Strategy gamers have been waiting quite some time for Age of Mythology, and soon their wait will be over.  Age of Mythology is close to release; so close in fact that we were able to get a preview build of the game to try out for ourselves.  While there might be some differences between the pre-release build we played and the final product (programmers always work on things until the last possible second), it does give a really good look at what the game will be like when it is released.

The first thing that you'll see when playing the game is just how beautiful the graphics are.  Age of Mythology moves the Age of Empires series into the world of 3D graphics and the results are incredible.  The waves on the ocean roll fluidly and lap the shorelines, and the water itself is translucent.  Schools of fish can be seen swimming near the water's surface, plant life near the shore waves with the ebb and flow of the currents, and, if you look carefully, you can make out larger fish swimming in the depths of the deeper water.

Age of Mythology also features dynamic lighting effects, which allow some missions in the game's campaign to take place at night.  One of the miracles available to Egyptian players is eclipse, which will blot out the sun for a short period of time.  When cast, the entire map grows darker, and the lights of fires and the lighthouse of the docks feebly try to hold back the darkness.  You can also see the game's powerful lighting effects at work in the shadows cast in the game, and in the flicker of fires and the heat rising from the flames.

The landscapes look great as well, with desert, tundra, and temperate maps, complete with the corresponding flora and fauna.  Hills and cliffs are better defined in Age of Mythology than they were in prior games, and the landscapes are a topographical potpourri of flats, rolling terrain, and mountains.  The mountains themselves support a range of elevations, and you'll come across the same shoulders and plateaus you find on real mountains.  It can be quite amusing to watch a minotaur toss an enemy up a mountainside, and have the unfortunate soldier get stuck on a shelf above a cliff.

The 3D game engine does a great job of conveying the feeling that the game is taking place in a 3D world, and not just from minotaurs tossing foes into the air.  Well, to be frank, there is quite a bit of jumping and flinging going on thanks to the myth units, and meteor strikes will send flying anyone unfortunate enough to be near the point of impact.  However, other effects such as the tops of walls getting damaged by catapults as they hurl stones at a tower behind the wall also add to the feeling that this world has depth.

With the move to 3D, you also get a camera that can be rotated 360°.  Rotation is very smooth and fast, and is easily controlled with the mouse wheel.  Like its predecessors, Age of Mythology will highlight units behind obstructions so that you will never lose a unit behind a building or a grove of trees, so you can certainly play the game without moving the camera.  However, you'd be surprised at how helpful it can be to orient the camera to help you keep your eye on strategic gaps in the terrain or when directing a battle.  With the camera rotation conveniently tied to the mouse wheel instead of the keyboard, it is easy to quickly become quite adept at using the camera to your advantage.

The units in the game are very detailed and feature fluid and lifelike animation.  They'll appear to struggle as they move uphill and pick up speed as they come bounding down the other side.  And (I'm sorry, but I have to mention the people in the air thing again) flung units flail their arms and legs while in the air and then brace for impact as they try to break their fall.  Heroic units have their own look and animations - they don't just look like regular units with slightly different coloration.  Jason carries a large shield, Heracles wears a leopard pelt, and Odysseus, a tunic and bow.  Some units will also change their look as you advance through the ages and upgrade their power.  With one look you'll be able to tell if your opponent has upgraded his infantry to medium or heavy units.

Looks great, plays great »