Aragami

Aragami is a stealth game that gives you an opportunity to develop and flex your ninja skills. You can get Aragami for your Windows, Mac OS, or Linux computer from Steam.

Graphics 5/5

Stealth games don’t necessarily have to boast impressive graphics, but it always improves the overall impression if they do. In case of Aragami, the visuals are beautiful and playing the game almost feels like unfolding an exquisite painting. The one aspect of the graphics that obviously got a lot of attention is the environment. It was inspired by feudal Japan, and exploring them is pure joy.

Gameplay 5/5 

You’ll really have to do your best to beat the 13 levels available in Aragami. This may not sound like a lot, but the game will mercilessly send you back to the previous checkpoint once you are discovered. This means that there’s a price to pay for every mistake, and some levels are pretty tough to beat. Some players may find the inability to attack and take out the guards who discover them discouraging, and that’s understandable. However, if you’re a true fan of the stealth genre, you’ll enjoy not having the option of simply taking action and killing those who were alarmed by your lack of stealth.

There are many abilities you can learn that will help you silence the guards before they get a chance to see you. Choosing the abilities that complement your playing style really helps you carve a unique experience and enjoy the game even more. Interestingly, you can also choose to complete the game using just one or two abilities, but what’s the fun in doing that when you have a bunch of cool ninja tricks to learn and use?

Controls 5/5

The controls in Aragami are actually a lot more precise than you may expect. You’ll be able to land wherever you intended to and perfectly execute your moves without wonky controls getting in the way. There’s a small bug which can occasionally make camera angles uncooperative, causing you to misjudge the direction of your movements, but those experiences are going to be infrequent and won’t spoil your overall impression of the game.

Replay Value 4/5

The game can award you up to three medals after you complete each level. Two of the medals present challenges that are polar opposites of one another, requiring you to either take out every guard on the level or leave everyone unharmed and only rely on stealth. Obviously, you’ll have to replay the levels at least once to get both medals, so there’s a certain amount of purposeful replayability baked into the game structure.

The Bottom Line

Fans of the stealth genre are undoubtedly going to love Aragami. If you don’t consider yourself one of them, you’re probably still going to enjoy this beautiful game, and it might even persuade you to explore other stealth titles.

• Graphics 5
• Gameplay 5
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 4

Pros

Great visuals;
Precise controls;
Challenging, but fun to play.

Cons

Occasional camera angle bug.