Styx: Master Of Shadows Review

Styx: Master Of Shadows is a game I had been watching for some time. A game that seemed like a different take on what Assassin’s Creed had been doing for years. In it you play as a 200 year old goblin known as Styx, a goblin that seems addicted to a source known as amber. Sadly for Styx the tree that houses this heart of what appears to be gold has been captured by humans that want to try and use it as some kind of buffing agent. Why they don’t just use a gym ill never know.

Anyway, in the beginning Styx gets captured and from there you must take the path of righteousness in order to take back what was once the goblins. The game then revolves around stealth and believe me you must use stealth.

Styx isn’t armed to the teeth with explosives and AK47S, he is merely armed with an addiction to amber and a dagger in which he must use. You won’t however, want to use a Styxs weapon of choice as combat is a stressful event that will inevitably cause his death. Stealth is really the only route to take as the time it actually takes to kill an enemy is enough for the enemy to call in an abundance of reinforcements.

Styx amber addiction does come into play then, as he can use his found abilities to produce poisoning puke or a clone of himself to help him out. Puking on the human food is a satisfying procedure as is letting your clone squeeze through the most miniscule gaps in order to push a switch or pull a lever. These tasks do get quite repetitive sadly.

Along with his useless dagger he can also use throwing knives that also seem useless depending on where you are in the game. Armored enemies are immune to a knife being thrown at their heads. Sand can also be thrown in order to put out the torches that are scattered around. Make the area dark and you can see Styxs amber course through his veins.

Styx: Master Of Shadows also drew me in as its trailer showcased beautiful open areas in which you could traverse, while these areas exist they are far from beautiful. Sadly the game’s visuals end up being slightly dull and muddy, Styx himself also looks vaguely crude.

Bugs plague the game with clipping issues, texture pop in and extremely strange character animations, the voice acting is also far from stellar. Platforming is a large portion of the game too, but the platforming is essentially awkward due to the rather floaty controls. The game is still fairly fun to play though, I absolutely loved the amount of alternate routes available throughout the levels. I also loved how obnoxious Styx was during every chapter.

Styx: Master Of Shadows is nowhere near what I expected it to be but it is still a fun and interesting title to play if you can put aside its flaws. If you are a fan of stealth games, then you will love the amount of stealth you must use in this game, just don’t expect to be able to fight your way out of a sticky situation!