On September 14, Game Pass announced 12 new games arriving on the service prior to October. It even announced the first new title onXbox Game Pass for October 1, but between now and then, there is plenty of things to check out ranging fromFlynn: Son of CrimsontoSubnautica: Below Zero. One game that may catch eyes as it is added to the service isAragami 2, a day one release on Game Pass when it launches on September 17.
For those unfamiliar with the game, it’s worth recapping what happened in the first Aragami, as well as what newcomers to the franchise can expect upon release onGame Passor any other platform.
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Aragami’s Story and Gameplay
In the first game, players take on the role of Aragami as an assassin with supernatural powers inan action-adventure stealth game. The player can teleport between shadows, which comes into contrast with the Kaiho army, which utilizes the power of light. To defeat the Kaiho army, Aragami is summoned by a captive known as Yamiko and tasked with finding 6 talismans to unlock her prison.
As players gather these Talismans and near the end of the game, Aragami will learn that Yamiko is the Shadow Empress, he is the spirit ofRyo, and he had led the Kaiho before to defeat the Shadow Empress’ army. Eventually, he sacrificed himself to ensure the Empress was sealed away. But, having found the 6 talismans, Aragami must again face off with The Shadow Empress. What is revealed is that he and Yamiko are basically ‘two souls in an endless cycle of vengeance.”
The story is broken down into 13 chapters of sorts, where players must go to certain areas to collect items, destroy obstacles, and reach the exit.Aragami’s gameplayis also pretty straightforward.Aragamican teleport to any shadow within a certain distance, but doing so utilizes a resource called Shadow Essence. Other shadows will charge that, while exposure to light will drain it. Otherwise, there are common enemies and bosses to fight, while new skills can be unlocked through standard gameplay mechanics. Stealth is emphasized, but not needed. With all this in mind,Aragamireceived mixed-to-average reviews
Aragami 2: Day One on Game Pass
Aragami 2takes the original premise in, sprinkles in new features, and overall builds upon the established content of the first game. Unlike the first game, though,Aragami 2sees players step into the shoes of three different Aragami, who are working to save Rashomon Valley from an invading army. And to do so,Aragami 2introduces co-opto play with friends, a stamina system to replace Shadow Essence, the ability to break guards, parry, and finish opponents.Aragami 2also doubles down on its stealth gameplay, though it’s not entirely consistent because of the AI.
While the AI doesn’t seem to be anything special, these new additions make combat more difficult but more rewarding too. Combine this with the new character customization features, and it’s clear thatAragami 2is a more-packed version of the first game. Those who enjoyed the first game but wanted more out of it may very well find they like this game, while at the same time, it sounds like those who have never played can pick it up just as easily. AsAragami 2is a day one game on Xbox Game Pass, this approach is good.
Of course, it still remains to be seen how well the game lands, where the story goes, and how much of the overall experience feels markedly better than the first game. The jury is still out, but as we wrote in ourAragami 2preview, “It’s easy to see the areas whereAragami 2stands to improve, but it’s still shaping up to be a marked improvement over the first game.
Aragami 2releases on September 17 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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