The maps themselves also feel far more open and sandboxy as a result. It’s not an obstacle in your way, not a place with a history to it, you’re just here to do a job and go home. I imagine the change to missions was done to have a clear hub area for players to prepare for a mission together at, but it also changes the feel of the maps themselves: You’re not traveling from place to place, you’re warping in and then just warping out when done. And lastly the player character just… isn’t a character. XP is earned by doing well in missions and earns new skills, and gold has a flat amount per mission with more hidden around the map and is used primarily for cosmetics with consumables and augments available. Each map has a number of missions that can take place in it, locking off areas and changing items around accordingly. Rather than journeying across the land from level to level, you’re teleporting out from a hub, doing your mission, and teleporting back. Sadly I didn’t actually get to experience the multiplayer as it hadn’t been implemented yet, but I did get to experience the changes surrounding it. If anything I found myself more on the lookout for tall grass so I could hide bodies… I suppose I’m more of a grass essence user here.Īnother major change is the addition of multiplayer, and the impact it has on other systems within the game. While you’re still portrayed as a user of “shadow essence” for your otherworldly powers, they work just fine outside of them. The shadows are also taking a bit more of a back seat. There’s far less pressure to avoid detection when the penalty is a brief annoyance. It’s honestly how I would have added a combat system perfect blocks are always fun to pull off, but I can’t help but feel that it changes the feel of the game considerably. Far from being a one-hit stealthy wonder, there is now a dedicated combat system emphasizing parries to lower an opponent’s stamina and get past their guard.

Very early on, Aragami 2 shows itself as a very different sort of game. Avoiding detection at all costs was a necessity because any fight would likely spell your doom, and entering the light not only meant an easier time being detected but also the loss of your abilities. You were a creature born of shadow, with stealthy powers utilizing the shadows, and the light your enemies wielded was fatal to you.

What were the things you did or didn’t do that lead to its success? Where did you fall short, and what didn’t work? I had the chance to sit down with a preview Aragami 2, the sequel to 2016’s stealth action title Aragami, and see how they answered all these questions.įor those who don’t know, Aragami was a stealth action game with an emphasis on shadows. Sometimes it’s worth looking back at what you’re proud of and analyzing what made it work.

Aragami 2 hidden items