Rating: 
Summary: Raw excitement gives you an adrenalin rush every time
Review:
This is the best game I have ever played.
The second best game I have ever played is Age of Empires 2 (AoE2). This is better because playing it excites me even more.After I got used to the changes from AoE2, I soon became addicted to it. I am now on the 20th of 36 campaigns. I feel compelled at this point to vehemently disagree with anyone who thinks the game is lacking in depth or that they expected more. If it seems to be a simple game on a small scale then _you haven't played it enough_. The depth of this game can only be understood through playing at least 10 scenarios. After that _you won't stop_ playing. Each scenario offers fresh objectives, interspersed with entertaining movie sequences that complement the well-developed story, taking you _deeper and deeper_ into the mythological world. The prequel, AoE2 sometimes would often take over three hours to finish a single game. I wanted to play it more than I did but usually just didn't have that kind of time to spare. Therefore, probably the most obvious and satisfying change in Age of Mythology is the much shorter games, which are even _more compelling_. I finished the first scenario in half an hour. That meant the following night when I came home late, I could squeeze in another game before going to bed. I could now get my _daily fix_! Other people are going to be craving to do the same. Then they're going to have to explain to their friends why they don't meet up any more. But their friends will understand once they get their copies. Society will crumble but in its place, flourish in the game's mythological world. This game is bound to become immensely popular once word gets out about how much fun it is. Some of the units are truly amiable, thanks to their unique appearances, movements, and voices, e.g. the cyclops who looks and sounds like a big dumb ogre. He picks up his enemies and throws them into a grove, felling trees in a wide arc. Sickeningly lovable! Then you've got the brontosaurus-like hydra who, every time it kills a unit, grows another head to become even more powerful. Delightful! Then there's the Collosus who is a heavily armoured giant who can replenish his lifeforce by consuming part of a resource, e.g. a tree or part of a gold mine. Indestructible! The Heroes have a shiny halo surrounding their bodies which, along with their unique appearances, makes them stand out for easy identification. You can find all of them easily with a hotkey. I say all of them, because you can make lots of different Heroes, whose identities are straight out of mythology. They are stronger than standard units, and can maim myth units. Their lifeforce regenerates slowly if you withdraw them from battle and they reincarnate if killed. They are destined to serve you long and well. Even the standard units have their merits. For one, they're good for ganging up on the enemy's Heroes. They're cheap, generate quickly, and help balance your army by making up for your Myth Units' and Heroes' weaknesses. But regrettably, we don't care much for them any more. Some inexperienced strategy gamers say the God Powers are ineffectual. I agree that some of the earlier powers are weak-- One power used on its own is often not enough to turn the tide of battle in your favor. To be of maximum effect they need to be used strategically. Hold on to your last four powers, especially the stronger ones granted in later ages, and execute them simultaneously during the heat of the battle. The effect can be devastating. Anyway, they improve the overall gaming experience with their stunning effects, e.g. the meteor storm or the earthquake. This game is fast: You can build a city really quickly and have it torn down even faster. The focus is no longer on building your city but on building your army and wreaking havoc on the enemy. That's what war is all about and that's what _this is_. If you desire an adrenalin rush from battling it out, this game is for you. [I give it 5 stars for playability not for stability because it occasionally crashes on my system! (P4 ATI Radeon 9000 on WinME). Giving it 1 star because of instability may mislead others into thinking it is not the exceptional game it is.]
Rating:
Summary: Next Home Run From Ensemble Studios
Review: This is an amazing game. There's the similar gameplay to the Age of Empires series that has sold 100,000s of copies with more appeal and advancements. New, more realistic graphics such as falling snow and accurate attack movements make this game even more exciting than the Age series games before it. Getting to choose exactly how you advance through the game gives a whole new level of complexity. There are endless ways to play by simply picking different maps, opponents, ways to win, civilizations, and how to play those civilizations. The detail and gameplay is an enhanced version of the Age series that I still play though it has been out for years. This is a must by for anyone with an interest in strategy games. Also, it has a great deal of history, good for students like me.
Rating:
Summary: HARD TO IMPROVE ON PERFECTION
Review: It really is hard to improve on perfection. There are a few games that come out every year that make you say Wow, now this is what a PC Game should be. Then there are a few very special games that you find every 3-4 years that seem to stay on your hard drive for several years. This is one of those games. Age of Mythology is a masterpiece. Its one of those titles that us RTS buffs drool over but its also a game for those folks that strategy games just dont appeal. There is something for everyone here. The 3D Engine that powers this game is amazing. As soon as the opening movie starts you know that this is something special. This game has the most realistic terrain, water, special effects ect... to date from a strategy or any other game type. The cimematics are beautiful and move a truly impressive storyline. The online game has a new proprietary matchmaking system as well that keeps a good balance for all skill levels making it much easier for novice players not to be so outmatched playing the online community. If you have played the Age of Empires series of course you will be right at home but this game is so much more. Three separate civilizations each managed in their own unique way throws curves at you just when you think you have it all figured out! The "God Powers" Tornados, Meteors,Lightning, (just to name a few) that turn the game in an instance is also incredible, be wise though because you can only "invoke" each power once per game. The characters are also very unique. They move as if they are truly real, not to mention the mythology creatures! If you want a title that you will not soon forget, look no more.
Rating:
Summary: Raising the bar, once again
Review: Age of Empires was and is a very successful RTS series, and Age of Mythology now raises the bar to an even higher standard. The mix of real units and mythological ones is done in a well thought out manner. It's truly a pleasure to see your hydra decimate an invading army. If you are familiar with the AOE series of games, then AOM will seem a natural to you. The main differences is that there are only three civilizations that you can participate as. On the face of it, this would sound to be a negative in the game, but each civilization is well done and far more fleshed out than previously. You really get a strong flavor of each civilization as you play them through. Even better is the amount of variability that you can have inside of each of the three civilizations. This starts from the beginning of the game, as you choose the major god that your people are dedicated towards. Later, as you advance through the various ages, you choose between other minor gods, each very distinct and useful in their own rights. These decisions can alter your civilization in radically different ways than another player who chose the same civilization to play. For example, if you play the Egyptians you might choose Ra or Isis as your main deity. Ra will improve your culture in aspects such as stronger chariots and miracles such as "Rain" to help you produce food more easily. Isis focuses more on your people, helping them mine gold and food as well as making technological improvements cheaper. As you advance, you will choose others such as Anubis or Bast to affect your people, giving you different mythological creatures and miracles as well as other variances in your people. Graphically, the game is beautiful. There is little left wanting in this department and it's really a pleasure to explore and encounter the unexpected. Terrain and settings really capture the flavor of the region you are playing, whether that be the green rolling Greek isles or the firey depths of hades. If you are keen toward the single player campaigns of RTS games, you'll find this one very entertaining and challenging. Personally, I found the whole story line cohesive and interesting, helping to add depth to the gameplay that is usually absent in such campaigns. Multiplayer is also very fun, and new implementations in the game have altered the types of strategies that were so common in the AOE series. The variances in the three civilizations make for very interesting team play games, and even one on one matches can be pleasingly competitive. Overall, your money is well spent on this game and I would highly recommend it for any game players collection...especially if you are a fan of RTS games, this is a must buy!
Rating:
Summary: Age of Myth - Great Game
Review: The interface and commands are still the same for the experienced AOE player. However the civilizations are completely different from each other and you really have to weight out your options on who to use. It's not as easy to build a huge army and wipe some one out when they have the right civ and units with some God power. Makes the game more calculating and Strategic. The graphics are unbelievable and this will easily fit into my AOE library. (SOMETHING HARD TO DO!) Get's my vote for Game of the Year! My Recommendation: Buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Have Patience and Have fun!!!
Review: I purchased the new release of this game released on 1 Nov. I am new this Age of Series but still I took it because I am a great fan of Mythological Stories. I must admit this game is a great fun. But don't expect to have fun from day 1. This is not a pcman or soccer like play. This needs a lot of reading help/online manuals. If you don't have that patience, don't even think about this game.
You should know what is the fuction of each characters, thier plus points and weakness,use of structures like armory,sentry tower etc, powers of Gods and so on. I use official Sybex Strategy guide which is available on Amazon. Still I am learning every day. Inspite of playing a lot of hours I still don't understand a few things. Like when I am running a campeign, and building an Army. I am looking at my farm. Somewhere on other part of town not visible at that moment
on screen, a single enemy soldier on stallion comes along and four five of my armymen start chasing him. I have no idea whats going on 'there'. When I go to that screen, I see those 'foolish' armymen have entered enemy terriotory and are being killed by enemy troops. Ofcourse if I had looked at that screen, I could have saved them. But it gave me no intimation that this is happening. This may be my lack of knowledge of tricks but there are some things like this which I think
should be improved.
The Game continues for days and I save frequently to come back to a certain back senario when I feel I can improve or I have made some mistakes. You can advance the Age, invoke God powers which I think is the coolest feature. Building a temple and worshiping gives you these boons. After playing for a week, I learnt about Greek civilization on age of Mythology. This I don't think though as an educational tool. The 3D graphics is just great, but the text I see during the Game is not that clear. I miss some messages during the game when they come fast and even help during the Game is not very clear. May be its my PC, but I doubt it since its a p4-
2ghz large memory machine. If you get idea of what this is and interested in these kinda games, its worth trying!
Rating:
Summary: It was a long wait, but not in vain!
Review: As a long time fan of the Age of Empires series I sure have impatiently waited for this one. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the alpha testers a few months ago, and those few weeks of testing the game left me stunned and amazed. Age of Mythology has it all, and so much more than has been seen before. Now you have true 3D graphics in a brand new engine. You are going to love the way the waves hit the beach, the different seasons, night and day, fire and smoke etc. And your viewpoint is completely flexible and controlable. You have the choice between 3 different races, that all play completely different. I said COMPLETELY different. Within those you have loads of choices to finetune your race to your playing style and or to meet the playing styles of your opponents. All done by choosing between 3 major gods within each race, and then a combination of 3 other subgods under your major god. Each have different bonusses and skills... All of these races are chokeful of weird and wonderful units, consisting of ordinary units, heroes and mythological creatures with supernatural powers. You gotta see the powerhouses called Fire Giants of the Norse race, or the leaping and snarling Anubites of the Egyptians or the man-hurling Cyclops of the Greeks. And the list goes on. Each have unique skills, whether he is a lowly footsoldier or a fearsome monster. The combinations and possibilities are simply endless! God powers. Totally awesome! Makes you wish for that opponent camera option, when you litterally shower his towncenter and fortresses with meteors. Visually it is SO incredibly stunning! Or giving him a good earthquake, or how about teleporting your army straight into his city through a supernatural underground passage, or how about turning his army into swine (which you can hunt for food later ;-) ) and the list goes on. Each combination of major god and subgods will give you a unique combination of 4 god powers which you unfortunately only can use once... Everything is neatly balanced. All in all Age of Mythology is worth the long wait as it will guarantee you an epic strategy experience!
Rating:
Summary: Thinking of buying it
Review: After I read the reviews and saw the screenshots I knew that this game is the best. But i still didnt buy it the thing thats keeping me from buying it is....u guessed right THE PRICE.
Rating:
Summary: BETTER than Warcraft III by far
Review: Hi! I've been a long-time fan of AOE and AOK. I've always enjoyed these games. Now, Age of Mythology does not disappoint me. In Age of Mythology, there are 9 civillizations--three cultures (Greek, Egyptian, or Norse) and three gods for each. As you advance, you get to pick minor gods to worship, giving your civillization different bonuses, "Myth Units," and "God Powers." These are incredibly fun. Myth units are very powerful, and have great special attacks (for example, minotaurs can gore enemy units, flinging them high into the air and dealing extra damage--watch them bounce!). However, they can be countered by heroes. In other words, against regular armies, they can destroy dozens, but if there are heroes in that army, they may die quickly.
God powers are incredible too. They are one-time use powers that do some type of beneficial thing for you--whether offensive or defensive. For example, an offensive GP might be meteors, while a defensive GP might be rain (which makes farms more efficient).
Graphics are incredible, too. You can rotate and zoom in and out, and everything is incredibly smooth. Units are smaller than in WCIII, but you can still tell the difference between them, and there are usually many more of them onscreen at a time.
If you liked the previous ES games (the AOE and AOK games) then you will probably like AOM. i don't see why people keep comparing AOM to WCIII. They are two different types of games. WCIII is based on micromanagement--its an RPS or whatever. AOM is pure RTS. You still need micromanagement, but its not as based on a few units (your heroes).
In conclusion, AOM is a wonderful RTS. It is about the best model of a perfect true RTS you can get. If you prefer controlling a few units at a time and using a lot of micromanagement, you might do better with WCIII. But personally, I recommend this game overall by a long shot.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent game, different and more strategic than Warcraft 3
Review: I bought Warcraft III when it first came out, and make no mistake -- I love the game. In fact, when I first looked at Age of Mythology, I was a bit disappointed. I was always a fan of Tolkien and loved fantastic creatures and magicks, and while WC III plays to that love very energetically, AOM if anything seemed rather subdued, with all the civilizations and units looking similar. But as I started to play Age of Mythology, I have to say I found it fantastically deep -- in many ways, deeper than Warcraft III. First of all, the civilizations really do have very different strengths with very different personalities -- the Egyptians have quick but thin-skinned mortal units, but powerful defenses, exotic units like chariot archers and war elephants, and field perhaps the most fantastic and deadly mythological creatures in the game -- everything from giant eagles to mummies to crocodiles that shoot searing beams of light. The Norse are quick and crafty horseback riders with no archers but the ability to decimate other units with lightning quick strikes and constant movement. Their unpredictable mythological units -- like packs of hungry Fenris wolves or the Valkyries, who double as warriors and first aid doctors -- add spice to their play. The Greeks are the Orcs of the Age of Mythology world -- their troops are tough and powerful and run over the armies of the other civilization if they catch them in the open field. Their mythological units embody this crushing philosophy as well, with minotaurs, cyclops and colusses rounding out their army. The nice thing, too, is that the game is not prone to mass rushing, moves a bit slower than Warcraft III, and yet not so slow that it isn't as exciting or surprising. Because maps are bigger and units can be reproduced very fast, I find that battles tend to see-saw more in an exciting fashion in this game -- in WC, I found (often, but not always) that if you lose against the initial hero or huntress rush in the first 4 minutes, you've pretty much lost the game. Check out the game. It's worth it. Hey, I wouldn't spend my time making a fan site about it if i didn't like it a lot, would I?
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