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

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 441 reviews

story47 positive mentions

optimization32 negative mentions

Excellent level design with vast, vertical environments and multiple paths encouraging exploration and creative stealth.
Styxs movement is fluid, responsive, and offers various new traversal tools like grappling hook and glider.
The game maintains Styxs character charm and humor, with engaging stealth gameplay and satisfying assassination mechanics.

Performance issues including crashes, frame drops, blurry visuals, and poor optimization widely reported.
Story and character development are weak, with repetitive fetch quest missions and poorly integrated companion cast.
Controls and UI have been criticized for being clunky, with nerfed clone mechanics and awkward ledge grabbing.

story
361 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
76%
11%
The story in this game is widely seen as repetitive, dominated by fetch quests for quartz with little narrative progression, leading to a dull and underdeveloped plot. While some users appreciate the character interactions and Styx's personality, the overall writing, pacing, and mission variety feel weak compared to previous titles, with many citing a lack of depth, poor voice acting, and technical bugs affecting story delivery. The open world approach further dilutes the storytelling, making it less engaging and cohesive for both new players and series veterans.
- “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.”
- “The story and characters are, as far as I've played, also great and convincing.”
- “Clearly, it felt undercooked with lacking conversations, barely any chat with your allies, story can be summed up as 'gather X amount of quartz in Y level'... repeat that for the 5 acts.”
- “Almost every mission repeats the same rather boring structure: go fetch quartz, find out the quartz is locked behind a gate/box/carriage, find the key/lever that opens the lock (usually backtracking a lot), open the lock, get the quartz.”
- “Story is also legit terrible, some bizarre voice actor choices and a pretty nonsensical narrative; it doesn't ruin the experience as the terribleness was at times amusing but it's a little disappointing when I actually really liked Styx 1 story; at least Styx is less Deadpool-like here unlike the 2nd game.”
gameplay
236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The gameplay is generally praised for its solid stealth mechanics, improved verticality, and smooth movement, including new traversal abilities like double jump and grappling hook. However, many reviewers note repetitive mission design, a lack of meaningful stealth incentives, occasional bugs, and technical issues that sometimes disrupt the experience. While it builds on and refines core elements from previous titles, some feel the game loses unique flair, with combat mechanics and AI often cited as weak points.
- “Level design and gameplay are 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, and some more curated linear maps every now and then.”
- “You're given so many new and old tools to play with and some encounters really test your creativity, and the new movement mechanics add a whole new layer of depth to all of it; there's a feeling of joy you get when you figure out how to just barely finagle a shortcut that you weren't sure was possible using wall runs and double jumps which I've only found in Dishonored up to this point.”
- “I am a long time player of the Styx series playing both the first and second game and I got to say gameplay wise this is the best game in the series, platforming is miles ahead of its predecessors with the double jump and wall run controlling really smoothly, the new abilities and items are really fun to use adding many different play styles, and the level designs are honestly top tier with so many branching pathways it's honestly surprises me how many routes you can take to finish an objective.”
- “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.”
- “Styx Blades of Greed has a major identity crisis because it tries to force ARPG mechanics into a stealth game that does not reward your effort.”
- “The game unfortunately stays in the same gameplay as the old ones without you evolving and it's really a shame that after so many years the company stays the same!”
optimization
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
67%
23%
The game suffers from poor optimization, with frequent performance issues including unstable frame rates, stuttering, and crashes even on high-end PCs. Unreal Engine 5 contributes to graphical inconsistencies and high resource demands, causing many players to rely on reduced settings or upscaling to achieve playable performance. While some patches have improved stability, users widely agree that a significant optimization update is urgently needed to enhance gameplay smoothness and fix lingering bugs.
- “On an RTX 4090, I have great performance on a 2K monitor (1440p native), with no freezes, stuttering, or crashes. However, there are noticeable texture pop-ins in some cutscenes mainly at the beginning, which seem to improve later in the game.”
- “Performance mode looks even worse. Even on a PC with an RTX 3070, performance is smooth with no major issues, but optimization varies heavily by map rather than settings alone. Overall, it's playable with the right settings and wattage, though handheld performance is inconsistent.”
- “It's very well optimized for AMD users, and performance remains consistent even at higher settings.”
- “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.”
- “It is insanely poorly optimized, to the point that I can't play it without risking overheating and crashing my PC.”
- “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.”
graphics
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The graphics showcase impressive level design and atmosphere but suffer from significant performance and optimization issues, including persistent motion blur with no toggle, blurry visuals, and stuttering during cutscenes. While the art style remains appealing, technical problems like texture pop-in, inconsistent lighting, and high hardware demands detract from the overall visual experience. Many users feel the game would benefit greatly from further polishing and additional graphics options to improve clarity and performance.
- “While the graphics might not be the most advanced by today's standards, they are more than enough to convey the scale and mood of the world.”
- “The artists have done a tremendous job—amazing level design and environments—but the visuals are marred by unreal engine 5 implementation issues (lumen and nanite).”
- “+ Graphics are quite good, and in some scenes, it looks phenomenal.”
- “Graphics from 2010, requirements from 2030, no DLAA, stupid 120 fps lock, can't disable motion blur, controller required, lip sync is non-existent, absolute terrible game.”
- “All right this is an update for Styx Blades of Greed. The game has issues with optimization. It's very blurry because the motion blur feature cannot be turned off. Characters talk but lip syncing is very rough. Also, characters pop in or talk when not really visible. I have a powerful PC, but the game still struggles due to poor optimization and reliance on AI smoothing performance. They need to optimize more and allow turning off motion blur.”
- “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 humor in this installment is notably toned down compared to previous games, with Styx's sharp wit and fourth-wall-breaking jokes largely diminished, leading to a more serious and less funny protagonist. While some moments of dark or situational humor remain—such as amusing enemy physics or environmental gags—many reviewers felt the overall comedic charm and memorable banter are lacking, making the game's humor less impactful and enjoyable than before.
- “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 for its signature Styx style, fitting perfectly with the atmosphere and enhancing immersion, especially during stealth segments. While some find the soundtrack occasionally underused or less complex compared to previous titles, overall it is regarded as a standout, memorable, and well-crafted aspect of the experience.
- “The soundtrack is awesome as usual in this series.”
- “The game is beautiful, the music and dialogue are so good, and it's pretty well optimized compared to a lot of Unreal 5 games.”
- “The soundtrack fits perfectly and has that signature Styx feel.”
- “Underused and oversimplified soundtrack compared to previous games.”
- “Sound design and music are boring and forgettable.”
- “Music is just fair.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
91%
The game suffers from numerous bugs, including collision and AI glitches, soft-lock risks, and occasional crashes, though no game-breaking errors are widespread. Performance varies by platform, with some players experiencing smooth runs while others report freezing and texture pop-ins. Overall, stability issues affect immersion and gameplay depth, but many expect patches to improve these problems over time.
- “On RTX 4090, I have great performance on a 2K monitor (1440p native), which is to be expected. No freezes, stuttering, or crashes, but texture pop-ins are noticeable in some cutscenes (mostly at the beginning; it seems there are fewer later in the game).”
- “It runs great for me on older Linux hardware with Proton, offering a stable experience.”
- “If you want a chill stealth game, I’d recommend this—just maybe not at full price.”
- “The game has constant crashes where it just freezes and closes with no error message afterwards, like nothing ever happened.”
- “No more sliding down on ropes, the multi-sub-menus for skills, so many buggy quests if you don't step in the right place. Your clues and dialogs are not triggered. No speedrun or pacifist objectives or even possibilities of being a pacifist. No way to go back to the levels after your last mission. The last boss fight is stupidly simple, and yet impossible if you haven't stuck all your throwing daggers and acid traps.”
- “The game itself is a bit buggy, with collision issues, pathing issues, and various glitches.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie, dark, and immersive qualities, enhanced by compelling level design and character elements. Subtle humor and sarcasm add flavor without breaking immersion, contributing to a cozy yet intense ambiance that continues the series' strong atmospheric tradition.
- “And roaming the Wall Streets at night, bathing in this eerie atmosphere was really a treat.”
- “Interesting story and amazing dark atmosphere.”
- “Good continuation of a cozy and very atmospheric series.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Grinding in the game is widely regarded as tedious and repetitive, often involving frustrating backtracking or risky shortcuts. Progression feels more cumbersome compared to previous games due to the need to collect multiple currencies for upgrades rather than a unified experience system. Overall, the grinding detracts from the game's depth and enjoyment.
- “There is no plot, you just run around collecting items, some of which are very tedious to find.”
- “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.”
- “This often forced me to choose between taking a long, tedious detour to find the right path down or jumping and risking fall damage just to save time.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Character development is criticized for feeling rushed and inconsistent, particularly with Styx’s sudden changes. The character design and story are seen as underdeveloped and mismatched with the game's gritty fantasy atmosphere, contributing to a lack of immersion.
- “Better character development.”
- “Styx's sudden character development feels off.”
- “The character design feels like it was created in a brainstorming session.”
- “The faux AAA style of UI, menus, cutscene/story direction, character design and gameplay flow is totally at odds with the grimy fantasy setting.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game has minimal replayability, lacking challenges or varied playstyles to encourage multiple playthroughs. It is primarily seen as a one-time solo story experience rather than a replayable game with lasting appeal.
- “Not having any challenges regarding speed, stealth, or pacifist playstyles makes the game lack any replay value.”
- “Maybe the developers will make some patches and the game will become more playable, and I will buy it again, but not now.”
- “Minimal replayability.”
- “Not having any challenges related to 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.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the emotional thrill brought by gameplay enhancements like the grappling hook, which expands exploration and immersion. However, some remain hesitant to fully engage with the game until performance optimizations and patches improve the experience.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is widely seen as the weakest in the series, feeling almost like 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.”

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3h Median play time

5h Average play time

2-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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