Ara: History Untold Content Review

Ara: History Untold is a 4X grand strategy game in which players will create their own nation and lead it through centuries of history, from ancient times to modern times, and perhaps even moving towards futuristic technologies. The project offers not only the possibility of conquest and expansion of territories, but also alternative paths such as diplomacy, trade and science. In this content review we will look at the main features of the game.

Start and development of civilization

Ara: History Untold starts with a small settlement where your people are just beginning their journey. You start with one scout located in the capital. This scout plays an important role in the initial stages: he explores the world around him, collects resources, traces of ancient civilizations and hunts dangerous wildlife, freeing up territories for further expansion.

A special role is played by the central location of the capital, which determines the rate of growth of the city and allows it to capture surrounding regions over time. In addition to growing cities, you can assign various work projects, such as constructing buildings, creating units for your army, or collecting resources to the nation. Each unit can be trained and combined into larger combat units that will help you defend your lands, explore new territories and interact with other nations.

Research and Technology

One of the key aspects of civilization development in Ara: History Untold is technology research. As you progress through the eras, you will be able to unlock powerful new troops, upgrades for cities, and new resources to master. Research spans several major eras – from the ancient world and the Bronze Age to the futuristic Age of Singularity. As you explore technology, you will guide your people through the centuries, opening up opportunities for them to prosper.

However, Ara is not a game focused solely on conquest. Instead, you are given the opportunity to choose more peaceful paths of development: forming alliances with other nations, concluding trade agreements and g scientific pacts. Thus, players can create a unique strategy for the development of their civilization, based on diplomacy and scientific discoveries, and not on military expansion.

Prestige and victory

An important indicator of success in the game is prestige. It reflects how well you lead your nation and achieve meaningful success. Prestige is accumulated for every action – from creating unique wonders of the world, such as the Eiffel Tower, to successfully conducting scientific research or spreading religion. Economic, scientific and cultural achievements also influence the prestige that can be earned each turn.

The game ends when the final act and final era ends and the nation with the most prestige emerges victorious. Thus, even if you are not involved in aggressive military campaigns, you can still achieve victory through good governance, peaceful achievements and the development of your people.

Leaders and nations

At launch, Ara: History Untold features 36 leaders, each leading their own unique nation. Additionally, 5 more are available in the Deluxe and editions. Each leader has unique traits that affect the gameplay, both positive and negative. These traits help determine the play style of the AI ​​or player.

For example, Queen Isabella I of Spain has a number of unique abilities. Her main trait, New Light, increases the visibility and speed of ground troops on ships, giving her a huge advantage in intercontinental exploration. She also receives additional quality of life improvements through the creation of mints and increased religious influence during the construction of the codex.

Isabella’s trait provides bonuses to troops in the form of additional experience for winning battles, and her trade traits provide an additional merchant, which increases the number of goods available for trade. In addition, her seamanship greatly improves the economic benefits of coastal fishing. As a result, she is a versatile leader, capable of success in both war and peace, especially when it comes to trade and the spread of religion.

Map and regions

The world in Ara: History Untold is divided into regions that form organically and follow natural boundaries – rivers, coastlines or mountain ranges. Your nation will consist of many such regions where you can build improvements, develop cities and collect resources. Each of them has its own unique biome, which determines the availability of resources, plants and animals. Biomes may include savanna, tundra, desert, and others.

Each region can contain one or more zones where resources such as coffee, uranium or sheep are located. These zones allow you to build improvements, and the number of such zones determines how many buildings can be placed in the region. For example, you have the opportunity to build a farm on the livestock resource after researching livestock technology, which will speed up the collection of this resource.

Controlling regions also allows you to ively collect their resources, but proper placement of buildings can greatly speed up this process.

Dangers and interaction with other peoples

Dangerous wild animals such as wolves, bears and hyenas may also be found on the map, interfering with the use of the region’s areas. Only special combat units with the hunting skill are able to cope with these predators and clear the territory for further development. For their hunt, players receive useful resources.

Some regions may be inhabited by independent tribes that can be conquered or peaceful relations established with them. If a tribe becomes your ally, its inhabitants will your people, and their lands will become available for use. However, tribes may attack you if they consider you an enemy.

Game flow and controls

Ara: History Untold uses a simultaneous turn system. This means that each player or AI first enters their orders for the current turn, but they are executed simultaneously once everyone has completed their actions and pressed the end turn button. This adds an element of strategy, as the timing and speed of actions can affect the outcome of events, such as in battles.

The End Turn button is located at the bottom of the screen, and you will need to allow all urgent notifications before pressing it. In multiplayer games, you are allowed to set a timer on a turn, which automatically ends the turn if time runs out.

Acts and eras

The game is divided into three acts, each of which includes four eras. The eras represent important periods in human history, from the ancient world to modern times, with possible advances into futuristic technologies. To advance to the next era, the player needs to research a special technology. Missed technologies from the previous era will not be available after the transition to the new one.

The first act covers the period up to the 6th century AD, including the Antiquity, Bronze and Iron Ages. The second act leads through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The third act covers the period from the beginning of the industrial revolution to future technologies.

When several nations reach the Middle Ages, the act is completed and prestige is calculated. Leaders with the lowest scores are eliminated from the game, and the remaining ones are distributed across three ranks. The nation with the most prestige at the end of the game wins.