Summary
There is no shortage of 4X games on the market, but while there are plenty to choose from,Ara: History Untoldis doing its best to stand out in the crowd by offering something unique and innovative. As they can ingames likeCivilization 7, players lead their people through history inArato become the most prestigious nation the world has ever known.
Game Rant recently had the opportunity to speak withAra: History Untold’s narrative and experience lead, Gabriela Leskur, as well as its principal graphics architect, Dan Baker, about the game’s unique features and design principles. During the interview, Leskur and Baker delved into howAraallows players to have a hand in changing the course of history.
Ara: History Untold Gives Players the Power to Change History
Ara: History Untoldmight have the appearance of a typical 4X game, but the soul of its gameplay is its subtitle. There are plenty of4X gamesthat allow players to step into the shoes of historical leaders and lead their civilizations to prosperity and victory, but those games generally try to be as historically accurate as possible.Ara: History Untold, however, is all about players creating an original experience using history solely as a foundation. When asked about the meaning ofAra’s subtitle and how it affects gameplay, Baker replied,
The title is an ode to the idea that this is an alternate world; this is a question of “what if.” What if Sappho was the leader of Greece? What if Rome didn’t fall and extended to the Modern Era? What if the pyramids were built in an icy area? I think it’s important to understand that it’s a history that could have been.
The “what if” idea has been utilized before, but rarely within the context of real history. Generally, this concept is applied to fictional IPs, such as Marvel’sWhat If…?series and the mobile game,The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth, which was recently shut down. Juggling player agency with real-world history can’t be easy, butAra’s emphasis on empowering the player by limiting them to the personality and influence of a historical figure while granting them the freedom to use that influence in their own way helps balance the game’s fact and fiction. Expounding on Baker’s comments aboutAra’s subtitle, Leskur added,
I think the thing that inspires me as a woman with a background in social sciences is also giving people the opportunity to imagine how their hand might have changed the course of history.
That feeling of empowerment and personal achievement is a key philosophy inAra: History Untold’s design, as the whole of the game centers around players being who they want to be, despite playing as someone else.Ara’s principal aim is to ensure players can realize themselves as historical figures, as opposed to merely controlling a historical figure and essentially being forced to do their bidding. In the same breath, Leskur continued,
There are so many people in the world who want to make a positive impact, who want to see who they could be, andArais a place to think about “How might I have impacted the ancient times with the way that I see the world? How might I have shaped the Renaissance?” I think it’s cool to have these elements of history, and then alternate history, and then personal empowerment, allowing people to dream and be inspired by their own potential.
So,Ara: History Untoldis aiming high to be exactly what its title suggests — a game that allows players to tell their own version of history, all while benefiting from a deep feeling of empowerment as they shape each course of events. It’s a bold leap in a new direction for a4X strategy game, but it may be exactly what players who crave a significant amount of freedom in their games are looking for.
Ara: History Untold
WHERE TO PLAY
Build a nation and lead your people throughout history to the pinnacles of human achievement as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It’s Your World Now.Ara: History Untold is an evolution in historical grand strategy, featuring beloved classic PC strategy mechanics alongside innovative gameplay like a national crafting economy, true simultaneous turn resolution, a non-linear technology tree, and cloud-backed synchronous/asynchronous multiplayer - all with an expansive and vibrant presentation where you’re able to zoom out from surveying the very edges of your empire all the way down to your citizens living their daily lives. In Ara, there are no pre-set paths to victory, leading to endless possibilities. Your choices will define the world you create, your experience, and your legacy.Explore an Immersive Living World:Explore a dynamic living world filled with life and charm across sweeping landscapes ranging from tropical jungles to sand-swept deserts as you discover the resources you need to develop your nation. Witness the world come to life in vivid, realistic detail as citizens move throughout the world and react dynamically to times of health and sickness, war and peace, wealth and despair with unique biomes, cultures, and eras representing the diversity of the human experience
