Age of Mythology Review

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(More customer reviews)The first computer game I ever purchased was the original Age of Empires, way back in 1998.It would be impossible for me to relate in words what a thrill this game was to me.I was completely immersed in it for months, and over the years bought and became equally engrossed with the three follow ups.It is with some reluctance therefore, that Imust comment on this game with less than outright exuberance.
The big difference between this game and its predecessors are the units.Along with the usual archers, cavalry and infantry, you now get god powers, myth units, and heroes. These are quite fun.God powers, for example, include such devastating attacks as earthquakes, lightning storms, and even pounding your opponent with meteors.They can also be benign, however, such as those that provide rain for your farms, or those that heal wounded soldiers.You must be careful when you use them, though, because you can only use them once.
The myth units are also a blast.Unlike other units, they are created at the temple, but basically they are like other units only with lots of attack and hit points.The Greeks have Minotaurs, Cyclops, and Centaurs;the Norse have giants and trolls;the Egyptians have sphinxes and mummies;but there are many, many others, and they are all unique to their civilization.What is really fun is the way they attack their enemy.The Norse frost giant blows a cold wind at his foe, freezing it in place, then bashes it with its club.The hill giant not only swings his club, but every once in a while hauls back his foot and gives his enemy a mighty kick.The Medusa myth unit, as you would expect, turns the enemy into stone, and the graphic is superbly done.The attacked unit's movement grinds slowly to a halt, then freezes in place and turns gray. There are literally a dozen more I could describe, but suffice to say, they are ingeniously done, and a joy to watch.
But for that, though, any A of E fan will be familiar with this.You still have to have villagers collect food, gold and wood.They still build buildings, and you must create and upgrade your units with the available resources.Which is fine.I never minded this aspect of the game--in fact, enjoyed it--and really, it's an integral part of the strategy.You must protect your own supply and a good way to defeat your enemy is to attack his.
My first disappointment with the game is with the 32 scenario campaign.Oh, don't get me wrong, many of them were a lot of fun.But it doesn't have that specialness, that extra intellectual challenge that most of the earlier A of E games provided.I remember actually lying awake nights wracking my mind to find some new way to end an ever increasing string of failures.What a thrill it was to come up with a new angle, try it the next day, and discover that it worked!(And what a thrill--a truly visceral thrill--to maul and smash the enemy after suffering so many disappointments.)
But this doesn't happen here.For one thing, many of the scenarios are very short, some only twenty to thirty minutes.This is far short of the epic length that I crave.And secondly, even the longer ones often end abruptly.A good example would be one of the later scenarios, playing in the Norse aspect.You are told that you will be attacked.You have five minutes to build your town and its defenses, and you have fifteen minutes to defend it from the enemy.This was a blast, with furious, non-stop attacks from several areas.After the fifteen minutes, you are told that you must then find and destroy the enemy.Yes!This will be where it gets good, I thought.So I sent what remained of my battered forces north, simply to scout out the enemy's strength.I fully expected them to be destroyed, and instead concentrated on my area, replacing dead villagers, repairing or rebuilding smashed buildings, etc.Imagine my surprise when, a mere thirty seconds later, I was told that I was victorious!I looked up to where they had gone and sure enough, there was a huge enemy army up there, but apparently, all I had to do was get to it!Man, what a drag.What a disappointment! And there are at least a few like this.
The random map aspect also leaves a lot to be desired.For one thing, there are only two sizes, and the large one is much too small.You can scout out the entire thing in three minutes.And although I've only played it a half-dozen times, I've already begun to notice a depressing similarity in the enemy AI, which can be counted on to attack early, often, with the same units and at the same place.This was not the case in A of E, where from game to game and even within games, strategy and tactics changed and you could never know what to expect.
Lastly and most disappointing is the game's bugginess.I'm not going to bore you with the details, but I have a big, powerful computer, and I have never had problems with any Microsoft game like I am having with this one.First, I couldn't get the cursor to appear.Then the game would crash, or the screen would go blank.Now, I will say that Microsoft, through the internet, has been very helpful, but who wants to go through all of this?
Look, this is not a bad game.I have enjoyed it.It's just that I have come to expect so much more from this series.I guess I've been spoiled.

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Product Description:
From the makers of Age of Empires comes a strategy game where the line between history and mythology has been blurred. In Age of Mythology heroes do battle with monsters of legend, and the gods intervene in the affairs of mortal men.
Age of Mythology players wage war as leaders of a Greek, Norse, or Egyptian civilization with a customized pantheon. Players use human armies and diplomacy, progress through development ages, enhance military and economic performance with improvements, and manage economics through resource gathering and trade. Mythology enters the mix when players call upon the gods to act on their behalf or reinforce their armies with more than 20 mythological creatures such as jackal-headed Egyptian warriors or mighty minotaurs.
Age of Mythology's revolutionary 3-D engine provides the game with gorgeous environments featuring lifelike rolling terrain, beautiful waves and water, realistic sunlight, and lush forests. The units roaming these environments are incredibly detailed, move naturally over the terrain, and come to life through hundreds of fluid animations. Amazing special effects change the look of this beautiful world when the gods get involved: all grows dark as an eclipse takes effect, funnel clouds twist and grow as a tornado sends buildings spinning toward the heavens, and meteors streak in from the heavens to send people and armies flying.
An entertaining tutorial, an intuitive interface, and logical game rules allow anyone to quickly and easily learn to play. Once started, there is a lot to explore: an epic 36 scenario single player campaign, easy-to-use multiplayer gaming online, single player games against the challenging Age of Mythology AI opponents, more than 15 different random map types that help make the game infinitely replayable, nine highly differentiated civilizations, multiple difficulty levels to allow players of any skill level to have an enjoyable game, and a fully functional scenario editor. Age of Mythology offers something for everyone: a fun game for any playing style or skill level.

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