Aragami Reviews
Aragami is an experience that I found mostly enjoyable with its gameplay quirks, and almost nailed it fully. Its biggest deterrent is the performance on PS4, which just isn’t good. There are times it runs decent, but throughout the various chapters there are problems that continue to crop up, which pulled me out of the experience. Platforming and stealth via shadow warping is fantastic, and doing a complete level in stealth is as rewarding as it’s been in other games. Aragami just needed to run smoother and the experience would have been one stealth fans shouldn’t miss. As it remains, it’s one that needs some serious consideration with its major flaw.
Aragami sticks to its stealth roots and has earned a place with some of the greatest stealth games of all time. With a campaign that lasts over 10 hours, Aragami is already well worth a purchase. Lince Works also added a 2-player online co-op, letting you and a friend play through the entire game together. There are the occasional rough animations, and the frame rate drops a tiny bit in spots, but Aragami is a lot of fun and worth multiple playthroughs, especially if you take advantage of playing with a second player.
Aragami combines the tried-and-true concept of stealth, makes it its focus, and delivers. With beautiful presentation and unique, concentrated gameplay, Aragami sets a new standard for indies. Despite minor flaws in the AI and performance, Aragami is an experience not to be missed.
Get into the flow and there are moments of pleasure to be found. Nipping from shadow to shadow, flinging a shadow blade at a distant foe, evading attention, and reaching a goal, occasionally feels neat. But these moments tend to come as a run of luck, that doesn’t involve bumping into any of the game’s issues.
The shadows are alive. Be the embodiment of vengeance. Beware the light.
Though technically flawed and lacking in additional modes, Aragami still gives a great account of itself as a stealth adventure that infuses inspiration into its creative DNA from genre efforts old and new alike. This is one stealth adventure that deserves more than to be consigned to the shadows.
Altogether, its daft enemy AI and some wonky camera controls can’t bring down this phenomenal stealth experience. Aragami is pure eye candy with its feudal Japan-inspired visual style, which perfectly complements its unique and engaging shadow concept.
Aragami takes stealth games back into the shadows where they belong. That said, even diehard fans who wear pacifist-only runs like a badge of honor will find it brutally challenging. Those who prefer their get-out-of-jail-free cards come with an extra ammo clip might want to steer clear.
Aragami dürfte gerade Oldschool Tenchu Fans überzeugen können und liefert nette Gameplay Ergänzungen, die bisher eher nur in Spielen wie Dishonored zum Einsatz gekommen sind. Wer sich mit etwas simpler Gegner KI und technischen Problemen abfinden kann, wird hier auf jeden Fall seinen Spaß haben.
Review in German | Read full review
Aragami is a solid, interesting game that suffers from some rough performance issues on PS4. Still, it you enjoy stealth and can overlook performance issues, this game is for you.
Aragami‘s gameplay and story is polished simplicity at its finest.
If you’re a stealth fan, I strongly recommend this one. Even if you’re just a casual gamer, there’s lots of goodness to be found in Aragami. Stylish and challenging, Aragami certainly brings enough to the table to win over gamers of all kinds.
The Last of Us took a boring idea and made everything about it sublime; Aragami takes a lot of good ideas and neglects to make any of them great. Even the story feels uninterested in itself: the cutscenes are mostly under 10 seconds, and the characters habitually preface expository statements with phrases like “By the way” and “In case you were wondering.”
Until From makes a proper Tenchu game, Aragami will fill your ninja needs!
A polished and at times enjoyable stealth adventure, let down by uninspired level design and basic AI.
Aragami might have its foibles, but this purist take on stealthy puzzlers is a shadowy delight in places. Despite the patchy execution, the great ideas on show here suggest that Lince Works are definitely a studio to watch for the future.
For its flaws Aragami is my kind of stealth game, and I had a good time with it. After spending a bit more time studying Japanese literature, and perhaps a couple of field trips to Japanese castles, graveyards and shrines to really understand how Japanese storytelling should look and feel, I really think an Aragami 2 could be something special.
Aragami is still a decent game to play. It requires patience, scheming and strategy to get past the 10-12 hours of gameplay and its story. It has great potential for crafting a fine game, especially for the Tenchu fans.
Aragami’s well designed levels and fast-paced stealth are a good core, but the game’s list of drawbacks hold it down. Fans of the stealth genre probably won’t regret the purchase, as the game is entertaining and offers rewards for both the pacifistic and merciless play styles as well as an ample amount of collectibles hidden throughout each stage, but players should come in expecting an average-at-best experience that may be marred by technical hiccups and annoying glitches.
For those wanting a game where stealth is the focal point, and not a subclass you choose, Aragami is most definitely for you.