Stealth
Xbox One, PS4
When I watched a development trailer for Styx: Master of Shadows several months ago I was hooked. While the latest Splinter Cell game went back to using stealth mechanics more. Styx relies on stealth in order for you to succeed in the various levels.
In Styx you play as a goblin bent on stealing the heart of the World-tree inside a giant tower guarded by man. It is up to you to use the shadows and a few magical abilities to navigate around the soldiers as you will always lose in straight up combat. One of the reasons that I enjoy the game is that you really have to learn the patrol routes of the guards as a straight up confrontation will lead to your death. In most cases you can attack from below or behind in order to get past them.
When I first started to play the game I made it my mission to eradicate every soldier I encountered. I soon learned that while I can do that, it is better to eliminate only those that I absolutely had to and to leave behind the ones I didn't. This made it so that their patterns remained the same and I could continue my plans without taking more time to learn the new arrangement. I still use sand to take out nearly every light I encounter but the small adjustment made for an easier time.
Make no mistake, Styx is a stealth game one slip up and you will pay for it. Those looking for a game where you play an assassin who can dish it out with a group of enemies should look elsewhere as you want to keep your confrontations one on one and as quiet as possible. The object of the game is not to be scene. When it comes to assassinating enemies you have two choices; silently or quick and loud depending on how you plan to negotiate the remaining enemies in the area. You also have the option of using a clone but unless I needed them to slip through some bars to flip a switch, rarely did I bother using it. Instead I would choose to use Styx to do my dirty work.
Another positive is the voice acting. The script is really good. Styx knows just when to drop an F bomb at the appropriate time. That said, the game does have some language that may not be appropriate for some.
While the game is enjoyable, there are a few issues: Combat is clunky. Several times I would sneak up on a lone guard preparing to dispatch him quietly only to have him turn just at the right time and be faced with a face to face confrontation, which makes the combat a painful experience. The parry/attack system is awful. Another issue is the control. Many times I would be silently navigating ledges and walls only to fall near guards and die, losing the slow and steady path I had carefully selected to move through the level. The game also has a lot of repetition. After many hours of sneaking around you never get past that initial play style.
Styx: Master of Shadows is for the hardcore stealth gamer. It is a game that requires attention to detail and a slow and steady hand that knows that in order to get from point A to point B you will have to be patient. Styx is not a perfect game but it is one of those great games that has snuck under the radar.
Overall 7/10
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