The same goes for visual and audio design. The narrative is significantly lacking in the middle portions that bring the story to a crawl, and it isn’t until the end that new map layouts, enemy types, and mission objectives are introduced. However, you begin to naturally slug through the levels as you perfect navigating their layout after a while. The scale of each map paired with this mechanic made them feel like a playground I was swinging across. One of the benefits of level design is the feature where you can leap to cliffs, ledges, windows, and rooftops. You revisit the same maps upwards of seven to eight times as you cycle through the same loop of objectives: rescue or kidnap someone, fetch some items, or kill some enemies.
Sadly a few more limited design choices make their way into this new adventure, including a long, drawn-out campaign bloated with fluff in the middle hours that don’t push the narrative any which way. Customization comes in different color dyes for armor unlocked through gameplay, with hidden blueprints containing rarer colors. Further, levels have money bags scattered about that provide the funds needed to purchase items or cosmetic armor.
Each mission is ranked by a letter for performance, with S being the highest achievable tier, so there’s reason to replay stages outside of collectibles.Ĭompleting missions earn experience points that can be exchanged for abilities in a skill tree. Instead of story-guided missions, it introduces a central hub known as Kakurega Village, where you can select missions via a map, talk to NPCs, unlock abilities, and purchase items. In addition, the protagonist’s signature cape from the first game is replaced with a stamina bar, and the level design is more extensive, offering free-roaming exploration to explore and find hidden collectibles and blueprints.Īragami 2 is a fairly linear game. Though both games are challenging, Aragami 2 allows for a welcome addition of head-on combat. There are a few notable differences found in Aragami 2 when compared to its predecessor.