Myth: The Fallen Lords - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Myth: The Fallen Lords
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CNET Gamecenter Review
By Hugh Falk
(12/18/1997)

Game at a Glance
Recap: Not your average real-timer
Ups: Excellent multiplayer support; true line of sight
Downs: Limited number of units
Multiplayer: Very good
Single player: Good
Demo: Available
Patch: Available
My belief in myths has had a large impact on my life. For example, the untimely death of Life cereal's Mikey kept me from experimenting with Pop Rocks and soda as a child. Then there was the heartbreak of learning about Santa Claus. (Forcing elves to produce outdated products in sweatshop conditions without pay--he's nothing but a jolly Kathy Lee!) Today, Bungie's Myth: The Fallen Lords is having a large impact on my sleep with its player matching service, bungie.net. Myth's real-time strategy and bungie.net's excellent interface have once again made me a believer.
The first question you should ask when purchasing a real-time strategy game is, "What makes this one different from the other hundred?" Myth actually has some good answers. The most noticeable difference is the graphics. A 3D environment and support for 3D accelerator cards gives Myth an edge over most of the competition. Don't get me wrong; fancy graphics don't necessarily make a strategy game better, and frankly most 2D games look better than Myth's pixelated 3D landscapes. However, 3D is an advantage when used tactically in a game, and in that respect, Myth performs admirably. Line of sight becomes an issue, and terrain can be used to a player's advantage. Successful players learn how to use height, cover, and water for their own benefit.
No Assembly Required
Myth's second differentiator is the lack of a building element. Unlike WarCraft or Command & Conquer, there are no resources, structures, or production quotas to worry about. Instead, the focus is on tactics and combat. Players start with a given number of units, and strategy comes from building a formidable army and using it wisely. Myth's units have an impressive array of tactical abilities. Players set formations, choose facing directions, and set multiple waypoints for their armies. However, my biggest complaint about Myth is its relatively small number of unit types--16. If the focus of a game is building armies and tactical combat, more units would mean more options, more strategy, and more replayabilty.
As a standalone game, Myth maintains player interest with its fantasy setting and plot. It's amazing what a few well-written manual pages devoted to the story can do for the overall gaming experience. Myth The plot, which centers around destroying the evil Fallen Lords (who have fallen and can't get up), unfolds through classically animated cut scenes, which are both short and enjoyable. The biggest drawback to single-user play is the AI, which can be excruciatingly stupid. For example, units occasionally try to pass other units via osmosis instead of simply walking around. However, baby-sitting troops in Myth isn't as costly as other real-time strategy games because the player doesn't have to shift focus to resource management. The simplest thing Bungie could do to make baby-sitting easier is enable the right mouse button to replace one of the many keyboard commands. The fact that Myth is also available for the Mac is certainly no reason to limit the PC player's control options.

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Myth: The Fallen Lords

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