If there was a god, it seemed I'd backed into his letterbox or something. It was only Monday night, and already I found myself amidst unfamiliar surroundings. Typically this feeling kicked in around the end of the week when too much drink was involved but it seemed that this week was different. It was the beginning of the end for me of course - the roadway sign labeled 'Microsoft Event' the signs of things to come. The arrow pointed into a nearby building, and like a hapless victim in a horror movie I made my way into the dark unknown. Within the lobby two guards, cunningly disguised as attractive event coordinators, showed me inside. They gifted me a name tag (lest I forget who I was) and a golf ball - thoughtfully boxed to stop it rolling out of my pocket.

Once inside, it was obvious what everyone had come to see. While initially skeptical I came to realize several things:

- Regardless of what you're showing off, fantastic looking models will always create a good impression.[i]

- There was a god, and his main project was making women that men would happily disembowel themselves to meet.

- A sheet, draped across the right object (see point 1) makes you appreciate how necessary clean linen is.

- It takes 3 men to pry your desperate fingers free of an annoyed models ankle.

- The presentation wasn't about models. Doh.

*Sigh*

After that last discovery I recovered enough to remember why I had been sentenced... I mean sent, to this event. It involved Gods. It involved Microsoft. It involved an Age of Mythology. The gods it seemed were not without a sense of irony. The best summation for what follows would be 'Wow'.

Age of Mythology first and foremost is the prodigal child of much respected parents - sharing many of its ancestor’s traits, ensuring that long time fans will be familiar with this latest offering. All is not identical however as new features have been created which while new seem both logical, and innovative. The most obvious and pleasing change is the move to 3D style graphics (viewed from a isometric perspective). It was the small things that particularly caught this writer’s attention. The beating wings of a dragon; the sea spray fading into the shoreline; giraffes complete with flapping tails; the beating bellows of the Norse smithy. None of these were remarkable in themselves, but when seen as part of the overall game they added a feeling of 'life' and hinted at the effort the development team have obviously put in.

That which you see are not merely pawns, but characters & animals within a world that breathes.

[i][b]

The world of Age of Mythology is populated by 3 races; The Greeks, Norsemen, and Egyptians. Each race has been designed to play differently with advantages and weaknesses unique to each. A new resource called 'Favour points' finds our would-be civilizations doing their best to please their gods. These points can then be spent on creatures of legend. Minotaur, Medusa, Pegasi, Ice Giants, Mummies, Dragons and several more are available to bolster your army’s power. Even calling down the power of the gods is now possible - although such gifts are available only once per game. These powers have been made to emulate the greater powers of nature. Lightning storms, earthquakes and eclipses are just some of these. An eclipse, while seeming dull compared to a lightning storm, causes the landscape to become dark which in-turn causes ranged units to fire much shorter than normal. A good ability to call upon when attempting to attack a heavily defended town...

Around 40 single player missions have been created, with approximately 30 hours of gameplay to be had. Game-time per map is reckoned to average about an hour in length. This also applies to multi-player games. A new 'lightning' option has also been added for hardcore online/LAN players that want a fast and furious multi-player game. This new feature allows gamers to battle it out in approximately 30 minutes.

There was much more to see and do, but with the game coming out soon it's best to leave some surprises left unsaid. Here are some of the more memorable things that impressed myself and my fellow attendees.

* Medusa units can turn enemies to stone
* Ice Giants can freeze their victims (temporarily)
* Mummy victims are resurrected as zombies.
* A giant (or was it a Cyclops?) that picks up enemy troops and hurls them across the battlefield
* The way a meteor shower can flatten forests.
* Krakens attacking ships - huge tentacles wrapping around them, and pulling them under the water[i]

I walked into the conference an unbelieving heretic, and left as one of the converted. Fans of the Age of Empires games will be pleased by the new features on offer in Age of Mythology, while gamers new to the series will enjoy the atmosphere and grace of the game. The only thing I could complain about was the fact it was certain I'd be left with fewer dollars in my pocket when Age of Mythology hits the shops this November. Stay tuned for a full preview next month.