An Old Friend With New Gameplay
 

Age of Mythology preserves the familiar elements popular in previous Age of Empires games. Wonders, civilization bonuses, technology trees, resource gathering, empire building, and large armies clashing on fields of battle are all at the heart of the game. At the same time, a number of entirely new gameplay features are introduced, making for a fresh, original experience:

• God Powers - These rare and powerful gifts grant players the powers of the gods several times during each game.
• Mythological Units - Each with their own special ability, these scarce units can be added to a player's armies to change the character of the fighting force.
• Multiple Ways To Advance Ages - Players now get to chose different ways to advance though the ages, each providing a different set of bonuses.
• Highly Differentiated Civilizations - Age of Mythology builds on the civilization differentiation featured in Age of Kings and features civilizations that play dramatically different from one another.

   

A Game For Everyone
 

Age of Mythology features an entertaining tutorial, an intuitive interface, and logical game rules that combine to 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 replay able, nine highly differentiated civilizations, multiple difficulty levels to allow players of any skill level to have an enjoyable game, and, of course, a fully functional scenario editor. Age of Mythology offers something for everyone: a fun game for any playing style or skill level.

An Epic Single Player Campaign
 

Age of Mythology features a 36 scenario single player campaign designed by the same team that received the 2000 Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences award for story and character development. The campaign allows players to take part in an epic mythological tale, inspired by a number of popular myths. The player will guide his forces everywhere ranging from the siege at Troy, to the pyramids in Egypt, to the snow covered mountains in the North, to the mythological underworld. As progress is made through the single player campaign, parts of the story are presented using in-game cinematic interludes, featuring the actual units being played with (and the environments played in) to tell the tale

An Immersive World
 

Age of Mythology's revolutionary 3D 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 at the point of impact flying.

 

 

Age of Mythology builds on the civilization differentiation that players have grown accustomed to in Age of Kings, with nine unique factions that play dramatically different from one another. Each of the nine unique civilizations are split amongst three cultures: the Greeks, Egyptians, and Norse, with each providing their own special units, gods, powers, heroes, and more.

Choosing particular gods for your pantheon influences various economic and military abilities of your civilization, plus which god powers (earthquakes, meteor showers, etc.) and which mythological creatures (Cyclops, medusae, minotaur's, etc.) you can summon.

 

Egyptian: The three primary Egyptian gods are Ra, god of the sun; Isis, goddess of queens and magic; and Set, god of evil. At the top of the Egyptian pantheon stands Ra, who controlled the power of the sun. For the Ra civilization, some examples of god powers that a player would have at their disposal are shifting sands and tornado. Some of the mythological units that a player would be able to enlist are the Wedjat (winged cobra), giant Scarab, and the Avenger.  Visit the Ensemble Studios site for more details on the Egyptian Gods. Norse: The three Norse gods are Odin, ruler of the gods; his son, Thor, god of thunder; and Loki, the ultimate trickster god. Thor, the might god of thunder, is probably the most heroic of Norse deities. A player that selects Thor as their major diety would have access to the god power Frost (large area freeze attack), as well as the Troll and Frost Giant mythological units, amongst others.  Visit the Ensemble Studios site for more details on the Norse Gods. Greek: In the Greek culture, the three gods are Zeus, king of the gods, and his two brothers: Poseidon, god of the sea and cavalry; and Hades, god of the underworld. Zeus, undoubtedly the most familiar god in Greek (if not all) mythology, provides the player with a powerful god power (lightening bolt) in addition to several fearsome mythological units such as the Manticore, Minotaur, and Medusa.  Visit the Ensemble Studios site for more details on the Greek Gods.