Showing off a grand strategy game like Ara: History Untold is tricky since they are usually vast and complex.
I got to experience an hour of Ara: History Untold at Xbox‘s Gamescom event in LA, and I played around 35 turns, enough to get a feel for the game. In Ara, like other games in the 4X genre, you can win in different ways, such as through military strength, cultural achievements, or becoming super wealthy.
In the early turns, what stood out was how you can choose your path to victory. First, you pick your civilization and its leader from 36 options. Each leader has unique perks that shape your strategy. For example, I chose Ghana’s leader who gets richer by mining early on, which seemed smart given my limited playtime.
Ara also lets you micromanage your civilization with a crafting system. Keeping people happy is crucial for growth and productivity. For instance, I crafted a feast that boosted my city’s production for 10 turns. Each amenity has different benefits based on your needs.
You can also craft items that enhance buildings. My scouts found old tools like plows that increased farm production. Crafting items alters how your civilization works because you need specific buildings like workshops or forges to make them.
Fans love how these games mix familiar elements with new twists.
Researching new technologies in Ara is different from other games. Instead of a tech tree, you choose from options based on your current era. For example, researching grain storage unlocks fermentation technology later on. Your choices shape what technologies become available next.
As you progress in Ara, you’ll encounter events requiring decisions that influence gameplay. I met a nearby tribe that asked for food support. Helping them improved our relationship and eventually led them to join my nation.
City upgrades and population growth unlocked an “expert” unit that could boost either food production or building speed. Additionally, earning a Paragon–a historic figure–granted unique bonuses like faster research times.
Ara’s gameplay includes three historical Acts where civilizations are judged on their prestige at the end of each Act based on development and achievements. The lower half gets eliminated from the match during transitions between Acts.
My demo ended as I reached the Bronze Age; although I was ranked third in prestige out of all civilizations so far, it hinted that I needed a more aggressive strategy moving forward. With only 35 turns played out of potentially hundreds more needed for a full game experience—it’s clear there’s much more depth awaiting players eager enough to dive into this massive strategy title!
Ara: History Untold is launching on PC on September 24.
