Age of Mythology: Retold Continues a Great Trend from Age of Empires 4

by

Age of Mythology: Retold Continues a Great Trend from Age of Empires 4

As a long-time fan who’s been enthralled by the Age of Empires series since its inception, I can confidently say that Age of Mythology: Retold is a triumphant return to form for the franchise. The team behind this remake has taken the intuitive controller scheme established by Age of Empires 4 and elevated it even further.

The “Age of Empires” game series boasts an extensive history, dating back to 1997 with the initial release. It immediately became a popular hit. The sequel, “Age of Empires 2,” enhanced its predecessor’s formula, offering an exceptional real-time strategy experience for many gamers. While “Age of Empires 3” wasn’t quite as critically acclaimed, it didn’t diminish the series’ impact. The franchise has seen a revival in recent times with remasters like “Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition” and the long-awaited new installment, “Age of Empires 4.” This rejuvenation persists with the upcoming game “Age of Mythology: Retold.

First introduced in 2002, three years following the launch of “Age of Empires 2”, “Age of Mythology” brought a fresh twist to its predecessor’s well-loved real-time strategy (RTS) formula by incorporating mythological elements. The remake of this 2002 classic, titled “Age of Mythology: Retold“, has now been released by developers Forgotten Empires and World’s Edge, continuing the impressive trend set by their previous projects.

Age of Mythology: Retold Carries Forward Age of Empires 4’s Intuitive Control Scheme

Age of Empires 4 Set a New Bar for RTS Controller Support

Strategy games have been launching on consoles for many years, with responses ranging from positive to negative. Initially, it was thought that strategy games wouldn’t function well on consoles because their control systems are less versatile than those on computers using a mouse and keyboard. However, over time, this perspective has started shifting.

In many PC strategy games, players move around numerous tabs and utilize the mouse for speedy browsing through extensive menus. The top strategy games have streamlined this menu system for consoles by incorporating radial menus that pop up when a specific button is triggered or a unit/structure is selected. These radial menus are now common in modern strategy titles. While they work efficiently for slower-paced games like Tropico and Anno, they may become somewhat complicated to use in fast-paced games like those within the real-time strategy subgenre, where players frequently need to make quick decisions concerning massive armies.

2019’s “Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition” significantly simplified the control scheme for console strategy games within the RTS genre, and “Age of Empires 4” has continued to polish this design. In “AoE4”, players using a controller can essentially complete the entire game with just a handful of buttons. The majority of interactions in “AoE4” only require the player to spotlight a unit or structure, press the right trigger, and select an option from the circular menu. While all other buttons, the directional pad, and triggers are assigned useful functions, most of “AoE4” can be played using just the joysticks, the “A” button, and the right trigger.

Age of Mythology: Retold Raises That Bar Higher

With experience in adapting both the Xbox versions of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires 4, it’s not shocking that World’s Edge has once again excelled with the console control scheme for Age of Mythology: Retold. Essentially, they’ve carried over the control system from AoE4 and made some enhancements. The most notable upgrade is the more intuitive User Interface (UI) and icons utilized in the game’s radial menus, enabling players to quickly identify a unit, structure, or action.

Read More

2024-09-12 02:53