Aragami Reviews
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.”
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 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 an ambitious stealth game that occasionally brushes shoulders with greatness. A poor frame rate and sub-par enemy AI really hampers the experience, but stalking from the shadows remains fun throughout. Hopefully some patches will make this fulfill more of its potential, but until then players will have to settle for a heavily flawed, yet entertaining experience.
A polished and at times enjoyable stealth adventure, let down by uninspired level design and basic AI.
Aragami has an interesting style and has truly captured the essence of the stealth genre. However, it has too many elements that hold it back from being a great game.
You can see the passion and care put into Aragami from a mile away. Everything about the game shows a love for the stealth genre and the games that made the genre so great. Unfortunately, it isn’t until you get up close and start to play the game that you also see all the cracks. Aragami has a lot going for it, but it also has a lot going against it, and those issues keep a good game from being a great game.
It’s not Tenchu, but it’s the next best thing.
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.
An interesting puzzle game with powerful abilities, and good level design. Though those abilities are quite overpowered for the tasks required for the game and trivialize the experience.
Aragami is definitely recommended to anyone looking for a game that has a sense of style and stealth to it that are hard to come by these days.
The shadows are alive. Be the embodiment of vengeance. Beware the light.
Aragami is a satisfactory stealth game. It's not exceptional, but it has its high points. The shadow-dancing teleport mechanic is the centerpiece of the game, and it is at its best when you have large, open areas to sneak through. It's at its worst when cheap deaths or unenjoyable boss fights dominate the experience. It's a fun budget stealth game that will probably tickle the fancy of anyone who's looking for one. It might not break new ground, but sometimes, it's just fun to be a ninja, and Aragami deliveries that in spades.
Aragami is a fantastic display of being a ninja, with throwbacks to the gameplay mechanics of the Tenchu series. Incorporating the Shadow abilities that enable Aragami to teleport to a shadow, while also having the power to create his own shadows, makes this a fresh experience in the arts of stealth-combat. With thirteen open-world stages to traverse, this game is a time-sink in terms of longevity, with hidden scrolls that open up new pathways to advanced abilities. With an interesting art style that contrasts the ninja with everyone else, this is a story of two opposing sides of “Dark vs Light,” with the dark taking centre stage in terms of gameplay. Though it is light in the combat side of things, those looking for a pure stealth-based ninja game will find plenty here to enjoy and salivate over.
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.
Until From makes a proper Tenchu game, Aragami will fill your ninja needs!
Despite the occasional dips in performance — be it visually or aurally — and the rather unavoidable slip-ups with its 3D animation not quite flowing as majestically, Aragami‘s methodical and gracious pacing offers an interesting tale on stealth based on more than just the merits of its unique shadow-manipulation mechanics.
„Nightfall” did great in terms of giving us more of the same great Aragami, but that also includes its technical issues.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The patient, cunning mindset Aragami puts you in with its strictly stealth gameplay is something we long for with more titles. With simple yet smart level design and mechanics, it proves to be a focused title with heart and soul that has learned much from its old masters. But the game does lack polish in its performance and appearance, and the AI can be irritating at times. Fortunately, the release's story, visuals, and sound design ultimately help lift it out of the darkness.
Aragami is long and quite fun, but suffers few bugs and glitches here and there. Even though the gameplay is kind of repetitive on the long run, the game is challenging and the story can keep you going forward anyway.
Review in Italian | Read full review