Age of Mythology: The Titans

"Ensemble Studios has done it again!"

This expansion is an addition to, in my opinion, the best Age game yet. Definitely the best Real Time Strategy game I've played.

Gameplay: 10/10
Gameplay in this game is superb. You can have up to 12 players, human or computer, playing in one map at a time. The hotkeys in this game help for quick and efficient building and unit selction, and the waypoint function ensures that your villagers won't be idle for long. Everything is easily accessible, and pretty simple. You can control nearly every aspect of the game just by using tha mouse. The Gameplay in the expansion has been improved also by the addition of the new civilization, the Atlanteans. They are vastly different from anything else in the game, and add more strategies and depth to gameplay. Titans are also a great improvement to Age of Mythology, giving you a 7000 Hitpoint behemoth the can tear up any building in seconds. The counter system is another cool aspect of this game. If an enemy sends a mob of Camels after you, you can take them down pretty easily but making Hoplites or Katapeltes. It's pretty much Infantry>Cavalry>Archers>Infantry, and Myth Units>Normal Units>Heroes>Myth Units. There are some exceptions, but that's the basic thing. Myth Units are my favorite part of this game. Through your Minor Gods that you pick and choose as you advance through the Ages, you can choose to wield units from different mythologies, such as the Cyclops, Satyr, Sphinx, and Kraken. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Graphics: 9/10
The graphics are flat-out awesome. A huge improvement over Age of Kings. Nearly everything in the game is 3d, as opposed to AOK's 2d graphics. You can even rotate the screen by pressing ctrl+arrow keys, and zoom in via the plus and minus buttons. The only problem I have with the graphics is that, on the settings that I prefer, my poor computer slows down. But there are many options that can fix that. Overall, excellent graphics.

Sound: 8/10
Sound isn't bad. It's mostly a group of sword clangs, arrow thuds, and screams of pain whenever someone lands a hit or dies, but it adds a lot to the game. The background music is what I like the best though. Only because you can choose what you listen to! I personally replaced the files with some Switchfoot and Star Trek music, and I like the results. I've also made some custom taunts. Taunts are little sound files played in the game to insult your opponent or give a command to your ally. Overall, sound is good.

Story: 7/10
The campaign for this game didn't impress me that much at all. It was really short, though it was entertaining and creative. It was a nice addition to the original campaign.

Replay Value: 10/10
If I could give this an 11/10, I would. Replay is what this game is all about. You can set up any combination of computers to play against on a random map. The random maps are different each time, and provide endless hours of RTS enjoyment. You can also design your own scenarios and play online with ESO's great rating system.

Overall, I give it a 9/10. Not perfect, but definitely a game to get if you're into Real Time Strategy games. Buy it!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/04