Hello everyone! Today we’re so excited to announce that Aragami 2 is arriving to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on September 17. To mark the occasion, we’re also excited to shed some details on how Aragami 2’s three-player co-op evolves the ninja clan experience, along with some development insights.
We also proudly present a first look at its gameplay with a new trailer featuring a cinematic, in-engine look in which you’ll see how this sequel is taking the Aragami series to loftier heights. Check out the enhanced stealth mechanics and an all-new combat system where every move must be calculated.
Since Aragami 2 is a stealth game, we challenged ourselves to create a combat system with supernatural ninja skills, which also encourages stealth over brute force. We thought the best way to achieve this was to give our characters agile and skillful movement, which empowers subterfuge and stealth assault instead of a lot of strength. It also strengthens the exciting feeling of overcoming overwhelming odds.
We based the combat on fast character movement, explosive dodges, and lightning-fast combo attacks. At the same time, we discouraged blocking, since we want to keep action fast-paced and convey that our character uses his agility and reflexes over strength. Instead, we favored parries, since they are more dynamic and technical in their application.
But how does this work with a three-player co-op system?
Let’s start by looking back at the previous game we released – Aragami. The two-player co-op feature worked very well in Aragami: players loved beating the campaign alongside a friend and planning different strategies to complete the missions. We were overwhelmed by the impressive amount of players sharing their walkthroughs and also seeing them establishing their own identity combining different character skins and dyes.
Given the positive reception, it was very clear that the co-op would be one of the main pillars for the development of Aragami 2 from the very beginning, but deciding for a three player co-op instead of two or four, was more an iteration process than a pre-reasoned decision. Narratively, we had to create a sensation of a clan and not to center on a lonely ninja, and the option of a two-pl