Ara: History Untold – review

I really like grand strategy games. And Ara: History Untold promised me to be just that. And as someone who has spent countless hours on 4X titles and historical simulators, I was excited to see how it compared to classics like Civilization or even the complexity of Paradox titles.

Disclaimer: Xbox gave me the code for the review, thanks! But it’s unbiased.

One thing I immediately noticed was the game’s unique approach to historical eras. Moving through the High Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, the game really does deliver on its claim of being a historical simulation. The graphics, however, demand serious hardware. On a high-performance PC, the landscapes are stunning, and zooming in on your empire’s bustling cities or fields worked by citizens felt immersive. I could spend a lot of time just watching the world come to life. Yet, this beauty comes at a cost, and those with mid-range PCs might find it a bit challenging to run the game smoothly.

What really stands out in Ara is its crafting economy. The game doesn’t just lump everything into “consumer goods”—you’re actually producing things like tools, jewelry, and medicine. It adds a layer of immersion that I appreciated. It’s much more involved than simply upgrading a building and moving on. Instead, you see how each good plays a role in your empire, applying bonuses to cities or military units. I found it satisfying to craft and supply my empire, but I also noticed that it could become tedious. Managing the supply chains, which should be one of the game’s strengths, turns into a chore later in the game. You can’t easily search for new resources when they become available, and upgrading production buildings is clunky. The system is interesting but definitely needs a smoother interface, especially as your empire grows.

Speaking of growth, the combat system left me a bit underwhelmed. On paper, it seems complex with its unit formations and tactical decisions. There’s a rock-paper-scissors dynamic that’s supposed to keep things engaging. In reality, I found that most of the time, bigger numbers win, and the formation bonuses didn’t play a major role. It’s a shame because the battles are presented in a more cinematic way, which is a nice touch. Watching my armies march off or seeing them engaged in battle as more than just icons was visually appealing. But, without much tactical depth, it felt like the game was holding back on this front.

One of the biggest frustrations I had was with army management. Once you deploy units, they’re essentially set in stone. You can’t upgrade them or change their tactics unless you disband the entire army and start from scratch. This design choice feels like a major oversight and makes army maintenance more of a hassle than it should be. Historically, armies adapted and evolved, so this rigidity didn’t sit well with me.

Diplomacy, too, is a bit lacking. I spent most of my time just trying to keep the AI from declaring war on me while juggling resource management. It’s not that diplomacy is terrible, but it’s pretty basic. There’s nothing particularly innovative or deep about it, which was a bit of a letdown considering the scale of the game.

Despite its flaws, I couldn’t help but appreciate the depth in economic management. Every resource you gather and produce has multiple uses, and building chains is a challenge that feels rewarding once you get it right. It’s a game that requires patience, especially in the first few hours when the learning curve feels steep. I’ve played plenty of complex strategy games, but Ara still had me scratching my head a few times. That said, once I got the hang of it, watching my economy thrive was one of the game’s high points.