Ara: Story Untold was originally announced at last year’s notE3 Xbox Games Showcase, but the game has been missing in action since then. Until now, that is. During tonight’s Gamescom announceathon show, Microsoft released the first in-game trailer for Oxide Games’ turn-based grand strategy game, which spans, checks notes, ah yes, the whole of human history. Here it is:
That small clip was certainly giving me very big Civilization vibes, mainly because you need to build up your own, ahem, civilisation, starting from humble tribes and evolving into societies that have the potential to do terrible, terrible things like initiate wars, colonise peaceful lands and create unwalkable cities. Or you could try to rewrite history to your own liking. All up to you. There’s even a shot of the Eiffel Tower standing next to the Pyramids in Egypt if you’re feeling particularly rebellious.
You can also choose from several notable historical figures, which makes me wonder how the early-human history stuff plays out. The Steam page mentions the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, Greek poet Sappho and US founding father George Washington. It also gets slightly gets into the turn-based strategy’s nitty-gritty:
Every turn each nation’s actions and choices resolve simultaneously, leading to suspense, anticipation, unique outcomes, and surprising twists on the classic turn-based formula. The fate of your people will be determined by your decisions and your ability to predict your opponent’s next move, putting your skill as a leader to the ultimate test.
Ara: History Untold comes from developer Oxide Games, who were previously responsible for the RTS Ashes Of The Singularity. Brendy (RPS in peace) found it “gorgeous, but plain,” in his review. But the studio’s founders were former Firaxis (XCOM and Civilization) developers, so maybe their grand strategy pivot will find more success.
Ara: History Untold now has a nebulous 2024 release window and will launch on PC Game Pass day one.
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