Age of Mythology: Retold, the remake of the 2002 real-time strategy classic by Forgotten Empires, boasts a 90% positive rating from 10,675 Steam reviews. However, a vocal part of its player base is strongly opposing its DLC pricing model.
The game is currently priced at $29.99 on Steam, and at the time of writing, it has 2,710 active players. For a niche RTS revival, that number shows a stable audience that clearly appreciates the core game, even as frustration grows over the monetization choices made post-launch.
This backlash over DLC isn’t new in the world of strategy games. Players who enjoy the base game are drawing the line at content they think should’ve been included from the start. So far, Xbox Game Studios, which published the game under its PC portfolio, hasn’t publicly addressed the specific complaints regarding the DLC’s scope.
A 90% rating on Steam puts Age of Mythology: Retold among respected strategy titles. However, the disconnect between that rating and the community’s feelings about its business practices is noteworthy. Positive reviews often highlight the updated visuals and gameplay that stays true to the original, while negative ones focus almost entirely on monetization rather than the game’s design quality.
Forgotten Empires has experience with legacy RTS games, having previously worked on Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. So, the technical execution here generally earns trust. Still, the business decisions seem to be creating tension that the high review score doesn’t quite reflect.
| Steam Review Score | 90% Positive |
| Total Steam Reviews | 10,675 |
| Current Price (Steam) | $29.99 |
| Current Concurrent Players | 2,710 |
| Developer | Forgotten Empires |
One Steam reviewer summed it up: “The game may be good, buuut this doesn’t change the fact that this game is the definition of ‘cash grab’ — check the DLC’s which should’ve been free from the beginning.” This frustration appeared repeatedly in the community signals analyzed, indicating it’s a widespread concern rather than just one person’s opinion.
What To Watch
- Whether Forgotten Empires or Xbox Game Studios responds to the DLC criticism with price changes or free content — strategies that have successfully improved sentiment in similar RTS games before.
- Long-term player retention: while 2,710 concurrent players is decent for the genre, any significant drops could push the publisher to rethink its post-launch content approach.
- How the Metacritic score evolves as more critics weigh in, and whether their evaluations match or differ from the divided views in the Steam community.
