Ara: History Untold 2.0 Reimagines the Strategy Experience
The latest iteration of Ara: History Untold 2.0 marks a significant transformation for the ambitious title developed by Oxide Games in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios. The ‘Revolutions’ update stands as the most comprehensive enhancement since its initial release, introducing an intricate culture system featuring over 40 unlockable traits. This update not only redefines the dynamics of leaders and factions, making each one feel uniquely distinct, but also streamlines city micromanagement, alleviating much of the previous busywork.
For those who experienced Ara at its launch, this update presents an enticing opportunity to return. Conversely, if you missed the initial release and are in search of a historical alternative to Civ 7, now is an ideal moment to explore what Ara has to offer.
Ara: History Untold prides itself on its commitment to historical accuracy, opting for a unique gameplay approach that eschews the conventional hex grids prevalent in many popular 4X titles. Grace, in her review, awarded the game a commendable 8/10, highlighting its engaging “one-more-turn” loop that can easily lead players to lose track of time. However, the game initially lacked certain systems that have become standard in the genre, and this extensive overhaul aims to address the most pressing player feedback.
Central to the update is the introduction of a culture and influence system. The culture stat can be influenced by various factors, including a leader’s traits, city improvements, and amenities. Cities generate influence based on their cultural output, which can then be utilized for a variety of buffs—over 40 options are available. Players can also leverage influence to expand their territories beyond traditional borders, enabling the creation of sprawling empires that were previously unattainable.
The update also introduces the Agitator unit, available in the late-Renaissance era. These units can be dispatched to rival regions to incite rebellion and foster ideological subversion. Each civilization now boasts unique historical forces that reflect their individual characteristics, complemented by a complete rework of leaders, who now possess distinct mechanics, traits, and abilities reminiscent of those found in other strategy games.
Addressing player concerns regarding micromanagement, the previous crafting queue has been entirely replaced with a new ‘priority and quota’ system. Players can now specify desired stockpile levels and their importance, allowing the game to manage production efficiently. This system offers flexibility, enabling players to set precise targets or opt for unlimited production while maintaining control over job states.
Moreover, Ara 2.0 enhances the intelligence and personality of AI-controlled opponents, enriching the strategic experience. Map generation has been improved to feature more realistic clustering of natural resources, alongside additional rules that better simulate historical trade and competition. The game engine has also undergone significant optimization, resulting in faster turn times and reduced CPU demands, while the user interface has been refreshed to accommodate various display types.
The Ara: History Untold 2.0 update, Revolutions, is now available. For a detailed overview of all additions and modifications, players can refer to the comprehensive changelog provided by Oxide Games.
As the gaming community anticipates whether this overhaul will secure Ara’s position among the top contenders in the strategy genre, players are encouraged to share their experiences and thoughts on the changes in the PCGamesN community Discord server.
