The strategy genre is currently enjoying a modern renaissance, with recent hits like Crusader Kings, Civilization, Anno, and new IPs such as Frostpunk and Stellaris. Amidst this crowded landscape, Age of Mythology: Retold stands out, proving that there’s still a strong appetite for strategy games. This refreshed version of the 2002 classic combines nostalgic charm with modern updates, showcasing that there’s room for another Xbox first-party strategy game—specifically, Halo Wars 3.
Age of Mythology: Retold and Its Relevance to Halo Wars 3
Age of Mythology: Retold revitalizes the original Age of Mythology with enhanced graphics and gameplay tweaks, demonstrating the capabilities of Ensemble Studios’ successors, World’s Edge and Forgotten Empires. Given the success of Age of Mythology: Retold, it’s a strong indicator that these developers could effectively handle the next installment in the Halo Wars series.
Age of Mythology and Halo Wars share similarities, particularly in their approach to gameplay. Both games incorporate special abilities—God Powers in Age of Mythology and Leader Abilities in Halo Wars—and feature hero units that significantly impact gameplay. Additionally, both games employ a rock-paper-scissors combat system, where units have strengths and weaknesses against each other.
While Halo Wars and its sequel differ in some aspects, such as building placement, the core gameplay mechanics have notable parallels to Age of Mythology. The experience of World’s Edge and Forgotten Empires with the Age of Empires series suggests that they are well-equipped to handle a new Halo Wars title.
Why Age of Mythology: Retold Signals a Bright Future for Halo Wars 3
Age of Mythology: Retold has achieved an 83 on Metacritic and shows promising player engagement, with a 24-hour peak of 16,744 on SteamDB. These figures underscore the ongoing appeal of strategy games and hint that there is potential for a new Halo Wars game. Convincing Microsoft to invest in Halo Wars 3 might be the next challenge, but the success of Age of Mythology: Retold makes a compelling case for it.
For more on strategy games and updates on Halo Wars, check out Microsoft’s Xbox blog and Metacritic’s reviews.
