Aragami 2, the sequel to LinceWorks’ excellent stealth game Aragami will be out on September 17th 2021. Yeah!
I am a huge fan of Aragami (2016). Playing as a shadow wraith that can summon awesome powers but is, at the same time, incredibly fragile and vulnerable, provides for incredibly satisfying playthroughs. With any source of light your enemy, you need to find shade to replenish your powers and to remain hidden. But finding it is not that easy and enemies are observant and quick with blade or arrow.

Knowing that a single misstep could spell disaster is what makes Aragami such a thrilling game. I like that it requires some tactical prowess to determine which guard to take out unseen or which route to plot across the map to remain unnoticed. So, usually, I play this on my own and in my own time.

Aragami also comes with the option of adding a second player and that is great fun, too, because clearing any given area will become much more easy. Plus, if one of the two players is taken out during a mission, the other can always go on and finish it by themselves.

Aragami 2 offers more cooperative gameplay

Of course, ever since LinceWorks announced the sequel, I have watched pretty much every trailer for Aragami 2. And while the new look needs some getting used to – it does look gorgeous, mind you, but I prefer the more graphic style of the first game – , the emphasis on cooperative gameplay slightly put me off. Why, you ask? Because, according to the first game’s lore, the Aragami is supposedly a vengeful spirit summoned from the void by those in need, not part of some shadow clan. f course, as it turns out, our hero is more than that.

But there is also more to Aragami 2. It is a sequel to Aragami, set 100 years into the future. That means that LinceWorks has more freedom of redefining the lore that came with the first game. It also means you can now play with up to three other players, squad-style, or complete the entire story on your own.

There is more emphasis on combat

In Aragami, a frontal assault usually means certain obliteration for our hero. Striking from the shadows therefore is key. Yet the only duel we see Ryo fight out of the shadows is the most awesome display of his skill and I admit I am very much looking forward to that.

So, in Aragami 2 the elegant finishing moves are still a go and I like that you actually can switch into combat, should your stealthy approach fail. On the other hand, the fact that discovery meant certain obliteration was what set Aragami apart from other great stealth titles such as Dishonored or Thief. I know myself and I know my playstyle. If I am flushed out of stealth I will most certainly try and fight my way out of a tough situation.

The greater challenge is the one where you do not have that option, where you have to plan ahead, have patience. Which is why I fear Aragami 2 will not be the true stealth title its predecessor was.

Nevertheless, the fact that there is an option to play this one solo is incentive enough for me to dive right back into this unique world of shadow and light. Aragami 2 is definitively on my to-buy list this year.

Until then, keep on playing!

Cheers

Vanessa