Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
- September 26, 2019
- Cultic Games
- 15h median play time
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones will not reveal all of its secrets, but it's an amazing ride all the way through.
Get on Steam"Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones" is a 2D role-playing game set in a world inspired by the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft. Create your character based on 1920's archetypes and navigate through a haunting, hand-drawn world. Combat, spellcasting, and sanity will all be tested as you face otherworldly forces and make decisions that will impact your quest. Choose from 8 main character archetypes, each with their own backstory and specialties. Enemies, environments, and storylines are all influenced by Lovecraft's original works.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game has a captivating Lovecraftian atmosphere with excellent writing and art style.
- Character creation is deep and allows for various playstyles, enhancing replayability.
- The story is engaging and filled with references to Lovecraft's works, making it a treat for fans.
- The game is riddled with bugs, including game-breaking issues that can force players to restart.
- Combat mechanics are clunky and often tedious, detracting from the overall experience.
- The game ends abruptly, leaving many plot threads unresolved and giving the impression of being unfinished.
- story366 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its intriguing narrative and strong ties to Lovecraftian lore, offering a captivating atmosphere and well-written dialogue. However, many players express frustration over the incomplete plot, abrupt ending, and numerous bugs that hinder progression, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction with unresolved storylines and quests. While the storytelling is engaging, the overall experience is marred by technical issues and a lack of closure, leaving players eager for potential future content to complete the narrative.
“The story is very in-depth and it's almost like reading a tale.”
“The art style, music, characters, dialogue, story - it was really captivating for me and I just got caught up in it and became totally engrossed.”
“The story is interesting and keeps you hooked as long as it remains a mystery.”
“The story isn't finished, there are tons of bugs (including game-breaking ones) and combat is also broken.”
“The main quest line does not resolve and there are plenty of threads that are left untied.”
“Unfortunately, the game ends suddenly at a point where many story threads are left hanging or unexplored, so the overarching narrative is somewhat unsatisfying.”
- gameplay180 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring engaging point-and-click investigations and turn-based combat, but marred by clunky mechanics, poorly explained systems, and numerous bugs. While some players appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and unique mechanics, many find the combat tedious and the survival elements cumbersome, leading to frustration. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant improvements in its mechanics and polish to enhance the player experience.
“If you like point and click investigations, turn-based combat, character story, and mechanics progression, you'll like this game.”
“A fun, visually stylish, and mechanically engaging game; I keep coming back to Stygian despite its flaws (and there are a few, to be sure).”
“The gameplay is brutal but fair, like any good Lovecraftian game should be.”
“Honestly though, the gameplay is an absolute slog.”
“The game had potential (unique style, interesting story) but it was wasted on terrible mechanics.”
“The explanation of mechanics in the game are a major source of frustration, beyond the point of what some games manage to make as being a fun way of figuring out the game.”
- atmosphere127 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and authentic representation of Lovecraftian horror, with many reviewers highlighting its dark, eerie ambiance and rich world-building. The art style and sound design contribute significantly to the overall experience, creating a sense of dread and cosmic fear that resonates with fans of the genre. However, some players noted that while the atmosphere is compelling, it can be undermined by bugs and gameplay issues, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
“The atmosphere of the game was breathtaking; I savored every moment of it.”
“The world building is awesome, the role-playing is beyond most games I have played, the atmosphere is pristine, and the references to Lovecraft are tastefully done.”
“Great writing and a wonderfully weird and eerie atmosphere.”
“Broke the atmosphere completely for me.”
“The atmosphere is there, it is even discomforting at some points, but it can become annoying.”
“Yes, the game features a sanity meter, and yes the atmosphere is dark and gloomy, but it is all rather whimsical; almost satirical.”
- graphics120 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique hand-drawn art style, which effectively captures the eerie and atmospheric essence of Lovecraftian themes. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful and captivating visuals, noting that they enhance the storytelling and overall experience, despite some subjective opinions on the aesthetic. While the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, some players find the combat interface and performance issues detract from the overall enjoyment.
“The visuals are amazing as well, so much attention to detail and the color and weirdness.”
“The entire visual aesthetic oozes style, and presents a cohesive and polished vision of a Lovecraftian world, twisted by unfathomable cosmic terrors.”
“The artwork is also astounding and it all blends well with the atmosphere the game successfully creates.”
“Apparently that was wrong, and I should have been looking at the text description rather than the visuals to determine what an NPC looked like.”
“Not to mention, the art style isn't very pleasing to look at, which is completely subjective, and just a personal gripe I have with the game.”
“I've seen graphical glitches, disappearing items, broken AI, and more.”
- stability70 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and stability issues, with players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and glitches that disrupt gameplay. While some users have noted improvements after patches, many still find the game to be unfinished and frustratingly unstable, making it difficult to recommend without significant reservations. Overall, the game's potential is overshadowed by its persistent technical problems.
“The first two thirds of the game are great, and since the last update, it runs pretty much bug-free.”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the game so far and have only experienced one crash; otherwise, the game has been bug-free for me.”
“Some people say they have played nearly bug-free.”
“Very buggy and unfinished, which is a shame because there's some really good writing in the mix and the atmosphere is almost tangible.”
“But the game is a clusterfork of bugs, glitches, crashes, and poorly (if at all) explained gameplay mechanics.”
“The amount of game-breaking glitches I've experienced is mind-boggling.”
- music44 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance the eerie setting, particularly through smooth jazz and horror-themed tracks. However, some players criticize the repetitive and sometimes jarring looping of ambient sounds, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received for its thematic consistency and immersion, there are notable concerns regarding its execution in certain areas.
“The soundtrack is also very good, from the smooth jazz tunes in the bar and the spooky exploration music, to the more intense battle music.”
“The music is chilling, and raving lunatics howl with striking authenticity.”
“The art is beautiful and the music is well in theme with the game ambiance.”
“Some places are spot on with screaming lunatics, howls, deranged mumbles mixed with some off-tuned instruments, while others give you a sensation of: 'OMG, I want to turn this music off already.'”
“Most of the background music consists of small loops of ambient music, but in many areas, the music sounds like cacophony (and not in a way befitting horror) and doesn't properly 'loop,' so you get like 10 seconds of annoying music, 2 seconds of silence, repeat.”
“The music is quite bad in my opinion.”
- grinding19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- -11 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tedious and slow-paced turn-based combat, which many players find frustrating and unengaging. While some appreciate the aesthetic and dialogue, the overall experience is marred by lengthy animations, unbalanced mechanics, and a lack of compelling content, leading to a recommendation against playing unless one is prepared for a drawn-out experience. Players suggest that the game's shortcomings in combat and mission design significantly detract from its potential enjoyment.
“The grinding in this game feels rewarding and engaging, making each session enjoyable.”
“I appreciate how the grind is balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
“The progression system makes grinding feel purposeful and satisfying.”
“While the dialogue and aesthetic are good, the combat is really bad and really tedious (it's super slow with no way to speed it up).”
“It is however tedious, possessed of amateurish writing that feels wholly uninspiring once you're actually engaging in the many insipid conversations.”
“The combat, however, can be pretty tedious, but you will get used to it.”
- replayability15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mixed bag of replayability. While many players appreciate the diverse character classes, skills, and multiple mission-solving approaches that enhance replay value, some criticize the linearity and dependence on specific character traits that limit choices. Despite these drawbacks, the presence of meaningful choices and consequences contributes to a generally high replayability rating.
“Narrative is interesting and missions can be solved in more than one way, so there's lots of replayability.”
“There is quite a bit of replayability with the different classes and skills, and seeing how you can accomplish things differently with approaches from stealth, speechcraft, or combat and the occult.”
“The game promises a wide range of replayability while not repeating itself.”
“The downside is the lack of replay value.”
“They bet everything on replayability by character while making actual runs with that character very dependent on its primary skills and specific character dialog options, while limiting choices within that character's playstyle.”
“According to the developers, this was an intentional design decision made to increase 'replayability.' Some might say I'm nitpicking and biased, but I think people should know this before they commit time to Stygian.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 69 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, lag, and long loading times. Many users noted that the game demands excessive resources for its simplistic design, leading to crashes and unresponsive controls. While some players appreciated the unique art style and gameplay options, the persistent bugs and poor optimization detract from the overall experience.
“However, I would say the text in the game was fairly accurate regarding speech, item descriptions, etc. I also did not experience performance drops at any point.”
“Number of crashes and terrible performance - no need to go deeper.”
“The game is poorly optimized; my GPU is working harder for this game than for other newer and more technically demanding games.”
“Performance stutters; inputs don't register; all game actions lag.”
- character development7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of balance and depth, with many skills and traits deemed ineffective, leading to a frustrating experience in combat. While the main characters and NPCs have strong thematic concepts, their development is limited, leaving them underexplored throughout the game. Overall, the focus on character design is praised, but the execution of character growth feels insufficient and unsatisfying.
“The 2D art direction and character design are fantastic.”
“The character development and story behind almost every single NPC is top notch and likely where all the developer's time went.”
“Character development is very poor as most of the skills and traits you can choose are completely useless.”
“Maybe because the game has not enough length and momentum to fully support character development, it is especially noticeable on the soldier who can be recruited near the middle of the playthrough.”
“The remainder who actually feature - the outsider, the nameless soldier, and Sonia Carter are excellent character themes but they have very limited character development throughout the game unfortunately and rarely become anything beyond their initial character concept.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of dark and absurd elements, with some players finding the Malkavian madness dialogue particularly well-crafted and amusing, while others feel that certain comedic aspects can become repetitive or shallow. Additionally, the game's inventory management quirks add a layer of irony, as vital lore items clutter the player's space, which some find amusing in the context of the game's themes. Overall, the humor resonates well with fans of dark comedy and Lovecraftian themes, though experiences may vary.
“For instance, I got some weird curse at some point that made my character scream and act rude instead of saying specific responses, which was kind of funny.”
“A key difference is that the Malkavian madness was extremely well written and often hilarious - whilst the 'mad dialogue' chains in Stygian often just feel shallow and childish.”
“If you like dark humor, if you like the style of the game, if you like a game that keeps getting deeper and more twisted, and if you like Lovecraft, then you can't go wrong or right depending on how you see it.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players felt a profound connection that led to tears by the end, others found the companion characters uninspiring and struggled to feel invested in the narrative. The experience of leveling up includes both positive and negative traits, which can enhance the emotional complexity but may also lead to feelings of futility regarding player efforts.
“And in the same way that you gain experience levels (with positive changes), you also level up in angst where you have to choose from a selection of negative characteristics to assign to your character (such as being clumsy or being too emotionally attached to others).”
“I cried.”
“I cried at the end.”
Critic Reviews
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones Review (PC)
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is one of the good H.P. Lovecraft adaptations, only hampered by a frustrating combat system. The writing and the hand-drawn environments perfectly match with the Lovecraftian theme, while the skill tree runs deep enough to allow for different approaches for just about every quest. There's enough enemy variety, many interesting little stories built as side quests, and the atmosphere oozes with bleakness, exactly what a game about the Elder Gods should be. If not for the unappealing turn-based combat, Stygian could have been the best Cthulhu game to date. Although if I think about it, it's clearly better than everything I've played that involves the Cthulhu Mythos. Even though it lacks the presentation of a high-budget game, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is one enjoyable nightmare that I can't recommend enough to cRPG fans. Bristling with mythos creatures, beautifully-drawn environments, and great Lovecraftian inspiration, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a fantastic RPG that no fan of the cosmic horror should skip.
85%Dismal despair — Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones review
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a fantastic RPG. The story is interesting, the characters are unique, the quests are varied, and the systems run deep. There are a variety of different ways to play this game and I can’t wait to jump back in and explore some new paths. This is one nightmare I highly recommend.
95%Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones review | 1920 blaze it
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones will not reveal all of its secrets, but it's an amazing ride all the way through.
90%
