Since its establishment, Sid Meier's Civilization franchise was one of the biggest names in 4X gaming. Through six different main titles and several spin-offs, Firaxis has continued to offer players a thrilling adventure through history, along with the future Sid Meier's Civilization 7 being one of the biggest titles to date. Due to its success, it's easy to see why other studios want to offer their own similar experience. And Oxide Games did just that Ara: Untold History.
Announced in 2022, Ara: Untold History is on his trail Sid Meier's Civilization franchise, allowing players to create their own path through history. They take over a civilization again, guide it through several ages, and hopefully make their mark on the world before they are removed. But while that basic gameplay loop can be fun, the way Ara: Untold History comes close, leaves a lot to be desired.
Ara: History Untold's gameplay loop can be thrilling
Anyone who has ever played Sid Meier's Civilization they should know exactly what to expect Ara: Untold Historyits basic game loop. Before the game begins, players must choose their nation, with over 40 different real-world ones to choose from. Each leader has its benefits and drawbacks, each also having three different spawns to choose from. Once players find one that suits their playstyle, they can manipulate the settings to build their own experience before jumping into the world Ara: Untold History.
Date Ara: Untold History begins, players are given a starting city and must build from there. They must train a scout to explore their surroundings, begin the construction of useful buildings in their city, and begin their first research. Then they hit the next cast button, sit back, and wait until their current projects are done. And once they are, they do it again.
As players progress through 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 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's come before, it's still extremely satisfying Ara: Untold History. It feels like Oxide Games has understood what makes headlines Sid Meier's Civilization tick, so he chose not to change it much. That said, there are some unique mechanics that keep things a little fresh, but also a little frustrating at times.
Ara: History Untold injects some interesting mechanics into its cities
One of the biggest changes in Ara: Untold History it's how cities grow. Instead of waiting for the city to claim hexes on its own, once a city levels up, players are asked to claim a new plot of land. Each surrounding plot has its benefits and drawbacks, so players will want to plan accordingly to make sure their town has everything it needs. Then, after claiming said land, they are able to build various improvements to help their civilization thrive.
These improvements come in the form of different buildings, and since there are no builders here, it's also where players build things like farms or mines. Additionally, these buildings do much more than simply provide a background bonus. Instead, they actually require players to create various resources, similar to the like anno series. These resources can then help give cities bonuses if applied as amenities or 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 actually has a predetermined number of buildings that can be built within it. So players will want to make sure they use their space wisely, because once the slots are filled, they either have to demolish some upgrades or wait for the city to level up again. And if they want to build some of the game's triumphs, they'll have to dedicate an entire area just for it.
Along with that, as a city grows, it will occasionally unlock a few experts as well. These experts can be applied to certain buildings, giving them bonuses such as faster production or more food. Other than that, there isn't much to these experts, but their existence helps give cities a bit more functionality, which is nice to see.
While all of this gives the cities a bit more life, as artisans are constantly making goods and things always need to be managed, it's also where one of the Ara: Untold Historyhis problems come into play. It may be a 4X game, but sometimes it can get extremely overwhelming fast because there is way too much going on, especially when players have multiple cities. The whole thing isn't helped by the fact that the UI is often tedious to navigate, with it not always being clear how to find certain things. And after a while, players might get burned out by the sheer number of things they have to juggle.
Ara: Acts and Eras of History Untold is a unique twist
Just like Sid Meier's Civilization, Ara: Untold History it also places great emphasis on research into new technologies. This research gives players more things to improve their civilization with, and as they progress through the different eras, they'll unlock even more interesting technologies. But while it's not too different from what came before, the way these technological eras work seems incredibly unique.
As players build things, research technology, and engage in various actions, they will earn prestige points. These prestige points are earned throughout Ara: Untold HistoryIts three major acts, with each civilization displayed on a scoreboard. As acts progress, civilizations are divided into three different tiers based on how many points they have. The first three levels are safe, but if the bottom level is not careful until the end of the act, then those nations will be eliminated. That means there's a constant race to make sure players have enough Prestige points or the world can move on without them.
Once a certain number of civilizations reach a certain technological age, Ara: Untold History will start counting down to the end of the current act. So if players aren't close to finishing their current tech tree, they can skip ahead if they want. They will lose many of the bonuses, but if this is the only way to survive, then it is something they have to do. Fortunately, some future technologies will include those bonuses as well, but some may be lost forever. This makes for an intriguing research system. However, it can also be a bit of a drag as players have to spend more time gathering prestige than making their way through history.
Ara: History Untold can't be a great genre
Not only can the UI be clunky and many of the game's systems a bit overwhelming, but there are several other aspects that allow Ara: Untold History down. To begin with, the game's wars are pretty lackluster, mostly focused on taking or protecting a single city. This means that players don't get the massive 4X wars that they might want, especially since the units don't have 3D models unless players specifically choose to watch the battle that follows. Instead, they send a giant icon displaying their unit type with a number to attack another, the battle quickly ending before it begins.
Along with that, there's almost no option for diplomacy, the random missions don't feel that satisfying, and it's not always clear what players should be focusing on. While it does offer some great strategy, all that really holds it back from being a different genre. With future DLC and updates, it may have a chance to fix its weaker aspects. But aside from a few unique twists, it feels like it's missing something to really make it worth the price of admission.
Final score: 6/10
