When Ara: History Untold was first announced, I felt a twinge of excitement. The promise of a grand strategy game with a fresh twist, something that could rival the likes of Civilization or Hearts of Iron IV, had me intrigued. Who doesn’t love a chance to shape history, to build a mighty empire and rewrite the course of humanity? But after spending some serious time with Ara, I’m left with a feeling not of triumph, but of mild disappointment—like discovering your newly forged empire is made of papier-mâché.
The Gameplay — Bold Ideas, Lackluster Execution
Ara: History Untold tries hard to differentiate itself from the titans of the genre, but, unfortunately, it struggles to find its footing. The game aims to provide a more immersive narrative experience, emphasizing culture and discovery over brute force. It’s a nice idea, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. For one, the pacing is glacial. Civilization might have you hooked on the “one more turn” syndrome, but here, it’s more like “one more yawn.” Turns feel slow, and the payoffs are rarely rewarding enough to justify the wait.
The core mechanics of Ara revolve around expanding your influence, managing resources, and navigating the course of history. You’ll engage in diplomacy, wage war, and build your empire, but somehow, none of these activities ever quite hit the sweet spot. The resource management feels watered down, lacking the depth that makes Civilization so engrossing, and the combat system is simplistic to the point of feeling like an afterthought. It’s hard to muster any excitement when your battles amount to little more than clicking a few units and watching a bland animation play out.
Diplomacy, which could have been a major selling point, ends up as a convoluted mess. Instead of offering a nuanced approach to alliances and rivalries, it often boils down to binary choices that feel more like guesswork than strategic planning. I found myself making decisions based more on a whim than on any solid strategic reasoning, and that’s a big problem in a genre that thrives on careful planning.
Visuals & Presentation — A Beautiful Shell With Little Inside
On the visual front, Ara: History Untold does get some things right. The game is undeniably pretty, with sweeping landscapes and beautifully rendered cities that grow and evolve as your empire expands. The art style manages to capture a sense of historical grandeur, and watching your civilization blossom is visually rewarding, at least for a while. However, even this gets old quickly, as the environments lack variety, and the animations are more repetitive than a Sith Lord’s evil monologue.
And the UI… oh, the UI. I’m all for complexity in strategy games, but the user interface here feels more like a hindrance than a help. Information is buried under layers of menus, and navigating through the clutter is as enjoyable as sorting out tax forms. Civilization and Hearts of Iron IV both manage to present a wealth of information without overwhelming the player, but Ara seems determined to make even the simplest tasks a chore.
Storytelling & Immersion — A History Best Left Untold
One of the selling points of Ara is its emphasis on historical narrative, encouraging players to shape their own story within the context of humanity’s past. It sounds great on paper, but in practice, it’s more like a history lesson without the excitement. The game’s narrative attempts to guide you with a series of objectives and choices, but the storytelling feels disjointed, lacking the coherent thread that makes games like Crusader Kings so captivating.
Instead of feeling like a powerful leader shaping the fate of nations, I often felt like I was just checking boxes on a history quiz. The choices you make rarely feel impactful, and the lack of a compelling narrative hook means that even when you’re changing the course of history, it feels hollow and insignificant. There’s no sense of grandeur, no memorable moments that make you feel like you’re truly altering the fate of your civilization.
Comparisons to the Giants — Not Quite Ready for the Big Leagues
It’s impossible to play Ara: History Untold without drawing comparisons to the titans of the genre, and this is where the game’s shortcomings are most glaring. Civilization is a masterclass in balancing depth with accessibility, offering a sandbox where every decision has meaningful consequences. Hearts of Iron IV delivers intricate grand strategy with a focus on the drama of World War II, pulling you into a complex web of alliances and conflicts.
Ara, by contrast, feels shallow. It lacks the strategic depth of Civilization, the historical drama of Hearts of Iron IV, and the character-driven storytelling of Crusader Kings. It tries to do a bit of everything but ends up being mediocre at most of it. There’s no distinctive identity, nothing that sets it apart from its competitors in a meaningful way. It’s like the developers assembled a checklist of features from other strategy games but forgot to add the secret sauce that makes those games great.
Final Score: 64% — A Brief Journey Through History, But Not One for the Ages
