No one has rated this review as helpful yet
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 17.8 hrs on record (9.4 hrs at review time)
Posted: 7 Oct, 2016 @ 9:23am
Updated: 1 Nov, 2020 @ 7:19am

Let's start with the cons first.
-The performance isn't good. The common consensus seems to be that this is to blame on the Unity engine, which is apparently a resource hog. If that is really the case, I hope the upcoming Aragami 2 is going to run on another engine that allows for the game to run better.
-Some few and far-between sections are very trial-and-error based. The game's final boss was especially egregious.
-The third enhancement for your spotting Raven, Kurosu, turns finding scrolls into an additional errand that you're running. I would recommend unlocking this as the very last skill as otherwise you never feel rewarded for finding a scroll. I robbed myself from a ton of fun by playing the entire game chasing scrolls above everything else the first time around.
-You can't jump. Aragami is a ghost ninja that can teleport, but can't climb over a ledge. I know it's deliberate, but still... eh.

So, what did I like about the game? Everything else.
-The general gameplay is incredibly fast and fluid despite restricting movement through the game's stealth mechanics. Aragami relies heavily on a "teleport between shadows" mechanic, which has been fleshed out enough to never feel restrictive, and apparently it and the level design have been playtested extensively, as I never once managed to reach an out-of-bounds area despite trying. Executes on button press instead of a full-fledged combat system as well as one-hit deaths upon detection (albeit with a chance to escape the slow moving "light wave" attacks of enemies) are a great fit for a purely stealth-focused game as well.
-The Leveldesign is awesome in that it lets you choose your own order of objective completion and it never feels like there is "one right path", which is the case in many other modern stealth games, e.g. Deus Ex HR and MD, and Splinter Cell Blacklist.
-The soundtrack is sexual intercourse for your ears. TwoFeathers have done an excellent job at creating a perfect thematic soundtrack for Aragami, and the DLC was worth every penny.
-The game rewards you for every playstyle and it incentivizes multiple playthroughs with collectible scrolls which contain skill points and text bits about the game lore, and unlockable costumes.

And then there's subjective stuff. I felt like the cel shading graphics thematically fit the game very well and in general in my opinion the entire game is, while maybe not technically, then definitely artistically stunningly beautiful. I also enjoyed the story, even though the major plottwist right before you face the final boss was a bit cheesy.

I absolutely adore Aragami. It is by far the best stealth game that I have played in an eternity. This game made me cry because I didn't want it to end. I think that's the highest honor I can give it.
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