Genre: Real Time Strategy

Format: CD

Developer: Microsoft

Mac Port: Westlake Interactive

Mac Publisher: MacSoft

Minimum System Requirements: 450MHz G3, Mac OS X v10.2.8, 256MB RAM, 16MB RADEON/GeForce2 MX, CD-ROM drive

Review Computer: 800MHz iMac, 256MB RAM, GeForce 2 MX, Mac OS X v10.2.8

Network Feature: Yes

Price: $49.99

ESRB Rating: T for Teen (blood, violence)

Availability: Now

Official Website: [url=http://www.ageofmythology.com]http://www.ageofmythology.com[/url]

Ah, Microsoft. They make mediocre business software, they illegally use their strangle hold on the computer industry to crush competition, and, if anyone actually makes a decent piece of software, they'll buy them out or release a crummy version for free and everyone thinks they're great.

On the other hand, they made Age of Empires. So I guess it balances out, especially in view of Age of Mythology (AoM), now out for Mac.

So, here's your gold-standard real-time strategy game. You found a city, gather resources, improve the city and build an army to crush your enemies. That's the whole genre in a nutshell, and, indeed, Age of Mythology en toto. But, what makes AoM such a good game? Well, for starters, unlike most Microsoft software, AoM is incredibly intuitive. If you select a unit with a left click, the right click will cause the unit to take the logical action, based on the location you chose. Military units will attack enemies. Villagers will gather wood, gold, or food as appropriate, or, if clicked on a damaged building, will repair it.

If you select a large group of units, you can assign a hot key (using Command and any of the number keys) that will not only reselect all the units, but will center your view on them if you double-tap the hot key. If you select a mix of units and want to give an action to say, just the archers, a small window in the bottom screen display allows you to do that. Several units have special powers, all available on the display with explanations. Likewise, if a building produces a unit, you can assign a gathering point where your units will go as soon as they are created.

But what does Age of Mythology bring to the table? Mythology. Shocker, huh? As your civilization advances from one technological level to another, you can choose which of two deities to whom you'll dedicate your temple. Each deity will give you special units, such as Cyclops, minotaurs, or centaurs, and access to one-shot miracles that can afflict your enemies, heal your soldiers, or affect the use of resources. AoM also adds a new type of resource: by praying at your temple, your workers can generate divine favor, used to pay for these mythic units and miracles.

AoM also adds Heroes, special leader units, and the main characters in the campaign storylines. Heroes are stronger against mythic opponents, regenerate damage, and have special abilities such as rallying troops or throwing enemies. In campaign play, some heroes are assigned at the beginning of the game, and some can be bought as play possesses. If a hero falls in battle, they don't leave the game permanently...their body remains on the field, and if your troops reenter the area of the corpse, it reanimates in a weakened state, but if you can get it back to a safe area, he should regenerate quickly.

Finally, some deities allow you access to weapons upgrades above and beyond those normally available by building an armory or unit-producing facility. Chose your god carefully...which is always good advice.

And, of course, there is internet play, also available as single-player, non-campaign missions. Several groups start on a map and attempt to develop and destroy their opponents who are trying to do the same.

The sound effects are authentic and the graphics run smoothly even during large clashes of armies. The units appear to be sprite-based (that is to say, they actually look like the things they represent), but move fluidly and are based on 3D models. But this is all flavoring for what is the best of the RTS genre. Age of Empires set the standard for ease of use and fun game play, and Age of Mythology carries on that tradition. It's unusual to find a game that understands so well how to stay out of your way and let you have fun figuring out the best way to overcome a level. There's never a sense that the units are doing the opposite of what they ought to be doing (I'm looking at you, Myth). The buildings are sufficiently different so there's no confusion in the heat of battle over which is the one you're looking for (a-hem, Galactic Battlegrounds). And, there's no lame or sexist humor (yeah, that's right, keep looking out the window, Warcraft).

Really, Age of Mythology's only flaw is one that it will never overcome...it's produced by Microsoft. And even I can't hold that against it.

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