It has been since its inception Sid Meier's civilization Franchise is one of the biggest names in 4X gaming. With six different mainline titles and several spin-offs, Firaxis has continued to offer players an exciting adventure through history, even with the upcoming one Sid Meier's Civilization 7 One of the greatest titles ever. Given its success, it's easy to see why other studios would want to offer a similar experience. And Oxide Games has done just that Ara: Untold Story.
Already announced in 2022, Ara: Untold Story follows in the footsteps of Sid Meier's civilization franchise by allowing players to forge their own path throughout the story. They take on a civilization again, leading it through multiple eras and hopefully leaving their mark on the world before they are defeated. But while this central gameplay loop can be fun, that's how it is Ara: Untold Story The approach leaves a lot to be desired.
Ara: History Untold's gameplay loop can be exciting
Anyone who has ever played Sid Meier's civilization should know exactly what to expect Ara: Untold Storyis the central gameplay loop. Before the game can begin, players must select their nation, with over 40 different real-world nations to choose from. Each leader has their advantages and disadvantages, with each leader also having three different appearances to choose from. Once players find one that suits their play style, they can change the settings to create their own experience before diving into the world of Ara: Untold Story.
Once Ara: Untold Story Once the game begins, players are given a starting city and must continue building from there. They need to train a scout to explore their surroundings, start building some useful buildings in their city, and begin their initial research. Then they press the button for the next round, sit back and wait for their current projects to be completed. And once they are, they do it all over again.
As the game progresses, players will encounter other civilizations, tribes, and dangerous animals roaming the land. If they want to survive in this world, they must do their best to keep their neighbors friendly or be prepared for grueling wars and devastation. In addition, they must be careful not to fall behind in the technology tree, otherwise they risk disappearing from the scene forever.
While this gameplay loop isn't all that different from its predecessors, it's still extremely satisfying Ara: Untold Story. It seems like Oxide Games understands what makes titles tick Sid Meier's civilization Tick, so it decided not to change it too much. That being said, there are a few unique mechanics that keep things a little fresh, but also a little frustrating at times.
Ara: History Untold brings some fascinating mechanics to its cities
One of the biggest changes in… Ara: Untold Story is the way cities grow. Instead of waiting for the city itself to claim hexes, players will be prompted to claim a new plot of land as soon as a city increases its level. Each surrounding property has its advantages and disadvantages, so players should plan accordingly to ensure their city has everything it needs. After claiming the land, they can then build various improvements to help their civilization prosper.
These improvements come in the form of various buildings, and since there are no builders here, players also build things like farms or mines here. Additionally, these buildings offer much more than just a background bonus. Instead, they actually require players to craft various resources, similar to Anno Series. These resources can then help provide bonuses to cities when used as amenities, or they can be required as part of a construction project.
However, there are no limits when it comes to these buildings. In fact, each plot of land has a predetermined number of buildings that can be built on it. Therefore, players should make sure that they use their space wisely because once the spaces are full, they will either have to demolish some improvements or wait for the city to level up again. And if they want to expand on some of the game's triumphs, they'll have to dedicate an entire zone just for them.
Additionally, as a city levels up, some experts will occasionally be unlocked. These experts can be applied to specific buildings, granting them bonuses such as faster production or more food. Other than that, these experts don't really have much else to offer, but their existence does help give cities a bit more functionality, which is nice to see.
While all of this adds a bit more life to the cities, as artisans are constantly producing goods and things always need to be managed, it's also one of them Ara: Untold StoryThe problems come into play. It may be a 4X game, but at times it can get extremely fast-paced with way too much going on, especially when players have multiple cities. It doesn't help that navigating the user interface is often tedious and it's not always clear how to find certain things. And after a while, players may simply get burned out on the amount of things they have to juggle.
The plots and time periods of Ara: History Untold are a unique twist
Similar Sid Meier's civilization, Ara: Untold Story also attaches great importance to researching new technologies. This research gives players more things to improve their civilization with, and as they progress through the different eras they will unlock even more exciting technologies. But while this isn't all that different from what's come before, the way these technological eras work feels incredibly unique.
As players build things, research technology, and perform various actions, they earn prestige points. These prestige points are collected continuously Ara: Untold Storyare the three main acts, with each civilization displayed on a scoreboard. As the act progresses, 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 is not careful by the end of this law, these nations will be eliminated. This means that there is a constant race to ensure players have enough prestige points, otherwise the world could go on without them.
Once a certain number of civilizations reach a certain technological age, Ara: Untold Story begins the countdown until the current act ends. So if players are not yet close to completing the current tech tree, they can even continue if they wish. They'll forgo a lot of bonuses, but if that's the only way to survive, they have to do it. Fortunately, some future technologies will also include these bonuses, but some may be lost forever. This makes for a fascinating research system. However, it can also be a bit annoying as players have to spend more time collecting prestige than actually making their way through the story.
Ara: History Untold is not a genre great
Not only can the interface be awkward and the game's many systems a bit overwhelming, but there are a few other aspects that make this possible Ara: Untold Story down. First of all, the wars in the game are rather lackluster, as they mostly focus on taking or protecting a single city. This means players won't get the massive 4X wars they might want, especially because the units don't have 3D models unless players specifically choose to watch the battle. Instead, they send a giant icon indicating their unit type with a number to attack another, quickly ending the battle before it even begins.
Additionally, there are few options for diplomacy, the random quests don't seem particularly rewarding, and it's not always clear what players should focus on. While it does offer some strategic thrills, all of that really holds it back from becoming another genre king. With DLC and future updates, it might have a chance to iron out its weaker aspects. But aside from a few unique twists, it feels like something is missing to make it truly worth the price of admission.
Final result: 6/10
