Highlights

  • Ara: History Untold introduces a unique approach to leader selection, including scientists, philosophers, and artists alongside traditional figures.
  • Each leader in Ara has their own unique ability, providing players with strategic advantages and tactical niches.
  • The trait system in Ara allows for deeper gameplay, with leaders having distinct traits that greatly impact their gameplay style.

Ara: History Untold is set to make its entrance to the 4X genre, and its leaders already stand apart from Civilization's in a notable way. While Ara: History Untold is certain to continue unfolding in the months leading up to its release, prospective players have already gotten a decent look at what they can expect from the game. One of the biggest reveals so far regarding the game has involved the selection of leaders that will be available to the players. In this sense, Ara: History Untold can provide something that the Civilization series has yet to do.

It will be months until Ara: History Untold comes to Xbox Game Pass, but previews of the game look hopeful. With almost 8 years having passed since the release of Civilization 6, Ara: History Untold looks like it fills a void in the market. Much like its competitors, it will put players in the role of a leader attempting to build a civilization from a small village to a proud empire. In the end, victory will come down to building a civilization that can shine the brightest. While this is ultimately up to the player, their chosen leader will have their own effects on the game.

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Ara: History Untold's Leaders Explore Some New Territory

Sappho at the leader select screen of Ara: History Untold

Ara: History Untold's Leaders Should Play a Familiar Role

Similar to the thought that goes into choosing a leader in Civilization 6, the player's leader in Ara: History Untold is an important decision to make. Not only do they determine the civilization that the player will lead, but they have their own traits that come into play during the game. In a move similar to Civilization, each leader has a unique leader ability that gives them an advantage that no other civilization in the game can make use of, which is sure to play into Ara's metagame. This should ensure that every leader in the game can fit into a tactical niche.

The Leaders of Ara Are Taken From Many Fields

One place where Ara: History Untold stands out is in its leader selection. While the leaders chosen for Civilization games are typically generals, politicians, and other people who held great power, Ara is taking a different approach. Ara will still include leaders such as Nefertiti and Shaka, but it will also include scientists, philosophers, and artists. Sappho was shown as a playable leader in the latest trailer, and art was also shown for leaders such as Confucius and Nicolas Copernicus. Ara: History Untold's choice of leaders plays well into its alternate Earth setting, and should give the game more flavor overall.

Ara's Leaders Have Additional Quirks That Affect Their Strategy

Leader abilities aren't the only traits that Ara: History Untold's leaders have. While there is a pattern in how certain Civilization leaders aim for specific victories, Ara's leaders have a set of traits that greatly affect their gameplay style. Since Ara's leaders come from a wide variety of backgrounds, this should play even deeper into the game's premise. The trait system also has a strong likelihood of featuring many traits that overlap between leaders. This would create a dynamic that doesn't exist in the Civilization games, which have leaders with similar aims, but none who actually share the same abilities or bonuses in-game.

Ara: History Untold looks ambitious, and its leaders are one reason to be enthusiastic about the game. Since it seems that Ara will arrive before Civilization 7 releases, it could be the standard-bearer for a new generation of 4X games. While playing a real-world leader is nothing new, Ara is using sources that Civilization has yet to reach into, and it's making the game look like an interesting new direction for the genre. Ara: History Untold's leaders may be one of its most interesting features going forward.