So, I am 30 hours into Myth of Empires, and oh my god, it's a monster of a game.
In the years I have played open-world and building/crafting games, I don't think I have come across anything so deep as Myth of Empires.
It's a big statement for me, given some of the games I have played. I found that Myth of Empires took me by surprise. When it comes to player management, NPC control and crafting, it blew my mind.
While many may comment, the game is still incomplete, even in this second release of V1.0. I find the game intriguing and mind-bending with the levels of thought and customization that have gone into the game. It's very playable.
Oh, you mean you didn't know you have to train your horse so it's a higher skill, and you can mate it with other horses to get even better ponies? What game am I playing again?
Let's start with the usual stuff and I will circle back to the horses!
Myth of Empires was an early access game on Steam in Nov 2021. According to the reviews on Steam, it was a fair game when it was released.
Unfortunately, a lawsuit alleging code theft a month later caused the game to be removed from Steam.
Fast forward to Feb 2024, the lawsuit was resolved, and the game was released on Steam…and I bought a copy a few days after not knowing any of the pretext. I read a few reviews, watched some gameplay as I do, and decided the game was likely worth the $58.50AUD I had to pay.
When I buy a game of this style, I look for multi and solo play options, crafting and economy management and Myth was touting all three plus a guild management system.
The best way I can describe Myth of Empires is; If Icarus & Sengoku Dynasty had a baby, it would be Myth of Empires.
I mention Icarus because I found the game to be very freeing, similar to the gameplay I felt in Icarus.
You can run around and do whatever you want and build your house, village and monster city wherever you want…except on sloping land. A friend of mine built on top of a mountain going for the monastery look, only to realize you soon run out of land as you can't build on slopes.
There are a lot of comments out there that it's a lot like Conan. I put 100 hours into Conan Exiles back in 2019. There are some similarities, but I think Myth of Empires is a far more enjoyable game with many more player options.
Reviews on Steam now seem mixed, and the haters hate etc.
The question you may be asking is, was it worth the money?
The short answer for me is yes, and here's why.
Initial Game Play Thoughts
Crafting
Like Sengoku Dynasty, Conan, Icarus and most other games of this calibre, you start out with nothing.
Start grabbing rocks and wood and progress through the usual tools of Axes, Spears, Bows, etc, working your way through the base tools and weapons.
Don't forget to eat!
There was a negative review on Steam about chewing through food. I found it's not really a negative of the game, more that you must spend time grinding on food occasionally.
With the basic tools in hand, it's time to think about shelter, which makes no difference from a weather perspective. Unlike Icarus, where storms can mess you up, the weather in Myth of Empires is very calm. The weather had no effect on my character, which was great, given what you need to do in the game. I found the rivers, mountains, and grassy plain views relaxing throughout the game and the mountaintop scenery was great.
Gathering is a constant: gather food, gather wood, gather stone and just about any other mineral you can think of.
This is where the game starts to get deep, and I haven't touched on the guild stuff yet… oh my god!
So, in most games, you have 3 or 4 base foods, and it's pretty easygoing. The crafting recipe levels in Myth of Empires are massive. Just when you think you have a handle on things, there is always another level of things to make.
Crafting recipes are opened in the Recipe and Skills tabs. Once open, start scrolling right, and right and right. There are so many things to learn and add-ons to things that, at times, you get lost in it, particularly when you smash a few levels quickly…or someone plays with the admin XP bonuses you 20 levels in an afternoon. Thank you, Darious Madoc!
Crafting is enjoyable, I did find myself constantly working to the next tool/upgrade, and the game seems to push on this. It's subtle at times and sometimes a little confusing; a few trips to YouTube to see how others do it make it easier of course.
Overall, the crafting side of the game is excellent, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Sure, like most games I could give a list of improvements, but it has a depth you will love if you like games with a great crafting menu.
Hunting and Combat
Combat is straightforward and still needs some work I think. It's very hack and slash. It could use some improvement, although I was playing on classic mode and yes, that means more choices.
Killing things with a bow on horseback was great, and I found myself regularly practising this to improve my actual gameplay and skill. However, I found the reticule for the bow to be a little frustrating at times. Not all arrows fly straight; seems legit right?
In the 47th level I now sit at, there is an array of weapons to choose from. Bows, swords, spears, throwing knives etc. Add to that different armours and then add colours and you will wonder if you are having a WOW flashback for the choices.
Group combat is good, although we sometimes find it a little unbalanced. A word to the wise: Leave your horse well away from the battle if you intend to dismount. While it's fun to ride in and hassle people with a sword on horseback, the NPCs will kill your horse if you dismount during combat. This can make for a long-run home at times.
Enemies are everywhere, but most can be avoided until you hit higher levels. Not all villages and NPCs are friendly; my advice is to creep in and check. You will find yourself out running enemies on horseback to survive, only to get an arrow in the back as you ride away.
Guilds
While I have not yet spent any time on the full-on guild servers. We decided it best to run our own server (Gaming Hounds) with a few guilds to get a better feel for the game. Guild management is interesting and the Devs have thought this through even with lockable containers. Something missing from Sunken Land which was the last game I was playing; you can read that review here.
As the guild progresses, so does the need for materials. To help solve this, you can recruit NPCs to your guild. Yep, add another thing to think about.
NPC's
Many games have creatures to assist you in combat, and Myth of Empires is no different. What is helpful is having mineral mines for resources that NPCs can use. They can also craft, hunt, ride on horses and carts, patrol, and protect your lands. This makes building in the game somewhat quicker; you can also train your NPCs to improve. Shout out to Jimmy, my first NPC, who has been an awesome salt miner, which is needed for food.
You can get your first NPC for a simple 25 meat. You will need to keep feeding them of course, so get onto that early. More troops, more food, an army runs on its stomach as they say. So do horses, so don't forget to feed them too.
Summary
I intend to come back and write a second part to this review once I have a handle on the guild stuff; there is so much to do. I have left a lot out of this review so you can discover this game's full in and outs on your own.
If you are cashed up and have some time to spare, this game is for you.
PS… The pigs mob on attack, and Crocs are super super dangerous!
