Age Of Mythology: Retold Review Bombed Before Release For Selling Decades-Old Art

Summary

• Age of Mythology: Retold's Legacy Portrait Pack is attracting ire from fans.
• Charging $6 for 20-year-old JPEGs is being seen as a sign of greed.
• The expansion has been called worse than Oblivion's horse armour DLC.

Age of Mythology: Retold is set to release later today, but the upcoming game is already in hot water with some fans over one of its DLCs.

While Age of Mythology: Retold still holds a Very Positive score on Steam, the day-one expansion pack 'Legacy Deity Portrait Pack' holds a 'Very Negative' score as people believe charging $6 for decades-old art is outrageous.

The pack is comprised of classic portraits of deities from the original release of Age of Mythology in 2002. "Relive the glory days of gaming with this special pack, which offers players the option to use iconic deity portraits from the classic game that captivated audiences worldwide," the pack's description reads.

Review Bombed for Greed

"I got it for free, but so should everyone else. They are 20-year-old images, and the players that would be interested in the old images, are the same players who supported the series for 20 years," reads a negative review of the portrait pack.

The negative reviews aren't surprising as any modder could import these images into Age of Mythology: Retold in a matter of hours, if not quicker. Charging $6 for something that should be included in the base game is always going to attract criticism.

"Worse than Horse Armour DLC," one comment not-so-fondly remembering Bethesda's infamous DLC for Oblivion reads, "Why has Microsoft charged us for something that should be free? Not to mention it being simply scaled-up JPEGs."

The other expansion available for Age of Mythology: Retold is the game's original soundtrack which goes for $10. It doesn't have enough reviews yet to generate a score, but one review has expressed disappointment that the soundtrack only includes 15 songs, rather than every song featured in the game.

Age of Mythology has reviewed generally well, with our own Ryan Bamsey calling it "a faithful remake of the original with meaningful, clever balance changes" in his 4.5/5 review.

Age of Mythology: Retold

WHERE TO PLAY

 From the creators of the award-winning Age of Empires franchise, Age of Mythology: Retold goes beyond history to a mythical age where gods, monsters, and humans collide. Combining the best elements of the beloved Age of Mythology with modern real-time strategy design and visuals, Retold is an epic and innovative experience for old and new players alike. Secure your domain, command legendary monsters, and call upon the power of the gods to crush your enemies.

Will you become Mythic?

Call Upon the Gods
Choose your gods from the Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and Atlantean pantheons. Devastate your enemies by summoning powerful lightning storms, earth-shattering quakes, and even the famed Nidhogg dragon. Or call upon nourishing rains and protective Dryads to help your people grow & prosper.

Unleash the Monsters
Unleash Centaurs, Trolls, Mummies, and more. From bejeweled crocodiles who harness the power of the sun to the mighty one-eyed Cyclops, you will command diverse units inspired by the world’s great mythologies.

An Epic Mythological Universe
Embark on multiple campaigns spanning 50-missions that take you across a vast, mythical world: besiege the mighty walls of Troy, battle Giants in the frozen wastes of Midgard, and discover the mysteries of Osiris in the shifting sands of Egypt. Become a hero of myth—or even a god.

Better with Friends
Play with your friends, either head-to-head or against the advanced AI on dozens of randomly generated maps and scenarios for limitless re-playability.