As an avid RPG gamer, I believe that for many games to succeed in specific genres such as adventure, strategy and RPG they must first attempt to tell an immersive and compelling story. Without a compelling story to follow, a game will become nothing but mindless action and in time become very tedious and dull. A story adds much to the life and atmosphere that many games need to succeed today. I have recently started enjoying strategy games because technology has gotten to a point in which developers are able to use the graphics engines within these games to tell an interesting and involving story. Warcraft 3 did this very successfully this past summer and the upcoming real-time strategy game Age of Mythology seeks to do the same when it is released in late October. I recently received the marketing beta for the very spectacular Age of Mythology developed by Ensemble Studios and soon to be published by Microsoft Game Studios.

Having played, but not enjoyed as much as I would have liked, Age of Empires 1 and Age of Empires 2, the previous games from the same developer, I was not expecting to find any major differences when I installed the marketing beta from their latest game. Yet, after a week of intensive gaming with the beta, I became a huge fan of their latest game, Age of Mythology (AOM). The previous games in this series used a 2D graphics engine while AOM uses a new and stunning 3D graphics engine that has been over three years in the making. Where the 2D graphics engine limited the story-telling capabilities, the new 3D graphics engine used in AOM is able to bring the mythological world to vibrant life with interesting scenarios and cutscenes that are a highlight of the carefully crafted story-rich campaign. Join me now as I recount some of the experiences from the 15 scenario campaign included in the beta.

The gameplay elements in this game are very involving and all very fun. I love mythology and one of the things I had hoped was that this game would use this concept well. As you can tell by now, the artists, musicians, scenario writers, and other key departments have worked very hard to give us an impressive and very detailed mythological world in AOM. You start the campaign with your hero named Arkantos, an admiral from Atlantis, fabled city of Poseidon, the god of the seas. Events soon transpire which see our hero pursuing a group of pirates which turn out later to be more than they seem and a conspiracy which will force him to face things he never expected. You are able to play through three different civilizations which include the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Norse. Each of these different civilizations offers unique technologies, units and god powers.

You can advance through four different ages during a scenario in the following order: archaic age, classical age, heroic age, and the mythic age. When you advance through an age by meeting the requirements, it will give you the opportunity to use a minor god to follow which will usually allow you to gain specific special units, powers and technologies. Impressive elements come in the form of god powers such as one that unleashes meteors to cause heavy damage upon your enemies to the bronze power which will encase your units in bronze for a limited time allowing for a very beneficial increase in defensive abilities. These god powers are all very fun and examples of those found when playing with the Greeks but all god powers can only be used once during any given scenario. Each civilization has their own unique and special god powers but they should not be used unwisely and careful thought should be given to when and where they will be used.

Myth units are another interesting component within AOM and one I enjoy very much. For the Greeks as an example, you can acquire at your temple what are referred to as myth units which are sent by the gods to aid you in battle. The myth units for the Greeks include such impressive creatures as the hydra, minotaur and huge stone walking units referred to as colossus. The hydra is unique in that it will grow additional heads as it continues to fight in battle. The colossus unit is obtained in the most advanced age of the Greeks referred to as the mythic age and is a powerful unit to wield against your enemies having over 1,000 hit points and the ability to recover its lost hit points. It is able to recover its lost hitpoints by devouring gold mines or trees.

Just having a few of the colossus in your group with a few hydras will give you an impressive army for some of the smaller battles that you will fight. Hero units are also important within this game and come with many unique abilities. The hero units for the Greeks include Arkantos which is mentioned above, who can give increased attack power to nearby units as a special ability; as well as the wise centaur Chiron who can shoot several arrows at once, as well as Hercules, Jason and others who will aid you throughout your campaigns. Much more awaits you within AOM but I leave it up you to savor and discover the rest on your own.

I will admit that at first I was not expecting an interesting story from the campaign included in AOM. Yet, once I started the 15 scenario campaign included in the beta I was determined to complete it. The rich story and plot developments that appear in the campaign interested me like I never thought would happen. Those responsible for creating the scenarios within the game's campaign have used the new 3D engine to tell a mesmerizing and brilliant story. The same engine that is used for the main game itself will be the one used for cutscenes that highlight all the important events that occur within the campaign. It is a campaign that will have you anxious to see what is coming up next.

You will take part in the siege at Troy, travel into the underworld and prevent the opening of a sealed gate, and awaken a guardian that has been sleeping for hundreds of years. The campaign included within the beta is one of the main reasons that I am now a fan of this game. The designers have even included humor as you watch some of the detailed cutscenes included in the game. I was not sure at first what they would do with the single player campaign but from what I have seen so far I am eager to play the rest of the campaign and see what other surprises are in store. There is expected to be a finely-crafted 36 scenario campaign within the final game which, unlike the other games in the series, is a story that you actually care about.

The 3D graphics engine used to power this game is a very impressive and powerful one. In game cutscenes, units, weather effects, god powers, terrains and many other aspects are all modeled beautifully with this magnificent engine. Screenshots alone do not do this game justice. The campaign scenarios are designed with many artistic touches and details that can easily be seen when one goes through them. The engine has many interesting effects such as when you see the waves that wash upon the shore or see a waterfall that cascades gracefully off a ridge. You will be impressed when you look at all the time and effort that has gone into modeling and displaying all the many facets in this game.

When you enter the desert terrains you will even notice sand being blown by the wind. So many detailed terrains will be seen when you play the campaign, from vibrant grasslands, sand drenched deserts, to the lava filled underworld and many more finely crafted and detailed environments. Units are also shown with exquisite detail. As I watched the units move within the game I was able to see the detail and attention that had gone into their creation. By looking at many of the screenshots within this preview yourself, you can understand the care that has gone into creating the three different civilizations.

Age of Mythology recently went gold and will be available at the end of October. This marketing beta was so impressive that I eagerly await the full version. I hope that this preview has allowed you to experience in some way the wonderful game that Ensemble Studios has created for us, a real time strategy game that brings the wonderful world of mythology before you! If you believe that story is more important to a game than just mindless action, you would do well in purchasing this game as soon as it is released. I believe that Ensemble Studios has taken the best out of the previous games and added additional layers that finally make it a game that I want to play.

A collector’s edition will also be available when this game releases and will include a "making of" DVD, the impressive soundtrack to the game, posters of the various gods in the game as well as many other interesting items. If you enjoy mythology and its many wonders, the story, music, god powers, myth and hero units in this game will fascinate you and allow you to experience the magic that is Age of Mythology!

System Requirements:

• Platform PC: Microsoft Windows 98/2000/XP
• CPU: Pentium II 450 MHz • RAM: 128 MB
• Video Card: 16MB, DirectX 8.1 Compatible
• Soundcard: 100% Direct Sound Compatible
• CD ROM: 2x speed or faster
• Hard Drive: 1.5 GB of free disk space