Unveiling the Future of Strategy: Microsoft's Ara: History Untold Challenges Civilization's Throne

Another contender for the historical turn-based strategy game throne is approaching: Microsoft is about to release Ara: History Untold. Described as a strategy game ‘with a twist’, Ara: History Untold promises to bring changes to the genre, improve the experience and include gameplay options beyond single-player. If you’re curious about this upcoming title, we’re here to explain why, on 24 September 2024, you might want to consider giving Ara: History Untold a try.

Microsoft Ushers in a New Age with Ara: History Untold

Despite this billing and the considerable appeal of its concept, you’d be forgiven for not having heard of Ara: History Untold. Announced back in 2019, Ara was notably absentees from this year’s digital equivalent of E3, or at least Microsoft’s not-E3. It’s one of the highlights of their summer of gaming – but is as yet largely overlooked. Coming to Steam and Xbox Game Pass PC this summer, Microsoft is positioning Ara as a serious challenger in this year’s strategic games race.

A Fresh Take on Civilization Building

At its heart, Ara resembles Civilization, as it lets players take societies from the dawn of civilisation through to the modern era by building cities, developing technologies and waging war or making peace with their neighbours. But Microsoft and Oxide Games are not satisfied just playing along.

Innovations Setting Ara Apart

Its biggest draws, however, are new innovations in game AI, a richly detailed and organic crafting economy, and a non-linear tech tree that allows for deeply unconventional paths to empire. Zooming into individual citizens creates a sense of scale and power not before possible in strategy gaming. If these innovations stick, Microsoft will greatly change the face of strategy gaming.

Microsoft Reveals New Multiplayer Gameplay for Ara

Perhaps one of the most intriguing details that Microsoft shared about Ara is its approach to multiplayer. With Ara, Microsoft marries the best of a number of different genres: both play-by-mail board games and live multiplayer video games, yet with a twilight zone of its own, a game world that remains persistent, living, and evolving in the cloud, whether you are logged in or not. Microsoft’s implementation of simultaneous multiplayer rounds creates a new bar for strategy games.

Asynchronous Play and AI Integration

Even just allowing players to log in at any time to play their turns and then log out again, as Microsoft foresaw with asynchronous play in MWOL, was a thoughtful concession to players’ haphazard schedules. But the availability of a ‘play-by-email’ AI option also ensures that games keep going and come to a natural end, if a player wants to give up.

Will Ara: History Untold Claim the Strategy Game Crown?

Civilization VII is still quite a way off, but Microsoft might be wise to put as much effort as it can into Ara’s novel gameplay features and multiplayer experience. Without that, it could vanish, unnoticed, beneath the wake of Sid Meier’s ongoing series. September 2024 might be quite a time to be a strategy gamer.

The MICROSOFT Advantage

With Microsoft’s backing of the project came technical skill and a keen knowledge of what gamers want. The use of cloud technology for a changing, evolving multiplayer environment puts Ara head and shoulders above similarly designed games. With its release on both Steam as well as Xbox Game Pass for PC, players will have a battleground for strategy addicts to check out – and obsess over.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is a global leader of innovation and technology, and it’s setting new entertainment standards through its gaming division, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in video games for players worldwide. Xbox Game Studios is on a journey to create new worlds, characters and tales that stay with players forever. Ara: History Untold will soon be the latest addition to Microsoft’s growing portfolio of games, offering an unparalleled strategy experience.

All in all, Ara: History Untourns much more than just a new strategy game. Using the ideas of old with new elements and features, Ara fits perfectly into Microsoft’s vision of the future of the genre. With this classic title, Microsoft studios are looking to create a new wave of fans who will invade the strategy scene and change for good the way we play games. Strategy fans, get ready: Ara: History Untold is coming in 20XX, only from Microsoft.