Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Developer: Cyanide
Price: $29.99
Where to buy: Steam
Stealth games have always been hit or miss for me. It usually needs to have the right kind of game play for me to play through. It seems stealth games in general have seen a resurgence in the past couple of years and there have been some good titles, and some bad ones as well. Going into this review, I knew very little about the Styx: Master of Shadows. It’s always tricky to do these reviews spoiler free, but this title especially, as the whole objective of the game is given to you in the first 5 minutes. However, I will try my best.
You are a goblin named Styx. He is two centuries old and is the very first goblin. Styx is a master of stealth, theft, and murder. Using these tools, you must sneak and fight your way through the Tower of Akenash through multiple levels. The thing about Styx is he has a very hard time remembering things about his past. Throughout the game you will uncover things that will eventually lead you to discover his origins. Each level is quite open and the objectives themselves can be completed in quite a few different ways. It was quite nice to be able to pick my own route, instead of just having one set path that most games seem to have these days. The combat of Styx: Master of Shadows is going to be something you either like, or dislike. It all depends on which way you play this game. If you tend to play pure stealth, you will not encounter combat much. However, if you like to go around and fight, the combat is very simple and in general detracts from the experience.
Yes, I am aware this is a stealth game, however there will be sometimes that you will get caught and will need to rely on combat to survive. This is where my main problem with the game lies. The combat is mapped to just a few buttons. You need to parry attacks. If you mistime the parry, you are hit and will have to wait for him to swing again. It turns into a game of waiting most of the time and after a while the charm of the fighting starts to turn into a major chore.
Graphically the game is just ok. The character model of Styx himself is very detailed, however everyone else looks very dated. The character models while not the worst I have seen, seem to remind me of Fable. The enviorments themselves are done pretty well for the most part. There are some textures that are far from eye pleasing but overall I would say acceptable.
If you are looking for good music, there is not much here for you. It is a stealth title after all. The voice acting is the real charm of this game, as it is done wonderfully. The characters all seem to have a personality and Styx himself is voiced very well. The sound effects are well done as well, as the sounds of a torch being extinguished sounds really well done. My personal favorite is when Styx will snap someones neck. I have no idea personally what that really sounds like, but I think they did a good job sending a chill up my spine each time it happened. Overall I must say that for a budget title, this is a pretty unique and interesting experience. While it does have flaws, the voice acting and story are good enough to warrant a recommendation. If you are a true stealth fan, this is going to be a must play for you, as it will give you a challenge. The game can get very difficult near the end and had me wanting to pull my hair out. I like my hair.
Recommended.
