ARA: History Untold bills itself as “an evolution of historical grand strategy” that combines classic mechanics of the genre with modern elements such as a resource-based economy for added depth and choice, a turn-based system with simultaneous resolution that forces you to think about the order of your decisions, a non-linear tech tree for age-hopping, and synchronous/asynchronous multiplayer. Oxide Games’ idea is to pay homage to strategy games and 4X (exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination) games while bringing new ideas to the genre.
Among the features of ARA: History Untold we also find the exploration of different parts of history and the impact of decisions that are reflected in the game world. The action takes place on an alternative, procedurally generated Earth where there is life and landscapes with their own characteristics. Oxide Games describes the setting as a blank canvas for players to “paint the society of their dreams.” Player decisions will not only shape the environment, architecture, culture, development of art and diplomacy, but will also reach the citizens who will react dynamically.
Oxide Games’ goal with ARA: History Untold is for players to feel like they are conquering the world and leading their people to prosperity. How they rule is up to them. To win the game, players will compete to build the most influential and important nation in the world, and that is measured by prestige. This system offers the ability to decide which leader they want to be, and there are no set victory conditions. Players will figure out what is most important and focus on those goals.
4X games like this one are known for giving the player complete freedom in deciding how to govern a nation and which path to choose for success. However, the consequences of your actions must be taken into account, as the world reacts dynamically. The world of ARA: History Untold is alive and that means that over the years all decisions at every level, including military, industrial, technological, social, diplomatic and economic will have effects over time.
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