Age of Empires: Age of Mythology Concept Art

Age of Mythology Concept Art Medusa

An all time favourite franchise of many RTS (Real Time Strategy) game players, the Age of Empires series has spawned some classic titles, among them Age of Mythology. Featuring mythical creatures and heroes from ancient civilisations like the Atlanteans, Egyptians and Norse it had a range of fantastic characters and objects which make an excellent study of concept art.  Representing such iconic figures as gods like Zeus, creatures like Minotaurs and heroes like Bellerophon, it’s associated concept art is excellent.

These excellent pieces of early-stage concept art from Age of Mythology show pre-computerised images of some of the key mythical characters and beings in the game.  Coming right from the pen of the artists these images show some of the earliest representations available and when contrasted to the final in-game assets show a remarkable similarity as well as themes that have changed as the game develops.

Notice in particular how medusa has a much more glamourous and attractive appearance than is typical and to that which made it into the game.  The Kamos (minotaur-like creature) was selected to display because of the detail in the drawing showing how scale is determined and calculated for different characters even in the early design stages of a game’s creation.  You’ll see also the contrasting and uncertain concept designs for the minion character.

With a particular emphasis on the Atlantean civilisation (heavily Greek themed) some of the concept pieces displayed demonstrate the apperance of some of the most classical mythical heroes and creatures.  The Hydra shows a high level of detail in it’s shading and dragon-like appearance (much more angular than the rounder version in the game) while Atalanta looks as regal as appeared in-game.  The Bellerophon piece is interesting not just because in the game he appeared on Pegasus but also because it gives us an insight into the design process via the approved submission badge.

Cyclops displays much different lower body attributes than in the game but retains a familiar upper body. The Odysseus image is one of the most impressive pieces showing fantastic detail in the armour and 2 alternative options for his head (helmets).  Theseus also shows great detail with annotation

For more information about Age of Mythology and to download a larger set of concept art pieces see here.