In Ensemble Studios' 2002 real-time strategy game Age of Mythology, three distinct cultures waged war against each other: the Egyptians, Greeks, and Norse. They fought not only with mortal troops, but with the aid and support of their gods, in the form of mythological units and fantastic god powers. But in the upcoming expansion pack, called the Titans, this three-way war is welcoming a new faction: the Atlanteans. And this powerful new faction has the power of a new pantheon of deities, a race of gods for whom the expansion pack is aptly named: the mighty Titans of Greek myth. In this first of three previews on the upcoming expansion, we'll reveal the unique abilities of the Atlanteans and preview one of their major gods.

The forces of Atlantis invade Egypt.

Bruce Shelley, one of the creative minds behind the Age series, says there were many reasons why the Atlanteans were chosen as the fourth faction for Age of Mythology. Says Shelley, "We chose to center the Age of Mythology expansion around Atlantean mythology for several reasons, but mainly because the team thought it would be the most interesting subject from which to create a game. The Atlanteans also tie in to our single-player game very well. The Atlantean mythology is basically the precursor to the Greek mythology of [the original game], but it has been generously expanded and embellished by modern writers, with the result that it creates a lot of opportunity for creative game developers."

The Titans of ancient Greek mythology were the powerful forebears of the gods. When their leader, Kronos, was defeated by Zeus, their dominion over the world passed to the Olympian gods. Shelley says, "When the Atlanteans were sketched out as a possible new mythology we decided that their gods would be the Titans, the first generation of gods in the Greek mythology and the parents of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and the other gods of Olympus. First among the Titans for consideration as a major god in our game was Gaia, the earth mother. She precedes all the other gods and creates the ancient world, beginning by creating Oranos, the sky, and mating with him. Their progeny are the 12 Titans. Together they create the oceans, mountains, farmlands, and creatures, including humans."

In the single-player campaign, you will get to see the Titans seek revenge against the Greek gods for supplanting them. In Greek mythology, Kronos dethroned his father and mother, Oranos and Gaia, to rule the Titans. But Zeus, child of Kronos, eventually attacked and usurped his father's throne, as his father had done before him. Imprisoned for eons, Kronos now is being worshipped by the recently raised Atlanteans and has the opportunity to repay Zeus and the Greeks for his suffering. But Gaia, the mother of the earth, might not necessarily share Kronos' thirst for revenge. We don't want to give away any details of the campaign, but despite the fact that both Kronos and Gaia are considered Titans, they don't always see eye to eye. Ensemble is creating a lot of unique art and even new units and Titans for the single-player campaign, so you can expect to see some surprises you might not see in multiplayer or random games. The expansion's single-player campaign is an extension of the original game's campaign. In the first campaign, Atlantis rose up from the sea, and so the expansion's campaign reveals what happens after this event. The campaign takes place years after the original one and revisits some familiar characters, such as Caster, who is now all grown up and ready to take charge.

An Atlantean Titan battles its Greek counterpart.

Of course, the campaign should be kept relatively vague so as not to ruin it for you when the game ships later in the year. What we can reveal, though, are the many new gameplay features you'll encounter when you finally get to play the expansion. We'll get to the first major Atlantean god, Gaia, shortly, but let's first see what makes this expansion pack unique. Two things jump out at you immediately: the in-game titans and the Atlanteans.

The title "Titans" refers not to the new gods, but to the titans you can build and control in the game. Each culture can now build an ultimate unit, a massive brute with thousands of hit points that is also extremely expensive, with prices approximating a wonder. But when they are finished, they are nearly impossible to destroy without a titan of your own. You can build only one, but one is pretty much all you need. Each culture has a unique titan. The Atlantean titan looks like a giant humanoid made of rock and lava, while the Greek titan is a huge man with three dog heads resembling the guardian of the Underworld, Cerberus. The Egyptians have a hawk-headed man, while the Norse have a mammoth troll wielding an icy hammer.