Styx: Master of Shadows
Review
Potential sleeper hit
by Johnathan Irwin
reviewed on PC
Sneaking Down The Green Mile
One piece of advice: save often. The game can be unforgiving at times, and autosaves are few and far between. If you just made it through an area full of what feels like a battalion of eager-to-kill knights, go ahead and take that brief moment to pause. Almost every zone in the game is quite large, offering several different approaches to complete your main objectives. Side objectives and collectible items called Relics can be obtained to receive a better score at the end of your mission. You'll have to use Styx's abilities and your own wits to find the most efficient way of advancing. I generally tried to take the high ground to avoid patrols, as at first it offered a clean cut path to victory. But as you continue on, high ground becomes just as heavily traversed as lower areas to keep things from being too easy.
When I changed tactics and stayed down low I uncovered secret paths I wouldn't have thought to have taken before. If you're in a dark room with a guard nearing, duck under a table and move carefully; if you bump the chair, he'll know something is up. He'll come look, and you may not have the time to deal with him before he alerts his nearby comrades.
If you find yourself unexpectedly thrust into combat, as I pointed out earlier, Styx isn't the greatest at fighting. Don't expect to make up for it with player skill either, as you're locked into an awkward event which is essentially like a forced quick-time where you have to parry several strikes, and then take a killing blow. This was one of few low points in the gameplay experience, but it is so glaring that it is even more reason to avoid any contact with NPCs.
Which leaves you with the stealth option, and it is fantastic. Where earlier this year the latest installment of Thief left many stealth fans wanting, Styx: Master of Shadows can more than make up for that dagger-shaped hole in their hearts. Creeping around as carefully as possible, only taking down enemies when I needed to, and scaling heights to best plan my approach ensured a slow, steady, but fun experience. Using bodies as bait to keep enemies away from where I needed to go was both amusing and practical as I played on their curiosity and investigations to slip by, usually unnoticed.
The game utilizes the mix of corner hugging you may expect, as well as several different hideaways to avoid detection; closets, manholes, under tables and desks, even the old staple of hanging of ledges manages to be viable. Bumping objects in the environment will make a sound, putting out torches may give you the extra shadow you need but will also alert guards nearby if they are there to witness it go out.
The flaw with the stealth though is the same one that seems to plague even the games that do it most successfully; enemies seem to only see what's in front of them. There is no glancing off to the left or right, they don't utilize peripheral vision. Granted, they do often pause and look around which makes up for it, but it's still rather silly when I can sneak up right on their side and not have them notice the little green man with a foot long blade about to slice their throats.
The World Isn't Black And White, The Only Color That Matters Is Green
The world itself has quite a variety of settings, all set within a massive tower that feels more like a giant city than anything else. Massive pitfalls, cavernous tunnels, open gardens, homes and libraries, the game manages to keep you on your toes constantly as you guide Styx around. Where there is quantity, there is thankfully also quality in this case as I didn't encounter an environment that felt bland even once. The closest thing to bland would be the segments where you can't be seen at all but if you pull it off properly, then those moments will be short lived and easily enough traversed.
Styx: Master of Shadows may not come out swinging, it may not become a household name, but it doesn't have to be. Treasure always teases the eyes of those who want it, and Styx has all the makings of a potential sleeper hit.
8.5
fun score
Pros
Stealth gameplay mostly passes with flying colors, good replayability.
Cons
Awkward combat, lack of peripheral vision for NPC characters.
