Hello, AoM fans!
Please click the imgur link for the photos before you read further:
^^The rating images are taken from the official ESRB website^^
Some people worry that if the game includes blood and/or skeletons, it will automatically receive an M (Mature) rating. However, as you can see from these images… several Age of Empires games have included blood while still maintaining a T (Teen) rating.
The original Age of Mythology featured blood and skeletons and was rated T for Teen. Some might argue that modern games have stricter rating standards, but the definitive editions of the Age games are fairly recent. So why is Age of Mythology: Retold the only one being singled out? This tells me that Retold could include blood and still receive a Teen rating.
From what I’ve gathered, some countries either ban or censor blood and bones. However, a potential solution to this issue is to give players the option to toggle blood and skeletons on or off within their game client. Players in countries where blood/skeletons are censored would not have this option. This is to ensure compliance with their laws. But those in unrestricted regions could experience the game as intended. More options and variety always lead to a better player experience in my opinion.
------The Sacrifice Controversy and the Aztec Dilemma------
Now, onto the issue of sacrifices and how it relates to the Aztecs. Anyone familiar with Aztec history knows that sacrifices played a significant role in their religious practices. It was one of the sure ways to appease their gods. Some argue that including sacrifices in the game would automatically push the rating to M, but I think this isn’t really true.
As seen in both the original and Retold, sacrifices have already been depicted. Example: the priests were sacrificed to summon a god. The player directly triggered this event, yet the game still maintained a Teen rating. So why would this be an issue for the Aztecs and the Teen rating?
If the sacrifice mechanic is deemed “too brutal,” the developers could implement a more subtle and toned-down version. Here are some examples:
- Players could send their own or enemy units to the temple to be “sacrificed,” but instead of hearing screams of pain, they might hear chanting or musical instruments.
- Units could be permanently garrisoned inside the temple under the pretense of performing a ritual rather than being killed.
- The temple’s description could include a text such as: “Units remain inside until the end of the match, at which point they leave happily after completing their sacred duties.”
I think by doing these things, Age of Mythology: Retold could stay true to history and mythology while maintaining a Teen rating.
------Are the Aztecs Too New for Retold?------
Definitely not. By definition, the Aztecs were an ancient civilization.
If you transported the Aztec Empire into any ancient era, would they stand out due to a massive technological advantage? No, they wouldn’t. They fit well within the timeframe of other civilizations in the game.
The later Aztecs considered the Toltecs to be their intellectual and cultural predecessors, with their traditions tracing back to Tōllān. Basically Tōllān is a name used for the capital cities of two empires, the Toltecs and Teotihuacan civilizations.
From a mythological perspective… since Retold is all about mythology… this gets even more interesting.
- The Aztec Empire existed from 1428–1521.
- The Toltec Empire existed around 950–1150—during the Viking Age.
- The Teotihuacan civilization thrived from 100 BCE–550 CE, with some theories suggesting it survived into the 8th century.
Both the Aztecs and Toltecs spoke Nahuatl, and Aztec lore (possibly historically or mythologically) claims they were the Toltecs’ successors. Whether from a historical or mythological standpoint, they are deeply interconnected. The capital of Teotihuacan was even considered the birthplace of the Aztec gods.
And yes, that’s right. Deities like Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, and others were worshipped long before the Aztecs rose to power. They were worshipped dating back to the Teotihuacan and Toltec eras. This actually gives a legitimate basis for introducing the Aztecs in Retold… with their mythological lineage tracing as far back as the BCE period or even overlapping with the Viking era.
If there were some mistakes made on my post please feel free to address it. Let’s try to make Retold the best game ever.
The problem is that the Romans drew their pantheons from those of others, particularly the Greeks, so it would be a bit of a duplication. Not to mention that the Atlanteans are quite similar to the Romans in their units.
Just to add some content 
