Pack your katanas, kunais and throwing stars, because it’s the ninja’s turn to get the spotlight. “Aragami 2” is the latest sequel to the original: “Aragami.” The story itself is about Aragami, shadow spirits brought into existence for vengeance as assassins. The game itself is a three hit wonder, as the first game has its own DLC: “Nightfall.” The main gimmicks of the game are stealth and assassination, as the player silently murders hordes of enemies under the light of the moon.

     This three part story begins with the original game, “Aragami: Shadow Edition,” released on Oct. 4 2016. This game takes place in the shadow-aligned country of Nisshoku, which was once ruled by entities known as “The Shadow Empress'' and “The Shadow Empire.” The player takes on the role of Aragami, a supernatural assassin, who is conjured into existence by the astral projection of Yamiko, a girl supposedly kidnapped by the Kaiho, an army of light wielders and adepts. The player’s job in the game was simple: find seven talismans and release Yamiko from her prison, but throughout the game, it has been hinted that Yamiko may be more than what she lets on to be.

     The game will then take the player through 13 whole chapters of beautifully woven story-telling, exquisite eye-catching graphics, and silky smooth dialogue. In the thirteenth and final chapter, the player’s skills, wits, and utter dependence on the shadows will be put to the test as they go against the final boss: The Shadow Empress.

     The story-telling is an absolute masterpiece. Throughout the game, the player will be shown a flashback from Aragami’s past, depicting him being a human. The flashbacks will also show the player Yamiko’s backstory as well, depicting her as an old member of the shadow empire. The reason why these flashbacks are appearing is because Aragami and Yamiko’s souls were connected during the ritual to summon Aragami.

     Throughout the game, the player will retrieve multiple objects that will help them in multiple situations, such as a Raven that spots objectives through the game’s map, and a pair of bells that attract enemies when rung.

     The game also runs on a singular game mechanic: shadow essence. Shadow Essence is Aragami's ammunition for all of their techniques and abilities, such as the ability to turn invisible or hide corpses in the shadows. Shadow essence is monitored on Aragami’s cape and can be used multiple times, but it has a limit. Players can get shadow essence while out in the open moonlight, but it takes longer, so it is recommended by the game to wait in shadows to speed up the process. Being in the rays of intense light, such as lanterns however, drains it completely.

     Aragami: Shadow Edition also includes “Nightfall,” Aragami’s first DLC. Instead of the player taking the role of Aragami, the game puts the player into the role of Hyo, Yamiko’s mentor from the mountains, who went on a mission to release Yamiko from her prison himself. The DLC provides the player with a whole new level of challenge and more complex scenarios than the last game, making every encounter the player has more and more difficult as the game progresses.

     The last and newly released game, Aragami 2, will have a brand new plot revolving around the aragami.The game will be released around Sept. 17, 2021, going in at around $39.99. The game will separate from the original by one component: three-person multiplayer, on the account that the first game had two person multiplayer.