM supports several modes of play. In addition to a 35-mission long story/campaign mode, AoM allows you to play skirmishes as a single player vs. the computer, on a LAN, or online on the ESO (Ensemble Studios Online) server provided.

Faction Overview:

Players can select from three distinct civilizations in AoM: the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Norse. Each of the three plays differently, and “feels” different during the game. The Greeks have the most “regular” building and unit options of the three, and have expensive but powerful units. The Egyptians, conversely, have a very wide tech tree, allowing them to eventually research the precise solution to whatever problem they encounter. The Norse, finally, are unusual in that their military units, not their workers, build their buildings, which leads them to sprawl all over the map. Overall, while all of the factions can use any strategy, the Egyptians are defensive, the Norse offensive, and the Greeks are “balanced”. However, these basic tendencies are greatly modified by which gods you choose to worship during the game.

Deities, and Gods

The greatest innovation of AoM is the inclusion of deities and gods into the mechanics of the game. Each civilization, at the beginning of the game, must choose one of three deities to worship:

Greeks: Zeus, Hades, Poseidon
Egyptians: Ra, Isis, Set
Norse: Thor, Odin, Loki

Each god offers special advantages and abilities, as well as unique units and technology upgrades, to research. However, because you can only choose one of your faction’s 3 deities, you already have a great deal of customization—choosing one deity automatically means giving up the other two, and the advantages they provide. Choosing a deity to complement your playstyle, or shore up weaknesses in your strategies, adds depth to the game.

For example, Thor has a close mythological relationship with the Norse dwarves. In the game, this causes him to start with 2 dwarves rather than 2 villagers. Since dwarves are extra-good at mining gold, and not so good at harvesting lumber or food. This makes it easy for Thor to play a “heavy spending strategy”—or, he can get by with fewer gold miners than players of other deities or civilizations.

However, although the deity mechanic lets you customize your civilization selection, the deities alone do not provide enough variety to make the game truly unique. What AoM does to add to the strategic aspect of the game is to create entire pantheons, or groups of gods, for each civilization. As the game progresses, you get to choose minor gods to worship alongside your deity. Like the deity himself (or herself in the case of Isis), minor gods provide you with specific units, special abilities, and upgrades.

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