Age of Mythology: Retold is a real-time strategy game set in a world where gods, monsters, and mortals clash across ancient mythologies. Players gather resources, construct bases, advance through ages, and command armies while invoking divine powers and legendary creatures to secure victory. The Premium Upgrade version on PS5 delivers the full experience with controller-optimized controls that streamline building, unit management, and god power activation without requiring a keyboard or mouse.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on balancing economy, military production, and divine intervention. Villagers or equivalent workers collect food, wood, gold, and favor, the latter earned through unique mechanics tied to each pantheon. Advancing through the ages unlocks stronger units and technologies while granting access to minor gods that provide new powers and myth units. God powers recharge over time and can be deployed strategically to turn battles, from devastating storms to supportive rains that boost growth. Myth units bring distinct abilities, such as area damage or special attacks, and players can toggle them between manual and automatic use. Distinct faction identities shape strategies: Greeks emphasize versatile heroes and balanced forces, Egyptians focus on efficient resource management and defensive structures, Norse favor aggressive combat for favor generation and mobile building, while Atlanteans offer flexible tech paths and hero transformations. Controller support includes radial menus and simplified commands that maintain depth for console players.
Game Modes
Skirmish matches allow head-to-head competition or AI challenges on randomly generated maps with customizable settings for player count, map size, and visibility. Victory conditions extend beyond standard elimination to include Conquest, King of the Hill control of a central objective, Regicide targeting of enemy leaders, and Sudden Death where loss of a fortified starting structure ends the game. Arena of the Gods introduces 35 scenario-based skirmishes playable solo or in co-op, featuring dynamic World Twists that alter conditions, collectible Blessings for persistent upgrades, and escalating divine challenges across varied mythological landscapes. These modes support both competitive ranked play and casual sessions with friends or advanced AI opponents.
Pantheons and Myth Units
Four base pantheons provide the foundation, with the Chinese pantheon added through expansion content included in the Premium Upgrade. Each offers major gods selected at the start and minor gods chosen during age advancement, delivering unique god powers like lightning strikes, earthquakes, dragon summons, or protective Dryads. Myth units range from Centaurs and Cyclopes to Trolls, Mummies, and specialized creatures such as winged tigers or chaotic entities, each with tailored roles in combat. Campaigns span roughly 50 missions across settings including the siege of Troy, frozen Midgard battles against giants, and Egyptian sands tied to Osiris, allowing players to experience story-driven progression or experiment freely in custom matches.
Is It Worth Playing?
Age of Mythology: Retold appeals to fans of mythological real-time strategy who value distinct faction mechanics, god-powered gameplay, and a mix of single-player campaigns with multiplayer depth. The PS5 version maintains strong performance with controller-friendly design that lowers the barrier for console RTS enthusiasts. Ongoing updates have added new modes like Arena of the Gods and expanded pantheon options, supporting continued engagement through skirmishes and co-op. Player feedback highlights the faithful modernization of classic systems alongside fresh content, making it a solid choice for those seeking strategic variety in a mythological setting rather than purely historical RTS experiences. Those who enjoy managing economies alongside spectacular divine interventions will find substantial replay value here.
