Since its inception, Sid Meier's Civilization franchise was one of the biggest names in 4X gaming. Across six different titles in the main series and several spin-offs, Firaxis continues to provide players with exciting adventures in history, with the upcoming Sid Meier's Civilization 7 is one of the biggest titles of today. Given its success, it's easy to see why other studios want to provide their own similar experiences. And Oxide Games did just that Ara: The Untold History.
Announced as early as 2022, Ara: The Untold History follows in the footsteps Sid Meier's Civilization franchise by allowing players to forge their own path in history. They will retake the civilization, take it through several epochs, and hopefully make an imprint on the world before they are removed. But while this basic gameplay loop can be fun Ara: The Untold History approaches, leaves much to be desired.
Ara: History Untold's gameplay loop can be thrilling
Anyone who has ever played Sid Meier's Civilization they must know exactly what to expect Ara: The Untold Historymain game loop. Before the game can begin, players must choose their nation, with more than 40 different real-world countries to choose from. Each leader has their own advantages and disadvantages, with each also having three different skins to choose from. Once players find one that suits their playstyle, they can then manipulate the settings to create their own experience before diving into the world Ara: The Untold History.
Once Ara: The Untold History At the beginning, players are given a starting city and must build from there. He has to train a scout to explore his surroundings, start construction of some useful buildings in his town and start his first research. Then they press the next branch button, sit back and wait for their current projects to be finished. And once they are, they will do it again.
As players progress further into the game, they will encounter additional civilizations, tribes, and dangerous animals that roam the land. If they want to survive in this world, they will have to try their best to keep their neighbors friendly or be prepared for some grueling wars and devastation. In addition, they must be careful not to fall behind in the technology tree, or they risk disappearing from the face of the world forever.
While this gameplay loop isn't too different from what came before, it's still very satisfying Ara: The Untold History. Oxide Games seems to understand what makes titles tick Sid Meier's Civilization tick, so decided not to change it too much. That being said, there are some unique mechanics that keep things a little fresh, but also a little frustrating at times.
Ara: History Untold brings some interesting mechanics to its cities
One of the biggest changes in Ara: The Untold History is the way cities grow. Instead of waiting for a city to claim hexes on its own, once a city has leveled up, players are prompted to claim new land. Each surrounding plot of land has its advantages and disadvantages, so players will want to plan accordingly to ensure their town has everything it needs. After claiming said land, they are able to construct various improvements to help their civilization flourish.
These upgrades come in the form of various buildings, and since there are no builders, players also build things like farms or mines here. Additionally, these buildings do much more than just provide a background bonus. Instead, they actually require players to create various resources, similar to those Anna series. These resources can then help give bonuses to cities when used as equipment, or can be required as part of a construction project.
However, the sky is not the limit when it comes to these buildings. In fact, each lot actually has a predetermined number of buildings that can be built on it. So players will want to make sure they use their space wisely, as once the slots fill up they either have to demolish some upgrades or wait for the city to level up again. And if they want to build up some gaming triumphs, they're going to have to dedicate an entire zone just for that.
Along with leveling up a city, it also occasionally unlocks some experts. These experts can be applied to certain buildings, giving them bonuses such as faster production or more food. Other than that, these specialists don't really have much more, but their existence helps give cities a bit more functionality, which is nice to see.
While all of this gives the towns a bit more life as crafters are constantly making goods and things always need to be managed, it's also a place where Ara: The Untold Historyproblems come into play. It can be a 4X game, but sometimes it can be extremely fast because there is too much going on, especially when players have multiple cities. The whole thing is not helped by the fact that the user interface is often tedious to navigate and it is not always clear how to find certain things. And after a while, players can simply burn out due to the sheer number of things they have to juggle.
Ara: History Untold's Acts and Eras are a Unique Twist
Much like Sid Meier's Civilization, Ara: The Untold History it also places great emphasis on research into new technologies. This research gives players more things to improve their civilization with, unlocking even more exciting technologies as they progress through the different ages. But while it's also not too different from what came before, the way these technological eras work is incredibly unique.
As players build things, research technology, and engage in various events, they earn prestige points. These prestige points are earned all the time Ara: The Untold History's three main acts, with each civilization displayed on a scoreboard. As events progress, civilizations are divided into three different levels depending on how many points they have. The top three tiers are safe, but if the bottom tier isn't careful by the end of the event, those nations will be eliminated. This means that there is a constant race for players to have enough prestige points, otherwise the world could move on without them.
Once a certain number of civilizations reach a certain technological era, Ara: The Untold History will start counting down until the current plot ends. So if players aren't close to completing the current tech tree, they can actually skip ahead if they wish. They lose a lot of bonuses, but if it's the only way to survive, then they have to do it. Fortunately, some future technologies will also include these bonuses, but some may be lost forever. This makes for an interesting research system. However, it can also be a bit of a drag, as players have to spend more time collecting prestige than carving their way through history.
Ara: History Untold falls short of a great genre
Not only can the user interface be cumbersome and many of the game systems a bit overwhelming, but there are several other aspects that allow Ara: The Untold History down. For starters, the wars in the game are rather lackluster, mostly focusing only on capturing or protecting a single city. This means that players don't get the massive 4X wars they might want, especially since the units don't have 3D models unless players specifically choose to watch the battle that ensues. Instead, they send a giant icon that shows their unit type with a number to attack another, quickly ending the battle before it even begins.
Along with that, there are almost no diplomacy options, random quests aren't that rewarding, and it's not always clear what players should focus on. While it does offer some strategic excitement, all that really holds it back from being the next king of the genre. With DLC and future updates, it may have a chance to iron out its weaknesses. But aside from a few unique twists, it seems to be missing something to really make it worth the price of admission.
Final score: 6/10
