- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Release Date: Sep 24, 2024
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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Sep 23, 2024By the time I reached the end of my journey and my nation stood above all the rest, I was left with one of the most satisfying gaming victories I’ve ever experienced. While Ara: History Untold asks a lot of players, it rewards those willing to put in the hours with a deeply rich gameplay experience that makes them feel like every choice they made shaped their nation and helped their people achieve greatness. From large-scale design innovations to the smallest details, the game delivers an almost flawless experience.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold brings fresh ideas for a long-running genre, and more than stands on its own because of them.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold is a complex 4X-strategy game that introduces an extensive crafting system and simultaneous turns, eliminating waiting times. Players win by earning Prestige in various categories rather than pursuing a specific victory condition. While the game offers rich details in leaders and visuals, it falls short with predictable events and limited cultural differences. It still offers an in depth and rewarding experience for any strategy enthusiasts.
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Sep 23, 2024I absolutely enjoyed my time with Ara: History Untold, and I think anyone that’s enjoyed a round or two of the Civilization series will feel right at home with this. It also has a solid tutorial to help on-board new players, so even if you’ve never touched a 4X game before, I think you’ll find that Ara is friendly towards new players too. There’s a ton of different ways to build out your empires, and the use of a Prestige system as an option to victory, wherein you gain points for various actions taken, is a solid way of deciding a winner even if you have multiple nations still standing at the end of a game. Definitely check Ara: History Untold out when it launches this week, you won’t be disappointed.
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Sep 23, 2024The development team behind Ara: History Untold succeeds in competing with the established titles of the genre with new ideas and creative gameplay, cleverly packing complex economic systems and production processes into a graphically sophisticated and lively framework while retaining the roots of its genre predecessors.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold could be the first real-time strategy game capable of standing up to the Civilization series. A very well-crafted product, with priorities that allow for a unique experience, despite the direct relationship with such a specific genre. Its design is very well done, its execution is brilliant, and it is capable of captivating us with its battles and landscapes. Diverse, challenging, and entertaining, one of those games that takes us to a new dimension where we wish time would really stand still. It is a game that all strategy lovers should play.
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Oct 23, 2024If you’re expecting Ara: History Untold to be a new Civilization competitor, I think you’re looking at it all wrong. There’s aspects, sure, but this leans a lot more into economy, production, and politics. This feels like a game that’s made with passion, so I have every faith this will get better with time. Right now it’s still a bit clumsy in places, but if you take the time to learn it I believe you’ll find that this is a very fun title that stands on its own.
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Sep 24, 2024I find it interesting to think about how the game will be received by fans of the genre. In my case, I think it is a production worth buying on day one if you like this type of strategy and I think it does well to move away from the shadow of Sid Meier's saga. Although this may be a bit of a drawback for the more traditionalists and a success for marketing, since we have to take into account that Civilization 7 is also just around the corner.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: 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.
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Oct 2, 2024Ara: History Untold does a fantastic job at giving players the freedom to shape their Nation how they see fit, whilst keeping everyone in a toothy race. The Nations themselves could be more distinct, but the game mechanics more than make up for that.
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Sep 25, 2024Although the detailed management of endgame item production can be a little time-consuming for my taste, the performance could be better, and diplomacy could well be implemented in a more elegant way, the game offers complex systems that are rewarding to get into. I hope that we continue to see innovations in this niche from the developers behind Ara: History Untold.
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Sep 23, 2024Quotation forthcoming.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold boldly launches into the 4X landscape, bringing with it some intriguing innovations. Although the game introduces the prestige system and non-hex maps, it remains faithful to the basic structure of many other congeners. In this sense, the production by Oxide Games is more of a refined restyling than a Copernican revolution. Its new mechanics undoubtedly offer fresh ideas and compelling challenges and the attention to the smallest details further elevates the value of Ara. However, the complexity in resource management and a war component that does not hold up to comparison with the rest of the experience are less brilliant aspects of the package. In any case, we are faced with a valuable production, capable of intriguing fans of the reference genre.
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Sep 23, 2024Interesting mix of 4X strategy and construction game, which just manages to get an 80 rating with fresh ideas and depth.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara History Untold could be a great competitor to other strategy games, such as Civilization. It relies on an efficient turn-based system, which helps you plan your next steps, and a progressive storyline that makes it a pleasure to see everything evolve into the most modern world.
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Sep 23, 2024An 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.
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Sep 23, 2024Despite 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.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: 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.
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Sep 23, 2024With its challenging prestige elimination race proposition, Ara: History Untold is a relevant addition to the 4X genre, boasting some really nice detailed models, a very satisfying crafting optimization system, and a rather dense non-linear tech tree. Too bad the diplomacy is so frustrating and the concept shows some limitations after about fifteen hours of play.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: 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.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold is a vast strategy game that gives you plenty to do, but success consistently rewards you with new ways to play.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold feels really fresh, immersive, and innovative with its deep city-builder influences being the standout feature. It doesn’t nail the landing in all aspects, but provides the most exciting foundation for further expansion we’ve had in this genre for a long time.
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Sep 23, 2024It’s in these complications that Ara: History Untold shines brightest. It has seemingly learned core lessons from its forebears in the 4X genre, using them as stepping stones to advance its core gameplay loop, and provide new layers of depth where needed. Its more holistic approach to building nations, and its move away from war as singular motivator, makes it a very well-rounded, clever strategy game – and one that rewards your time and energy.
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Sep 23, 2024ARA: 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.
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Sep 23, 2024We feel like we’ve only scratched the surface with Ara: History Untold even after thousands of turns and multiple games, but this is a fun take on this type of experience and a great choice if you’re looking for an engaging PC game to pull you in. If you don’t mind history with a bit of a twist and want a game where you can sink hours into each session as you overcome all sorts of challenges and triumph as a nation, Ara is well worth a look.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: 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.
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Sep 24, 2024There’s a lot to like about Ara: History Untold, even with the rough edges that appear every so often. Barring some performance issues, I’d say anyone even a little curious about the genre should give the game a shot and try it for themselves (especially if you have Xbox Game Pass). As for those of you with hundreds of hours in 4X games? Well, Civilization VII is still months away and Ara is a worthwhile competitor in the space and so I highly recommend playing at least a few games during this wait. Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself with a new favourite in the genre…
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Sep 23, 2024ARA: 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.
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Oct 7, 2024Following in the footsteps of genre giants, Ara: History Untold tells the story of building an empire that stands the test of time. With impressive visuals that allow players to connect deeply with the map, and mechanics that aim to transform the aspects of growth and construction, the game offers a refreshing experience. However, it's hindered by flawed AI, poor diplomacy, and issues in upgrading units. Ara: History Untold holds great potential, but will probably need some more time before it can fully realize it.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara tries to reinvent the 4X wheel with a really exciting gameplay system. However, it lacks dynamism, a more interesting diplomatic and trade system and a bit of nastiness that makes us feel the political and social weight of our choices. If they raise it well, it can become an unforgettable game.
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Sep 23, 2024In the end, it's a successful Civilization clone that excels in some ways and falls a little short in others. And the game is also graphically pleasing. It is definitely worth trying.
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Sep 23, 2024I’m glad there’s another historical 4X on the block - and for those of you who want something a bit meatier than Civ, I think this can fit the bill. ARA: History Untold is bold, innovative and exciting - but thoroughly held back by frustrating problems and an infuriating user experience.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: 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.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: 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.
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Sep 27, 2024Ara: History Untold is a worthy representative of the strategy genre, offering innovative mechanics for those who particularly enjoy the building aspect of empire building games focused on diplomacy and warfare. Although many of its elements must be polished and refined to stand the test of time, the foundations are solid, and the future looks promising.
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Sep 24, 2024Ara: History Untold dares a lot, but many things still don't work out as planned. It still falls short of its role model, Civilization.
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Sep 26, 2024Despite the inclusion of innovations like Prestige, which offers a more sophisticated appraisal of your leadership, Ara: History Untold doesn’t outshine Civilization. Instead, it feels like a lateral deviation, where some components are restructured but others flirt with tedium by the third and final act.
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Oct 25, 2024Strategy games needed new ideas, and Ara has a few of them if you're patient and play.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold doesn't really do anything new, but it takes good ideas from so many games and combines them in a meaningful way that fans of Civ, Millennia or Humankind will definitely have fun with. However, some of the many systems – such as diplomacy or combat – aren't really polished. The game certainly has the potential to patch itself up, but at release it's not enough.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold is beautiful to look at, offers complexity, and nails its concept with flying colours, but it lacks the customisation options its competitors offer, and is technically substandard. It has great potential to be a truly brilliant addition to the genre if the developers can fix the major technical issues, balance problems, and can update the title properly, turning the game into something that also survives the test of time.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold brings city-building to Civilization with strategic success.
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Sep 23, 2024A beautifully presented and accessible game in a sometimes obscure genre, Ara: History Untold is a pretty picture book rather than a deep tome.
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Sep 23, 2024Ara: History Untold is a decent foray into the historical 4X, with enough borrowed and slightly tweaked elements to make it worth a look for fans of the genre. Its original ideas become too much of a slog however, along with a scattering of UI issues and performance hiccups that need addressing.
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Sep 27, 2024I'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-dependencies 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.
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Sep 24, 2024Ara: History Untold was supposed to be the game that, after nearly eight years, could make us forget Civilization VI. However, it seems that once again, we'll have to wait for the seventh installment to lose ourselves, one turn at a time. The title, developed by Oxide Games, looks very promising. It has a visually striking graphical style and some interesting flashes of brilliance. However, it’s a strategy game whose core focus is hard to grasp, and it falls victim to overwhelming micromanagement that permeates every turn. This has drawn attention away from areas that needed more care, such as diplomacy, technology, and those essential late-game variations.
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Edge MagazineOct 31, 2024Ara is at once too shallow and too deep, a 4X game where one of its crosses bears far more eight than the others. [Issue#404, p.118]
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Oct 15, 2024I had very high expectations for Ara: History Untold but they failed to materialize. The game has many very good qualities compared to other games with lots of years of experience in the genre, but at the end of the day it fails in one of the most important elements of 4X games and that is to give the player that 'one more turn' feeling that keeps you playing until the middle of the night. This is mainly due to unflexible and exhausting game systems and a very planned way of playing compared to the complete freedom and feeling of constant progress that you get from other games.
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Oct 7, 2024Ultimately, Ara: History Untold is a collection of good ideas that don’t harmonize well. The game feels unfinished, with many mechanics feeling half-baked or monotonous. The overwhelming micromanagement and lack of distinct playstyles reduce the desire to replay, as each session starts to feel like a repeat of the last, mired in the same frustrations. The game doesn’t do a good job of highlighting what’s important, despite having a comprehensive in-game encyclopedia and tooltip system. Important information gets lost in the clutter, and the lack of smooth gameplay flow makes it difficult to stay engaged. For players who enjoy deep micromanagement and have the patience for an unwieldy interface, Ara offers some enjoyment, especially in the early game, where glimpses of a rewarding strategy experience shine through.
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Oct 1, 2024While it does offer some strategy thrills, all of this really holds it back from being another genre kingpin. With DLC and future updates, it may have a chance to iron out its weaker aspects. But, outside a few unique twists, it feels like it is missing something to make it truly worth the price of admission.
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Sep 27, 2024I keep bringing up competitors like Civilization and Humankind not just for obvious comparisons or to be cruel, but because Ara: History Untold sought to position itself as big mix up for historical strategy. And I want that! I love this genre, but only having a few big games flying that banner has led to it becoming a bit stale, and more competitors and new ideas could shake things up. But unfortunately, Ara doesn’t do much to really drive things forward. Most of the new additions have been tried before and the crafting system, the one actually unique part, fails to add much more than extra busywork and spreadsheeting. It’s still totally functional as a historical 4X, easily alluring me back into the one-more-turn mindset, but it doesn’t succeed in bringing much that is really new to the table.
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Sep 26, 2024A good alternative to Civilization that could be even better with a little more optimization. Beautifully detailed world, interesting features and flexibility.
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Sep 26, 2024Ara delves deeply into a single mechanic. Warfare, diplomacy, religion, and research are stripped down to the bare essentials, leaving the majority of your time focused on balancing the production of a massive array of materials and their interconnected, complex production chains. While this is initially engaging, it quickly becomes tedious in the later stages, where balancing production feels more like managing a budget before an accounting deadline.
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Sep 24, 2024While Ara: History Untold is a visually captivating historical 4X with an interesting underlying economy, it gets bogged down well before the midway point, mainly because it doesn’t provide enough tools and UI support to manage all of the things it expects you to manage. Your choice of leader, religion, and government almost always simply add uninteresting passive modifiers, which means most playthroughs will feel roughly the same other than the layout of the map itself. I had a pretty decent time with my march through the ages, especially in the first of its three acts. But it did require me to eventually give up on trying to play optimally, passing turns without doing anything until I emerged victorious. A lot of these systems are exciting and clever in their design – they're just not that enjoyable to interact with past a certain point.
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| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
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Oct 21, 2024With a rival like Civilization to beat, Xbox exclusive Ara: History Untold surprises even the most veteran with deep, humanistic strategic management. [Recommended]
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Oct 1, 2024Ara is an interesting and enjoyable spin on the Civ concept but becomes unwieldy long before it's over. Figuring out how to build a thriving empire will be an enjoyable challenge to people looking for a certain kind of production chain game, but I don't see its malnourished AI and ballooning micromanagement keeping them around once they do.