Ara: History Untold

“Ara: History Untold is taking players across history in a massive strategy adventure, but while it may do some unique things, something is missing.”

“I’m certain that many fans of Civilization will quickly abandon playing ARA: History Untold. No Civ demands such careful consideration of the smallest details and micro-dependancies from the player. You need to ask yourself: do you want to conquer lands or manage the production of cement and ploughs? If the latter sounds interesting, you’re right where you need to be.”

“Ara: History Untold is a great discovery, with a solid foundation and excellent ideas. Thanks to its attention to detail, comprehensive city management, and numerous unique features (territory management, a non-traditional turn-based system, etc.), this 4X game has all the makings of a must-play.”

“Ara: History Untold was supposed to be that game capable of making you forget Civilization VI after about eight years, but even this time we will wait for the seventh chapter to throw away our lives one turn at a time. The title developed by Oxide Games looks really good, has a decidedly flashy graphic design and also has some interesting flashes, but it is a strategy game whose focus is difficult to understand and which ends up a victim of its cumbersome micromanagement, which pervades every turn and which has taken away a lot of attention from the sectors that would have required more care, such as diplomacy, technologies and those variants indispensable in the late game.”

“Ara: History Untold brings city-building to Civilization with strategic success.”

“Despite a few issues, I still think Ara: History Untold is some of the most fun I’ve had with a 4X historical nations game that wasn’t Civilization. Oxide Studios clearly knew the assignment and they aced on a number of fronts. It’s a little disappointing that for their experience, they weren’t able to avoid common issues like mid-to-late grind, but if you want a game that will offer plenty of variety in playstyles and an interesting and engaging crafting mechanic, Ara: History Untold is quite an extensive option for any fan of 4X strategy.”

“An enticing strategy game that caters mostly to those who love to develop a culture and bringing it throught the eras. Deep and complex just at the right degree.”

“Ara: History Untold is another distinctive take on the historical 4X strategy genre, putting a real emphasis on furthering your nation, managing supply chains and resources, and shifting the focus away from warring mentality it's so easy to sink into. There's room to grow, but this is a strong contender.”

“A beautifully presented and accessible game in a sometimes obscure genre, Ara: History Untold is a pretty picture book rather than a deep tome.”

“Ara: History Untold is a highly ambitious 4X game that looks to branch out and add even more depth to an already detailed genre. In many ways, it succeeds, bringing in a map and city-building system that far surpasses others in the genre and successfully interlinking practically every area. However, with some successes come issues, with the added depth in the supply chain making it a bit of a micromanagement nightmare; it tries to alleviate some of these issues with a user-friendly UI, but it could be a sticking point for some. The AI also seems to go on the fritz and break the game's rules.”

“Ara: History Untold doesn’t totally reinvent the grand strategy genre, but the changes it makes help create a fresh, engaging, and fun experience. All 4X games are dense with mechanics, decisions, and weighty outcomes. Ara: History Untold does a good job of navigating the player through its many options and paths to victory. Ara: History Untold beats the upcoming Civilization VII to the finish line, but the two approaches are different enough to sit side by side.”

“Ara: History Untold launches itself into the 4X landscape with boldness, bringing with it some intriguing innovations. Although the game introduces the prestige system and non-hexagonal maps, at its core it remains true to the structure of many other congeners.”

“Ara: History Untold makes meaningful contributions to the well-worn grand strategy genre at every turn, even if the absurdities of its mix-and-match approach to history can be hard to swallow.”

“Ara: History Untold tweaks the Civilization formula, but doesn't change it all that much. While it's a well polished experience, I'm not sure it does enough to push the genre forward, settling instead to do what it does well. That said, good strategy games can be hard to find, and Ara is a good one in a crowded field.”

“ARA: History Untold is an incredibly deep game, but one that might be too slow and cumbersome for anyone who isn’t a diehard fan of the genre.”

“Ara: History Untold is challenging the heavy hitters in a very competitive genre, but stands out thanks to its unique approach to 4X grand strategy and innovative mechanics. It's a gorgeous and polished turn-based strategy game that hooks you with "one more turn" and keeps you hooked with its flexible and varied strategy gameplay.”

“While Ara: History Untold is a visually captivating historical 4X with an interesting underlying economy, it gets bogged down well before the midway point.”

“Ara: History Untold is a complex strategy at times, and while there’s still so much I haven’t mentioned, you’re given plenty of help along the way. Some explanations could be a little clearer as I got overwhelmed at times with the amount of information that is thrown at you, but you can visit an encyclopaedia whenever you want that has a wealth of topics where you can search specific words if you’re unsure about something. From the gorgeous presentation to the layers of gameplay, I can’t recommend this enough, especially if you’re a history nerd.”

“ARA: History Untold has all the ingredients to become a benchmark in the genre. Its innovative mechanics, such as simultaneous turns, the non-linear technology tree and the prestige system, give it a fresh air that distinguishes it from other strategy games.”