Over the past several years Xbox has gone to great effort to bring back one of its most popular PC game franchises,Age of Empires. The revival of the real-time strategy game series has apparently awoken other interests within Xbox Game Studios in other PC-focused genres, too. As part of theXbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, Xbox unveiled a new game namedAra: History Untold. Instead of a real-time strategy game,Ara: History Untoldwill instead be a turn-based grand strategy release.
If those watching the announcement trailer forAra: History Untoldconfused it for the reveal of a newCivilizationgame, they weren’t alone. The cinematic trailer forAra: History Untoldfeatured a narrator speaking over glimpses of interesting historical figures, locations, and moments. Only these glimpses weren’t entirely accurate. For example, the Great Pyramids of Egypt and the Sphinx were shown in the snow, along a river, and Benjamin Franklin’s notable kite-flying was shown overtop Stonehenge.
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It’s clear thatAra: History Untoldwon’t be respecting history exactly likeAge of EmpiresandCivilizationmight. Instead, it’ll allow players to create their own history, creating their own version of the past. That’s an alluring concept for a turn-based grand strategy game, though without gameplay it’s difficult to make any assumptions.
While theAra: History Untoldannouncement trailer does not include any gameplay, several pre-alpha screenshots were shared on the game’s new website. These screenshots showed massive, sprawling cities from multiple eras of technology, as well as an overview map with cities shown as territories each with their own respective attributes and garrisoned units. While it’s too early to make any specific assumptions, it’s clear thatAra: History Untoldis moregrand strategythanCivilization-like.
DevelopingAra: History UntoldisAshes of the Singularitystudio Oxide Games. Oxide was formed in 2013 by developers including Daniel Baker, lead graphics forCivilization 5, Marc Meyer, senior programmer forCivilization 5, Tim Kipp, 3D engine architect forCivilization 5, and Brian Wade, lead programmer for not justCivilization 5but alsoCommand & Conquer 3: Kane’s WrathandThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth 2. Suffice to say, this is a team that knows its turn-based strategy games.
Little else has been confirmed forAra: History Untoldat the moment. The title is confirmed solely for PC at the moment, though it’ll be available both via the Xbox PC storefront and through Steam. It’s also confirmed to be a day one release onPC Game Pass, naturally, though what its release date will be is unclear. Expect more information in the months to come.
