Creep through the shadows and stalk your next victim in this wonderfully stylized stealth game produced and published by Lince Works. Aragami was originally released on steam in 2016 and now finds a new home on consoles along with previously unreleased Nightfall expansion. Over the games 13 levels, you will take control of Aragami, the spirit of a great warrior summoned by a girl in hopes that she will be able to avenge her fallen family. Aragami is not limited like his human counterparts and can manipulate shadows to his will, allowing him to traverse distances instantly via shadows.
Veterans of the stealth genre will come to adore this simplistic yet tactful take on a ninja stealth game. Aragami has a host of skills and abilities that can be unlocked by finding scrolls hidden around the levels. Skills range from a thrown spear, to summoning a shadowy demon in the shape of a dragon to devour your foes. You can also learn defensive decoy skills and the ability to spot enemies through walls, allowing you to plan and execute the perfect strategy.
While the levels are linear, there are multiple routes you can take that compliment your playstyle, including the ability to get through the entire game without killing anyone. The collectables for the most part are easy to find and there is a skill that will show you the location of missed scrolls which can help a lot if you get it early on. There are exactly enough scrolls to unlock every skill in the game so don’t let unlocking certain skills weigh too heavily on your mind.
Each level you complete will earn you a rank with S being the highest. You get medals for completing the level a certain way: Oni is granted for killing everyone in the level, Yurei medals are given for never being seen (like a true ninja assassin), and Kami is bestowed for killing no one. Collecting these medals unlocks costumes and collecting all the medals of a certain type in each level earns you an achievement or trophy as well.
This game also supports cross-platform multiplayer that allows you to take on the levels as a group of two, adding a new experience and another way to tackle the game. It can become a little buggy when playing with two players as the detection meter does not seem to fill up but rather instantly alerts nearby guards, usually getting the spotted player killed and leaving the other player to mop up the angry hornets’ nest left behind.
Verdict Overall this game is a beautifully crafted experience that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good stealth game to add to their collection.
Overall Score 9/10
Developer: Lince Works
Publisher: Lince Works
Release Date: 5th June 2018
Price: £19.99
File Size: 7.30GB
Xbox One copy provided for review purpose.
Available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 & Steam