i’m a fan of stealth games. what’s not to love? thinking man’s gameplay. strategized approaches. increased replayability. so a GD regular recommends this indie game aragami. it’s a japanese stealth game. it’s only £15 on amazon (PS4) and i figure what the hell it’s worth a punt at that price.

i won’t bother giving away much about the story or other stuff you can discover yourself. the basic premise is you’re summoned to rescue this girl whose ghost like presence guides you throughout the game.

you’re a warrior from the dark. in this game the warriors who control light are evil and the dark side are good. it’s Star Wars in reverse. Rats Sraw.

you play in these moonlit, pastel coloured, hand-drawn environments. there’s some subtle and evocative accompanying music. it’s very charming audio / visually. but technically it’s in need of a patch. there’s some noticeable framerate drops. but it rarely if ever affects gameplay, so no biggie, really.

the gameplay starts out super simplistic. you’re from the dark side so shadows are your friend. you start with a single power, think blink from dishonoured, but with the caveat you can only blink between shadows. step into bright light and your ability to blink dissipates quickly.

enemies patrol the grounds. you dart around the shadows and try to kill them. but be careful because a SINGLE hit from their light weapons will kill you. and you can’t move their bodies if you drop them. or choose to KO not kill them. or see through walls (like dark vision from dishonored or sonar goggles from sc). or tag enemies on the map. and enemies killed outside of shadows naturally draw the attention of other patrolling enemies. so you need to be aware of all your enemies’ positions and the chance of discovery and be able to react quickly otherwise the alarm will sound and they’ll all start to actively hunt you. which is the last thing a light-shy ninja-type with limited skills who dies after one hit wants.

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but never fear there’s hidden scriptures dotted around the levels which give you skill points. and points mercifully mean prizes. or more specifically, new skills. the first skill to acquire is one where YOU cast shadows – like puddles of blackness – and can blink to them and onto the next, dancing like a deadly ballerina around your enemies. and as your mobility increases so too do the possible ways of taking out enemies. the next points lets you, amongst other things, tag enemies or make noises to attract their attention or cast a spell to make dead bodies disappear.

and every time you upgrade, the stealth paths and possibilities grow exponentially. the pacing of skill acquisition is really well done – things you get for free in other stealth games have to be earned, a lot of the clutter such as having to worry about health levels are side stepped - and the level designs increase appropriately in complexity, relative to your skill acquisition. suddenly, what at first appeared limited and restrictive, feels cunningly designed and cleverly timed. and alternative mechanics from other stealth games, like having to shift bodies in games like mankind divided feel cumbersome in comparison. you evolve into an ever more increasingly capable ninja, but enemies grow in capabilities too so the balance never shifts too accommodatingly to you. cockiness will get you killed. vigilance is rewarded.

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anyway, enough compliments. i've yet to finish the game – and from what I believe it’s not the longest, and it’s not without its faults or inconsistencies. but from what i’ve played so far and for the price, fans of the stealth genre looking for something to tide them over until dishonored 2 drops in a couple of weeks, or even as a counterpart to it, can do a lot worse. my advice – pounce on it