Ara: History Untold
There is no way of getting around Sid Meier's Civilization. Amplitude Studios had a promising candidate in Humankind, but it fell short. Millennia from Paradox Interactive was no match for the franchise from Firaxis Games and 2K Games. Now the next challenger for the 4X title is about to emerge: Ara: History Untold from Oxide Games and Xbox. The team, made up of former Firaxis employees, certainly brings some good ideas.
No, Ara: History Untold does not try to reinvent the 4X strategy formula. The second game from Oxide Games after the RTS Ashes of the Singularity has a different focus in the genre. The new game is more about empire building and resource management. Yes, there are military battles, but they are only a small part of the game. As the rounds progress, players build a nation, lead their people through history, explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with rivals to prove who is the greatest ruler.