Since its inception Sid Meier's Civilization franchise was one of the most famous in 4X games. In six different main titles and several spin-offs, Firaxis has continued to give players thrilling adventures through history, with future Sid Mayor 7 Civilization being one of the biggest titles to date. Because of its success, it's easy to see why other studios would want to provide their own similar experience. And Oxide Games has done just that with Ara: The story is untold.
Announced back in 2022, Ara: The story is untold follows in the footsteps of Art Sid Meier's Civilization franchise, allowing players to forge their own path through the story. They fight civilization again, lead it through several eras and hopefully leave their mark on the world before they are taken out. But while this basic game loop can be fun, it's still fun Ara: The story is untold approaches leave much to be desired.
The gameplay of Ara: History Untold can be exciting
To anyone who has ever played Sid Meier's Civilization should know exactly what to expect Ara: The story is untoldthe main game cycle. Before the game can begin, players must select their nation, from over 40 different real-world countries to choose from. Each leader has their own advantages and disadvantages, and each also has three different skins to choose from. Once players find one that suits their playstyle, they can manipulate the settings to create their own experience before jumping into the world Ara: The story is untold.
Once Ara: The story is untold begins, players are given a starting city and must build from there. They have to train a scout to explore the surroundings, start construction of some useful buildings in their town and start their first exploration. Then they hit the next turn button, sit back and wait for their current projects to be completed. And if they are, they do it again.
As players progress further into the game, they will encounter other civilizations, tribes, and dangerous animals that roam the land. If they want to survive in this world, they will have to do everything they can to maintain the friendliness of their neighbors or be prepared for grueling wars and devastation. Also, they must be careful not to fall behind the tech tree, or they risk disappearing from the face of the world forever.
While this gameplay cycle isn't too different from what came before, it's still very satisfying Ara: The story is untold. It feels like Oxide Games has figured out what makes the titles similar Sid Meier's Civilization tick, so he decided not to change it too much. That being said, there are some unique mechanics that keep things fresh, but also frustrating at times.
Ara: History Untold introduces some intriguing mechanics to its cities
One of the biggest changes in the Ara: The story is untold this is the way cities grow. Instead of waiting for the city to claim the hexes itself, when the city increases its level, players are encouraged to claim a new piece of land. Each surrounding area has its own advantages and disadvantages, so players will want to plan accordingly so that their city has everything they need. Then, after claiming said land, they can build various improvements to help their civilization thrive.
These improvements come in the form of various buildings, and since there are no builders, players also build things like farms or mines. Also, these buildings do a lot more than just give a background bonus. Instead, they require players to create various resources, similar to Anno series. These resources can then help give cities bonuses when used as amenities, or they can be needed as part of a construction project.
However, the sky is not the limit when it comes to these buildings. In fact, each plot of land has a predetermined number of buildings that can be built on it. So players will want to make sure they use their space wisely, because once the slots are full, they'll either have to demolish some improvements or wait for the city to level up again. And if they want to build some of the gaming triumphs, they'll need to dedicate an entire area just for that.
However, as the city levels up, it will unlock some experts from time to time. These experts can be applied to certain buildings, giving them bonuses such as faster production or more food. There really isn't much beyond these experts, but their existence really helps give cities a bit more functionality, which is nice to see.
While all of this gives the cities a bit more life as crafters are constantly creating goods and things are always in need of management, it's also where one of the Ara: The story is untoldproblems come into play. It might be a 4X game, but it can get really fast at times with too much going on, especially when players have multiple cities. All of this isn't helped by the fact that the user interface is often tedious to navigate, as it's not always clear how to find certain things. And after a while, players can simply burn out from the sheer number of things they have to juggle.
The events and eras of Ara: History Untold are a unique twist
Very similar Sid Meier's Civilization, Ara: The story is untold also pays a lot of attention to learning new technologies. This research gives players more things to improve their civilization, and as they progress through the different eras, they will discover even more exciting technologies. But while it's also not too different from what came before, the way these technological eras work seems incredibly unique.
By building things, researching technology and participating in various activities, players will earn prestige points. These Prestige Points are earned over time Ara: The story is untoldThree main actions, each civilization is displayed on the scoreboard. During the course of action, civilizations are divided into three different tiers depending on the number of points. The top three tiers are safe, but if the bottom tier isn't careful by the time the action ends, then those countries will be eliminated. This means there is a constant race for players to have enough prestige points or the world can move on without them.
Once a certain number of civilizations reach a certain technological era, Ara: The story is untold a countdown will begin until the end of the current action. That way, if players aren't close to completing the current tech tree, they can actually skip ahead if they wish. They will lose a lot of bonuses, but if it's the only way to survive, then that's what they have to do. Fortunately, some future technology will also include these bonuses, but some of them may be lost forever. This makes for an intriguing research system. However, it can also be a little overwhelming, as players have to spend more time collecting prestige than making their way through the story.
Ara: History Untold may not be a great genre
Not only can the user interface be clunky and the game's many systems a little overwhelming, but there are a few other aspects that allow Ara: The story is untold down. First, the wars in the game are pretty lackluster and mostly focus on just capturing or defending a single city. This means that players don't get the large-scale 4X wars they might want, especially since the units don't have 3D models unless players specifically choose to watch the battle unfold. Instead, they send a giant icon representing their unit type with a number to attack the other, with the battle quickly over before it even begins.
While there are hardly any options for diplomacy, the random quests don't feel all that rewarding, and it's not always clear what players should focus on. While it does offer some strategic thrills, it all really stops it from being another king of the genre. With DLC and future updates, it might have a chance to fix the weaker aspects. But aside from a few unique twists, it feels like it's missing something to make it truly worth the price of admission.
Final score: 6/10
