Alright, buckle up, because Microsoft’s Ara: History Untold is stepping up its game, and it’s bringing some serious heat to the 4X scene. Picture this: you’re deep in a strategy sesh, and now you’ve got nukes on the table. Yep, Oxide Games just dropped a teaser about their upcoming Diplomacy Update, and it’s got me buzzing. This isn’t just about flexing on Firaxis’ Civilization series anymore—Ara is swinging for the fences, adding atomic firepower and some much-needed diplomatic depth to its arsenal.
When Ara: History Untold hit last September, I’ll be real—it felt like a solid beta test. The city-building? Super cool, with that modular vibe letting you craft sprawling empires your way. But then you’d zoom in, and ugh, the micromanagement hit like a truck. And don’t get me started on the diplomacy—or lack thereof. It was shallower than a kiddie pool, and the absence of nukes? Criminal for a game trying to slug it out with Civ. I remember firing it up, excited to dominate, only to realize I couldn’t even threaten my rivals with a proper mushroom cloud. Disappointing, right?
Well, Oxide’s finally fixing that with Patch 1.3. The Diplomacy Update—hitting “soon,” whatever that means—is packing new toys. You’re getting nuclear weapons, obviously, and the screenshots of that “Nuclear ICBM technology” in action? Chef’s kiss. That explosion’s so gorgeous I almost forgot I’d be vaporizing someone’s capital. Details are light—Oxide’s just like, “Yeah, you can unlock nukes and some defenses,” which is vague as hell—but I’m betting it’ll tie into late-game tech trees. Classic 4X move.
But here’s the kicker: they’re not just handing you the big red button and calling it a day. The update’s beefing up diplomacy too. Think bribery, tribute demands, military aid—stuff to grease the wheels before you go full Dr. Strangelove. There’s even a “diplomatic history tracking” feature, so you can scroll back and see why that AI jerk hates you after 200 turns. New events are in the mix too, nudging the AI’s war prep, which might mean smarter foes—or at least ones that don’t randomly peace out mid-invasion. Full patch notes drop next week, and I’m hyped to see how it all clicks together.
Honestly, Ara had a rough start—Steam’s “Mixed” rating doesn’t lie. But lately? The vibes are shifting. Recent reviews are glowing, especially from folks burned by Civilization 7’s lighter take on the genre. I’ve been there—loading up Civ 7, expecting that old-school depth, and feeling like I got a strategy lite instead. Ara could’ve been the beefy alternative if it’d launched later, riding that wave of discontent like Cities: Skylines did back in the day against SimCity. Timing’s a beast, though—releasing before Civ 7 might’ve dulled its edge.
Still, this update’s got me intrigued. The core of Ara was always solid—those city mechanics had me hooked despite the grind. Add nukes and some slick negotiating tools, and it’s like Oxide’s saying, “Alright, we heard you, let’s cook.” Will it dethrone Civ? Nah, probably not yet. But it’s carving out its lane, and I’m here for it. Keep an eye on this one, because Ara: History Untold might just surprise us all.
