Civilization 7 is caught between two warring sensibilities. Since 1991, it's been a historical 4X game, and players naturally expect that it not only honors but attempts to capture and recreate real events – or at least the essence of certain periods. It's also Civilization 7. Firaxis has nailed the formula, but after 34 years, I'd imagine even the most cast-iron fans are ready for a major reinvention. This, surely, is why we have the controversial Ages system, which slashes micromanagement and allows for a more playful mixing of leaders, abilities, and civs. But given the response to Civilization 7 so far, it's perhaps an overcorrection. Enter Ara History Untold. With a new DLC on the way, it could be the 4X game to balance historical accuracy with more inventive, fantastical alternative modes.
At its core, 4X games. You are not, for example, tacitly forced to follow a single victory path. In Civilization and some of its nearest rivals, unless you throw everything behind science, religion, culture, war, or the economy all the way through your game, you're likely to be outstripped by a competing leader. In Ara, no matter what you achieve, it all gets added to an overall prestige score. If you're traditionally a peaceful, industrial nation, even if you choose to start a years-long war, it can still count towards your eventual win.
On the contrary, building and construction in Ara is granular, and highly customizable. Rather than automate industries, you can specifically choose which goods to produce using which materials, and using the game's crafting system to personally create what you believe will most benefit your civilization. There's openness and freedom, but you still have to pay attention to detail.
The production of Ara's post-launch material has strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire. The first major DLC is now on its way, and it could be the ideal blend of historicism and malleability that Civ 7 has so far been missing.
Untold Scenarios introduces new challenge maps and games for Ara. There are two kinds. The Hypothetical scenarios are designed to explore radical, invented, alternative histories – if you like Civ 7's remixed Ages, these feel true to their more imaginative energy. But you also get Historical scenarios, detailed recreations of significant epochs and eras such as the collapse of the Bronze Age. If you want a strategy game that feels rooted in our actual past, these could be more your speed.
Ara History Untold's new DLC will be released on Wednesday June 18 and will cost $9.99. You can get the base game over on Steam, but it's also available via a subscription to PC Game .
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