Styx: Blades of Greed

About

Styx: Blades of Greed is a single player action adventure game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Cyanide Studio and was released on February 19, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

The master of stealth is back! Explore the dizzying heights of the Iserian Continent and cunningly eliminate your enemies. Thanks to your Quartz powers, you are freer than ever. Be creative: Never has it felt so good to be greedy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 396 reviews

story42 positive mentions

optimization30 negative mentions

Mechanically Styx is great with many tools, verticality, and exploration options that make stealth enjoyable.
Level design is exceptional, featuring large, vertical, and intricate open areas with multiple routes and rewarding exploration.
Styx retains his sarcastic personality and humor, and the game offers satisfying stealth gameplay with a wide array of abilities and powers.

The game is plagued by technical issues including frequent crashes, unstable performance, and poor optimization especially with Unreal Engine 5 visuals.
Story and characters are weak, underdeveloped, and the narrative often boils down to repetitive fetch quests with little motivation or plot depth.
Stealth mechanics are sometimes oversimplified or overshadowed by easier combat and open-level design; AI can be dumb or inconsistent, reducing challenge and immersion.

story
332 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
78%
9%
The story in this game is widely viewed as underwhelming, often described as a repetitive fetch-quest centered on collecting quartz with minimal character development or engaging plot progression. Many users feel it lacks the depth, pacing, and charm of previous entries in the series, with criticized writing, voice acting, and a general sense of disconnection from the narrative. While some appreciate the campy humor and certain character interactions, overall the story is seen as a weak point that diminishes the experience.
- “The story itself is serviceable, but the characters, the crew Styx is travelling with are all great, each with their own personality with Styx being the highlight of the show.”
- “What a fantastic experience it was, if you loved the previous games it is an absolute must that you should get this one too, the story was just so good, it's worth the money and time put into it.”
- “This game definitely builds on the previous ones, I believe the world, characters, and story are great and tie in nicely, the new mechanics are great and intuitive, and the gameplay feels very fluid.”
- “Almost every quest follows the same pattern of going to a location, realizing you can't do the objective, and then backtracking somewhere else to go to then go back to the original location; it feels like the open world is just there to add padding to these fetch quests.”
- “Clearly, it felt undercooked with lacking conversations, barely any chat with your allies; the story can be summed up as gather x amount of quartz in y level... repeat... then story mission... repeat that for the 5 acts.”
- “The story suffers with its pacing and a sense of disconnection from the game. In this game, a lot of the character's evolution feels like it happens offscreen, or it is covered in individual scenes that go 'there, this happened, now back to gameplay.' The fact that every mission's objective is quartz, and that Styx is alone and doesn't interact with anyone outside of the hideout (with a few exceptions) is part of the problem.”
gameplay
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
Gameplay in Styx: Blades of Greed is generally praised for its solid stealth mechanics, improved movement options like double jump and grappling, and engaging level design that offers verticality and exploration. However, many reviews note repetitive mission objectives, diminished stealth incentives, technical issues, and some clunky or dated mechanics that detract from immersion and challenge. While the gameplay loop remains enjoyable for series fans, it lacks innovation and polish, leading to mixed impressions overall.
- “Level design and gameplay is the highlight; it's pretty cool coming back to the big open wall level with more movement mechanics later on and finding new ways to get around the map, along with some curated linear maps every now and then.”
- “The mechanics are solid, bugs are minimal and mostly just amusing jank, and everything feels well-rounded.”
- “You're given many new and old tools to play with, and some encounters really test your creativity; the new movement mechanics add a whole new layer of depth to all of it. There's a feeling of joy when you figure out how to finagle shortcuts using wall runs and double jumps, similar to the experience in Dishonored.”
- “Mechanics sometimes don't work, combat design is bad, Styx's abilities feel unsatisfying a lot of the time and the level design can make you tear your hair out.”
- “In a stealth game, the player needs to trust that the mechanics are consistent; when that trust is broken, it makes the high difficulty feel unfair rather than challenging.”
- “Due to a mechanic of the game I was soft locked and had to restart the game when I was maybe an hour from finishing the game.”
optimization
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
69%
22%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, resulting in inconsistent and often poor performance across various hardware, including high-end GPUs. Many players report frequent frame drops, stuttering, crashes, and the need for reduced settings or performance hacks to maintain playability, particularly on PC and handheld devices. While some users experience stable performance, the consensus is that the game requires urgent optimization patches to address these widespread technical shortcomings.
- “On an RTX 4090, I have great performance on a 2K monitor (1440p native) with no freezes, stuttering, or crashes, although texture pop-ins are noticeable in some early cutscenes but reduce later in the game.”
- “Performance: I play on a decent-ish gaming laptop at 1080p with DLSS balanced, and it runs smoothly most of the time; it's very playable and looks good (I turn post-processing down to low to remove the muddy look from surfaces).”
- “Even with an RTX 3070, I’ve never had to run FSR on performance mode plus frame generation just to barely hit 80fps at both 1080p and 1440p, which shows optimization could be better.”
- “Performance is god-awful and the only way to truly fix it is to set up a potato setting config inside the engine itself, which makes the game playable at the cost of engulfing everything in the shadow setting, meaning that no matter the light level, you are always in darkness.”
- “Yes, the 3070 isn't brand new, but I've never had to run FSR on performance mode, plus frame generation (literally first time I've ever touched framegen), just to barely hit 80fps at both 1080p and 1440p.”
- “It is insanely poorly optimized, to the point that I can't play it without risking overheating and crashing my PC.”
graphics
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The graphics receive mixed reviews, praised occasionally for art style and detailed environments but frequently criticized for poor optimization, excessive blur effects, and technical issues like stuttering, tearing, and unstable performance on various hardware. While some find the visuals adequate or even beautiful in parts, many note that Unreal Engine 5 implementation feels unpolished, leading to washed-out or blurry imagery and high hardware demands that don’t match the graphical quality. Overall, the graphics convey the game’s mood but suffer from insufficient settings options and performance inconsistencies.
- “Graphically the game looks nice for a non-AAA game, but the image quality suffers a lot from unnecessary blur (motion blur, post-processing, etc.). The cutscene presentation suffers from some Unreal Engine 5 jank, especially during fast transitions where the engine struggles to load assets in time, giving it a non-polished feeling which is unfortunate, especially when some of the worst offenders happen before the title card, creating a bad first impression.”
- “The artists have done a tremendous job—amazing level design and environments—but the visuals are marred by Unreal Engine 5 implementation issues, particularly with Lumen and Nanite.”
- “Environments are sharper, lighting is more deliberate, and it still has that Styx aesthetic, just presented with more polish.”
- “Trying to mess with the graphics settings felt like there were only two settings in reality: either you can run it on high and everything is great or you can turn everything down and everything can look bad and still run like crap.”
- “The game looks blurry, very blurry, to my eyes, specifically because when they optimized this game for graphics cards to get around early release issues, they decided to put in a graphics card optimizer, specifically using your CPU, in order to improve performance for the GPU.”
- “Terrible anti-aliasing that blurs the entire screen, removes depth, and leaves you wondering how the first game on Unreal Engine 3 could have better clarity and visuals.”
humor
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
9%
The game's humor is notably more subdued and serious compared to previous entries, with Styx losing much of his sharp wit and fourth-wall-breaking jokes that fans appreciated. While some moments, like clever crew banter and certain comedic kills, retain charm, many find the overall comedic tone less impactful and the supporting characters' humor diminished or lacking. The shift toward a more mature, gritty style has divided players, with some missing the distinctive, irreverent humor that defined earlier titles.
- “The banter between the crew members is sharp, cynical, and often genuinely funny, adding a much-needed layer of personality to an otherwise dense and sometimes confusing story.”
- “The humor, tone, and identity of Styx is still there, which is a necessary element for this character.”
- “A fun stealth / murder sandbox with the same humor and grit that you had in the previous two games.”
- “He's not funny anymore and barely talks.”
- “Styx is not funny anymore.”
- “He is still hateful, just not funny anymore.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
34%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many users highlighting its fitting ambiance, signature Styx style, and overall quality comparable to or exceeding previous entries. While some find the soundtrack slightly underused or forgettable in parts, the general consensus is that the score enhances the atmosphere and gameplay experience significantly.
- “The soundtrack fits perfectly and has that signature Styx feel.”
- “The music and sound are outstanding.”
- “Gameplay 10/10 - graphics 8.5/10 - soundtrack and theme 10/10.”
- “- Sound design and music - boring and forgettable”
- “[*] Underused and oversimplified soundtrack (in comparison to previous games)”
- “Music: fair”
stability
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
90%
The game exhibits frequent bugs including collision, AI, and visual glitches, with occasional crashes and soft-locks reported by some players. Performance is generally stable on high-end hardware, though texture pop-ins and input issues occur. While no game-breaking errors are common, the overall stability is marred by persistent, minor technical problems impacting the gameplay experience.
- “On RTX 4090, I have great performance on a 2K monitor (1440p native), which is to be expected. No freezes, stuttering, or crashes. However, texture pop-ins are noticeable in some cutscenes, mostly at the beginning. It seems that later in the game, they occur less often.”
- “It runs great for me on older Linux hardware with Proton, providing a stable experience.”
- “I understand this will disappoint players with certain expectations or those who experience performance issues, but if you want a chill stealth game, I'd recommend this—just maybe not at full price.”
- “The game has constant crashes where the game just freezes and closes with no error message afterwards like nothing ever happened.”
- “More bad news - as of playing it I have encountered a load of issues from glitches, floating objects and crates and a beam in which I can walk through.”
- “[*] minor bugs/glitches with potential soft-lock.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game features a captivating dark and cozy atmosphere enhanced by its intriguing story and impressive graphics. The protagonist's sarcasm and irony add character without breaking immersion, with a more restrained tone contributing to a stronger overall ambiance.
- “Interesting story and amazing dark atmosphere.”
- “Good continuation of a cozy and very atmospheric series.”
- “Toning down Styx's quips is also neat; it seems way more atmospheric that way.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Grinding in the game is widely criticized for being tedious, buggy, and lacking depth, often forcing players to make frustrating choices between time-consuming detours or risky shortcuts. Progression feels grindy due to the need to manage multiple currencies for upgrades, unlike previous games' more unified XP systems.
- “Buggy, lacking in depth, and tedious.”
- “Tedious nonsense for the sake of finding keybinds for all these new abilities.”
- “Progression feels grindy, with how multiple currencies are needed for different upgrades versus the prior games' more unified system of XP for most, if not all, upgrades.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game offers minimal replayability, lacking challenges or varied playstyles that encourage multiple playthroughs. It is described primarily as a one-time solo story experience, especially when compared to previous entries known for better gameplay and replay value.
- “- Not having any challenges regarding speed, stealth, or pacifist playstyles makes the game lack any replay value.”
- “Minimal replayability.”
- “Not having any challenges regarding speed, stealth, or pacifist playstyles makes the game lack any replay value.”
- “Now this game is only a one-time solo story instead of a replayable game that you'll want to play again and again with friends.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Character development is generally seen as lacking, with Styx's sudden changes feeling inconsistent and the character design appearing rushed or poorly conceived. Additionally, the game's overall style clashes with its grimy fantasy setting, leading to a disjointed experience.
- “Better character development”
- “The character design feels like it was created in a brainstorming session”
- “Styx's sudden character development feels off.”
- “The character design feels like it was created in a brainstorming session.”
- “Better character development needed.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to gameplay innovations like the grappling hook, which enhances exploration and immersion. However, some also feel frustrated by current optimization issues, impacting their immediate enjoyment despite eagerness to revisit the game after improvements.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's monetization is widely seen as its weakest aspect, feeling close to a cash grab despite heavy use of the character's personality in advertising.
- “The weakest in the series, just a step above a cash grab.”

Skip Game Offers

Buy Styx: Blades of Greed

2h Median play time

5h Average play time

2-15h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Styx: Blades of Greed

77%3.6kreviews

Styx: Shards of Darkness

2017

Open World Role Playing

74%7.4kreviews

Styx: Master of Shadows

2014

Open World Role Playing

74%2.6kreviews

Aragami 2

2021

Action

78%14.7kreviews

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

2025

Open World Role Playing

+12

71%2.7kreviews

Steelrising

2022

Hack and Slash

More games like Styx: Blades of Greed

Skip Game News