Age of Mythology: Arena of the Gods - The game was already great, but this mod makes it greater

Last week, World’s Edge and Xbox released the Arena of the Gods mod for Age of Mythology: Retold, a free, almost-like DLC gameplay that can be enjoyed solo and multiplayer.

Arena of the Gods, announced last month, lets you control Kastor in a skirmish-based campaign that adds specific bonuses and modifiers, making the experience more fun and incredibly enjoyable.

The mod has 35 scenarios, many non-linear, meaning you can play them in any order you wish. Completing them will offer you access to new bonuses and world modifiers with advantages and disadvantages. You can choose up to three bonuses per scenario, and each map has its unique modifier, called a world twist. These two parameters can be chosen so that you can take the best advantage of them.

For example, one scenario might have a world twist that lets you build a Titan Gate right at the beginning of a game. It will also build itself over time but at the cost of your Villagers/Gatherers/Citizens gathering fewer resources. However, having a Titan – thus a myth unit – so early in the game would mandate you to choose up to three bonuses focusing on myth units, rendering your Titan even stronger. The best thing? If it doesn’t work, try again, as the scenarios are repeatable.

At the end of the 35 scenarios, you’ll unlock 17 bonuses and 11 world twists, meaning you’ll have plenty to experiment with, try, combine, and enjoy. And this is one of the best qualities about Age of Mythology’s newest Arena of the Gods mod: it never feels like you’re replaying the same scenario, even if it might occur on the same map.

Arena of the Gods has three difficulty options: Standard, Hard, and Extreme. I tried the first Scenario on Standard, which proved very easy. Then, I switched to Hard. The mod’s default difficulty setting is set to this option, and it’s hard but so fun—my advice is to play Age of Mythology: Arena of the Gods on the default Hard difficulty; it’s much more enjoyable.

I plan to play some on the Extreme difficulty, and I bet it’ll be quite the challenge but even more enjoyable with all the bonuses and world twists.

I played seven scenarios out of the 35 this last weekend. I’ve concluded that the mod is one of the best things Age of Mythology: Retold has to offer: fun, highly replayable, and a perfect chance to use all of the god powers and choose all the unchosen Major and Minor Gods of each pantheon. It feels like a campaign, too, which is always good, considering I love a plot to go with these battles. It has cutscenes, voiced dialogue, and everything.

If you’re not engaging in multiplayer games but want a similar experience, Arena of the Gods is the perfect chance to do it. The mod will sometimes offer you allies or make you battle two enemies simultaneously, but you’ll almost always win thanks to the bonuses and world twists. It will still be a challenge, though.

What’s greater is that Age of Mythology: Arena of the Gods is free, and it’s the perfect way to keep you entertained until Immortal Pillars, the Chinese-infused expansion, is coming.

Stay tuned. We’re planning to write an extensive article about everything you need to know about Arena of the Gods.