Aragami 2,the latest game from Barcelona-based indie studio Lince Works, puts players behind the mask of a dangerous assassin known, unsurprisingly, as an Aragami. The game is a call-back to the stealth-action games of the mid-2000s (stealth being a popular mechanic in indie titles), and it leans into those roots with plenty of tall grass to hide in, ledges to hang from, and rooftops to navigate.
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Aragami2elevates this formula with a suite of powers that alter the way players can approach any situation, allowing for ridiculous maneuvers that would leave Ezio Auditore’s head spinning.Whether a player chooses to take a strictly stealthy approach or wants to charge in with their sword unsheathedlike a true samurai,Aragami 2offers some awesome and surprising ways to achieve success.
9Throw A Body In Water To Help Keep Your Pacifist Run Going
In every mission the player is presented with two options: kill no one or kill everyone. Whether dead or simply unconscious, bodies draw unwanted attention and set nearby guards on high alert. Butthere’s a foolproof way to hide the evidence that also won’t disrupt a pacifist run.
When taking down an enemy near a deep body of water,just throw the body in.Not only does this remove the chance of it ever being found, butif the disposed of enemy is still breathing it won’t count as a kill.This keeps the mission report clean and reduces the chance of player discovery.
8Use Disorient As An Escape Tactic
It can be alarming to suddenly get spotted inAragami 2, so it pays to knowthe best strategies for getting out of trouble (just as it does in similar titles likeAssassin’s Creed Valhalla).If the player can react quickly enough there’s a very handy way to interrupt a discovery before it happens.Certain skills and items can disorient enemy soldiers, and it’s most often utilized when executing a stealthy attack on unaware foes.
If used in the moments right after being spotted,these convenient tools can disrupt an enemy’s concentration and restore the player’s invisible status.Skills likeMesmerizeor tools like theInsomnia needleare perfect for this, as they are instant-use and don’t require any other environmental cues to execute.
7Use Whisper To Break Guard Formations
Every Aragami starts out with the Whisper ability, a standard call that will draw any enemy within earshot to the player’s location. While Whisper is designed to bring enemies close for easy takedowns,that’s not all it’s good for.
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Since Whisper affects all nearby enemies,it can break multiple guards from their programmed pathways, opening up new areas for exploration and leaving collectibles unguarded.This technique can even be used todraw guards into a trap, allowing the player to take multiple enemies out at once.
6Avoid Fall Damage With Timely Double Jumps
While initially not the most exciting of abilities,the double jump’s true utility is all in how it’s used.Fall damage is a very real, very serious risk inAragami 2,andit pays to avoid it whenever possible (as in other titles that feature the mechanic). That’s where the double jump comes into play.
Hit that second jump right before landing and any fall damage is wiped away,even from the loftiest of heights. Pairing this with a dash allows for easy access to seemingly out-of-reach areas, while the second jump can also be critical in lining up an aerial takedown.
5Discover Hidden Collectibles And Gain Useful Buffs From Some Of Them
Aragami 2doesn’t draw much attention to them,but almost every mission in the game sports at least one hidden collectible. While some of these are included just for the sake of collecting everything alone,a few have more pragmatic effects.
Blueprints can be found scattered around mission areas, andwhen recovered, they will unlock new gear options for purchase back in the hub town.Some are cosmetic, allowing the player tosport a unique costume (a sense of style is a must in stealth titles)on their Aragami, while others function as runes that offer stat boosts when equipped.
4Perform Death-Defying Leaps Over Water Without Fear
Aragami 2is a game that revolves around traversal, so it should come as no surprise that there will be times when the player has to cross bodies of water to complete certain objectives. Jumping into water is often a risk in video games, though, as anyone who’s playedPsychonauts 2orDeathloopcan attest.
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But there’s no need to worry about a fear of water inAragami 2. If the player does happen to land in water at any point during their journey,their character will simply teleport right back to where they jumped from.Without this fear hanging over them, players can try out more daring leaps and use theircreative stealthy builds (a laSkyrim)to develop clever approaches to objectives.
3Avoid Detection Almost Indefinitely By Taking The High Ground
In every mission, there are multiple levels for players to explore. Whether the mission takes place in a mine or a small fishing village,there are always higher elevations to explore. Many of these areas will place soldiers at various vantage points that oversee targets or objectives.
But enemies won’t look up unless prompted to do so, instead choosing to focus their attention straight ahead or down.This makes taking the high road invaluable for any stealthy approach, andAragami 2is littered with easily overlooked ledges and rooftops;a natural choice for anyAssassin’s Creedfan.
2Traverse Gaps That Should Be Impossible By Ledge Jumping
One ofthe most useful skills for setting up assassinations –again,Assassin’s Creedenthusiasts will know all about these considerations–is the ability to hang from ledges. Intense upper body strength aside,this technique can be used to hide, sneak up an enemy, or simply gain access to an otherwise inaccessible area.
What might not be readily apparent, though, is the fact that players don’t need to worry about having their feet on the ground to jump to another ledge.The Shadow Leap ability can be activated even while hanging out of a window or from the edge of a rooftop; in fact, some areas are only reachable by using this technique.
1Use Bodies As A Lure
When an enemy discovers a dead body, it can be detrimental to a player’s overall score for that particular mission. With that in mind, it might always seem prudent to hide any bodies left behind in the Aragami’s wake.Interestingly, though, bodies can also be useful tools for eliminating guards.Just be aware that the timing has to be very precise.
Bodies can be used to draw guards away from their programmed routes, isolating them from otherwise watchful allies.They can then be interrupted before reaching the body of their comrade, stopping the discovery penalty and allowing the devious Aragami to take out two enemies for the price of one.
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