$20 Game of the Week: Age of Mythology (PC)

A While after Age of Empires II, Ensemble game studios went to work on another RTS. Although it has similar gameplay mechanics to Age of Empires, it’s a different experience. For one, there are are only three civilizations as compared to the many civilizations from Age of Empires. Players can choose between the Greeks, the Norse, and the Egyptians. However, each civilization has it’s own set of powers, units, and structures. Each civilization has three gods, one of which you select before a match. Also, there is only one single-player campaign, although it’s huge and expansive. You follow the adventures of Atlantean general Arkantos as he attempts to regain the favor of the god Poseidon. You’ll travel through each of the three lands and meet each of the three civilizations.

Play is similar to what you’d expect from most RTS games. You gather resources, train units, build structures, and resource technology. Along with infantry and siege units, you can create myth units such as Pegasuses and scarab beetles by gathering favor from the gods. There are also hero units, similar to Warcraft III. Just like Age of Empires, you can advance the age, and unlock new technologies. If you get tired of the single player experience, you can play against others online. There is also a scenario editor that is highly advanced compared to the one in AOE II. The game uses a 3-d graphics engine that Ensemble studios worked on parallel to their development of AOE II. Obviously it’s not Unreal Engine III, but it makes for some nice visuals without pushing the limit on your PC. An expansion pack, Titans, adds in a new civilization (the Atlanteans) as well as new units and god powers. If you like Age of Empires, or just RTS games in general, then you’ll no doubt like this. Ensemble is good at making exceptional RTS games, and this is no exception.

System Requirements:
Processor: 450 MHz CPU
Memory: 128 MB Ram
Storage: 1.5 GB Hard Disk Space
Graphics: 16 MB GPU
Modem: 56K or better
Hardware: Keyboard, Mouse, CD-Rom drive