A timeless classic
Before Bungie became the industry monsters they are today, the team was a relatively small developer that made Mac and PC-based games.
In 1997 they began what I feel is the greatest strategy series of all time, Myth, with the release of Myth: The Fallen Lords and its sequel Myth II: Soulblighter. After years of playing Warcraft II knock-offs, Myth came in and delivered a fresh perspective on the RTS genre. For the first time unit strategy and battle tactics were the key elements to victory.
Myth did away with any preconceived notions of RTS gameplay. Unit production and base building are tossed out the window; instead, players are given a set amount of units to work with, and once they’re gone, it’s game over. This allows the player to concentrate solely on the combat, and creates epic fights where one unit could be the difference between winning and losing.
None of this would have been possible without the refined physics engine that greatly affects gameplay. Projectiles, such as arrows fired by archers, have no preordained flight path, but are instead propelled forward by the physics engine. This often means that careful use of the terrain allows a skilled player to destroy forces without taking heavy losses. Rain or standing water often extinguishes fire-based attacks, and archers attacking from high ground are able to shoot farther than those on the ground below.
The theme of the series is extremely dark when compared to other fantasy games. As enemies are destroyed, blood and body parts permanently stain the ground, giving the game a gritty and gruesome feel. The story is told from the perspective of a soldier’s diary as the struggle for humanity’s survival rages on. The plot featured a very memorable cast of characters, and some of the best voice work in gaming. Although human survival is often a cliché in storytelling, I can guarantee you’ve never experienced anything like the world of Myth - unless, of course, you’ve read the Black Company novels by Glen Cook.
But to only mention Myth’s single player campaign is to sell the series short. As great as the campaign is, it will always play second fiddle to the amazing multiplayer. If you’ve ever wondered why Bungie seems to have a leg up on any other multiplayer developer, it’s because they have years of experience dating back to the days of Myth.
Myth and its sequel were played on Bungie.net servers, which featured superb design, and the best online community I’ve ever been a part of. There are custom avatars, clan support, friends lists, loads of game types, and free third party map creations. All of these features allowed people to have their own identity, much like Xbox Live has with Gamertags. It was as much a social experience as it was an awesome game.
After Bungie was purchased by Microsoft, they lost the rights of the franchise to Take 2 Interactive. Who knows what oblivion the series is floating in at this point, but I would give anything for Bungie to resurrect it.
5 stars - This game is an all-time great
