Styx: Master of Shadows

This isn't a game that takes itself overly seriously and it knows it. It's a good budget stealth game that actually takes the stealth part seriously.

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Styx: Master of Shadows is an infiltration game with RPG elements taking place in a dark fantasy universe, where you sneak, steal and assassinate your way through as Styx, a Goblin two-centuries of age.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,694 reviews

story714 positive mentions

stability109 negative mentions

Engaging stealth mechanics that reward patience and strategic thinking.
Interesting story with unexpected plot twists and a charismatic protagonist.
Well-designed levels with multiple paths and options for completing objectives.

Clunky controls and inconsistent AI can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Reused levels in the second half of the game diminish the sense of exploration.
Combat mechanics are poorly executed, making direct confrontation nearly impossible.

story
1,999 mentions
36 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of "Styx: Master of Shadows" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its intriguing plot twists and character development, particularly that of the protagonist, Styx. While some found the narrative engaging and well-crafted, others criticized it for being poorly paced, convoluted, or lacking depth, especially in the early stages. Overall, the game offers a unique take on stealth gameplay, supported by a storyline that, despite its flaws, keeps players invested through its twists and the dark humor of its main character.
- “I came for the story and was not disappointed.”
- “The world-building and storytelling are expertly woven into the gameplay, and I found myself glued to my screen for all the cutscenes, no matter how many times I played each level.”
- “The story was surprisingly engaging for me.”
- “The plot and narration are horribly paced and don't create any investment from the player.”
- “The story's not really engaging.”
- “The story is boring but not really playing for the story.”
gameplay
1,238 mentions
35 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Styx: Master of Shadows" is primarily focused on stealth mechanics, offering players a variety of tools and abilities, such as cloning and environmental manipulation, to navigate complex levels. While the game features solid level design and a rewarding stealth experience, it suffers from clunky controls, inconsistent AI, and repetitive gameplay, particularly in later levels. Overall, it provides a challenging yet enjoyable experience for fans of the stealth genre, despite its flaws.
- “The world-building and storytelling are expertly woven into the gameplay, and I found myself glued to my screen for all the cut scenes, no matter how many times I played each level.”
- “The gameplay is fun and the main character Styx has a fun and interesting personality. The only critique I have for the game is that there is no real reason to explore the map; otherwise, it's a good game.”
- “The gameplay revolves around sneaking past loads of enemies using the environment and Styx's tools to your advantage.”
- “The game mechanics are all the very worst aspects of a stealth game and none of your choices matter.”
- “A solid stealth game with a great story, brought down by some clunky mechanics and annoying reuse of levels.”
- “The main problem here is that the game continues to introduce mechanics on the final level, which red flags a pacing problem for the game overall.”
graphics
526 mentions
44 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered decent but somewhat dated, reflecting its 2014 release. While many players appreciate the art style and atmospheric design, they note issues such as graphical glitches, low-resolution textures, and inconsistent character animations. Overall, the visuals are seen as serviceable for the gameplay experience, though they may not meet the expectations of those seeking modern graphical fidelity.
- “The game's graphics are impressive, with a great level of detail put into the environments and character models.”
- “The graphics look really good; I especially enjoyed the creature designs of elves and of the main character, Styx the goblin.”
- “The graphics are smooth and fluid, but they feel dated even though they still look gorgeous.”
- “The graphics are dated, at least it has its charm in some places, but the art design is really good.”
- “The graphics looked older than they should, and the sound was indifferent at best.”
- “The graphics are a bit dated and occasionally glitchy, but the game is disturbingly compelling.”
music
151 mentions
51 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance immersion, particularly in stealth gameplay. While some players find the soundtrack to be a masterpiece that fits the game's themes perfectly, others criticize it for being repetitive or forgettable. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong aspect of the game, contributing positively to the overall experience, despite some dissenting opinions on its memorability and variety.
- “The music is fantastic and the voice over is convincing, if lacking a bit of diversity.”
- “The music this game has is incredible and entirely immerses you in the situation.”
- “The soundtrack is awesome.”
- “The music was awfully cheesy.”
- “The music soundtrack is mediocre at best, nothing special.”
- “The music is also very lousy and downright annoying, and it's rare nowadays that I feel the need to just turn off the music because it's so bad.”
humor
132 mentions
99 % positive mentions
-2 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Styx: Master of Shadows" is a standout feature, characterized by the main character's sharp, sarcastic wit and dark comedic elements that resonate well with players. Styx's voice acting and one-liners are frequently praised, although some find the humor inconsistent, with NPC dialogue often feeling repetitive or limited. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its stealth mechanics, providing a unique and entertaining experience, though it may not appeal to those sensitive to its crude and adult themes.
- “Who would have thought that playing a grumpy goblin with sharp-tongued humor could be so satisfying?”
- “You'll find yourself laughing out loud at Styx's hilarious one-liners and witty commentary as you navigate the world.”
- “Styx has a humor to it that is not often seen in other games of the genre; he's foul-mouthed, rowdy, and sometimes just a real jerk, but he adds so much character to the game.”
- “No fourth wall breaking awareness, no wild references, very little dialogue, and not funny in any way.”
- “The humor feels forced and falls flat, lacking any cleverness or wit.”
- “Jokes are repetitive and predictable, making the experience dull rather than entertaining.”
atmosphere
121 mentions
66 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and dark fantasy setting, enhanced by detailed level design and haunting audio that includes fitting music and eerie ambient sounds. While some reviews note dated graphics and occasional immersion-breaking elements, the overall experience is described as captivating, with a strong sense of tension and a unique world that draws players in. The combination of atmospheric visuals, sound design, and engaging storytelling contributes to a memorable and enjoyable stealth gameplay experience.
- “In general, the game is very atmospheric and gives a good mood with its gloomy, dark castle dungeons filled with challenging enemies.”
- “The detailed level design immerses you in the goblin's grim world, and the atmosphere is further heightened by the haunting audio, which includes eerie ambient sounds and the goblin protagonist's snarky commentary.”
- “The world is beautifully realized, the atmosphere is thick with tension, and when everything in your shadowy plan occasionally comes together, it's a beautiful thing to behold.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless due to the lack of variety in the enemy department; the same few enemies patrol every map, and there are no citizens present, not even kids or women in the entire game world.”
- “My biggest problem with it is that even though the story isn't that bad, and the setting is unique, and the gameplay is fine, it completely breaks the atmosphere and immersion when it comes to character development.”
- “The game feels like the devs were really trying, but the special something that gives the atmosphere is missing.”
stability
117 mentions
5 % positive mentions
2 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized due to numerous graphical glitches, erratic AI behavior, and inconsistent mechanics that can disrupt gameplay. While some players report minor issues that do not significantly hinder their experience, others find the bugs frustrating enough to detract from overall enjoyment, particularly in stealth scenarios. Overall, the game requires more polish to address these stability concerns, but it still offers engaging gameplay for those willing to overlook its flaws.
- “Game runs great with no issues.”
- “Runs well, good graphics, not buggy.”
- “Aside from the crazy ragdoll here and there, I experienced no glitches, audio or graphical issues of any kind, and the game runs smooth even on an older system.”
- “So many glitches, throws you into areas with zero explanation where creatures immediately start attacking you and there is nothing you can do.”
- “Glitches break the game, don't bother until they get fixed.”
- “The game is buggy and unreliable.”
replayability
91 mentions
34 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game offers a solid level of replayability through repeatable missions, optional challenges, and various approaches to completing objectives, allowing players to explore different play styles and unlock skills. While some players appreciate the multiple paths and hidden collectibles, others criticize the forced nature of replaying entire missions, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the replay value is considered decent, with many opportunities for players to engage in challenges and achieve higher completion rates.
- “Every stage has several different ways to complete them, as there are shortcuts hidden everywhere and mission challenges that will give you extra skill points, so each stage offers replayability.”
- “The game is fun, relatively cheap, and super replayable due to the upgrade system rewarding different styles of run-through.”
- “This stealth game provides a great deal of entertainment, replay value, and room to tackle missions in various ways.”
- “The only con I could say is the level replayability.”
- “A lot of the replay value is also lost due to the fact that you have to replay whole missions comprised of several levels and can't pick specific individual levels and just replay those.”
- “I would say this completely ruins any replay value, and as mentioned most of the talent tree stuff should never have been locked to the player to begin with so now that I have finished the game there are a few talents I would like to unlock left but it is not worth the hassle of going through recycled content (i.e. the levels are recycled once you get about halfway through the game).”
grinding
53 mentions
6 % positive mentions
2 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the need to replay levels for skill points and collectibles. While some enjoy the initial gameplay and stealth mechanics, many express frustration with the lack of meaningful progression and the monotony of backtracking through familiar environments. The game is often described as requiring excessive time investment for minimal reward, leading to a sense of boredom and disengagement in the later stages.
- “Achievements - the achievements in this game were completely reasonable and not very grindy.”
- “Had it been shorter, I think the experience would have been more memorable, but there just isn't enough substance here for a 15-hour playthrough; you're sneaking around, not grinding to level 99 so you can fight Emerald Weapon.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It becomes tedious and boring very fast, because there are so many enemies that you can't really explore the gorgeous settings; instead, you have to beeline to the exit.”
- “I never actually finished the game; I'm the type of player that likes to 100% complete a thing, and it simply became too tedious to have to redo a level two or even three times to complete all the bonus objectives.”
- “While the first impression was good, it soon became clear that this game sadly became more tedious than entertaining.”
optimization
34 mentions
47 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its solid performance and smooth graphics, even on lower-end systems. However, some users report significant frame rate drops and stuttering issues after extended play, indicating that optimization could be improved in certain scenarios. Despite these inconsistencies, the game is generally regarded as well-optimized for its graphics and gameplay mechanics.
- “Good graphics with great optimization, various enemies, good upgrades, divisive stealth mechanics, a great story with a shocking twist in the middle makes this a no-brainer.”
- “The game has pretty nice graphics, perfect optimization and great lore/worldbuilding, akin to the grim fantasy of Dishonored with an emphasis on fantasy creatures.”
- “Performance is perfectly optimized; nice graphics and low system requirements.”
- “I'm not sure if the sequel has better controls, but this one feels very unoptimized.”
- “Biggest problem is optimization; my FPS dropped (not relevant to system requirements).”
- “With perfect consistency, the game will always be stuttering around 30 frames after 80 minutes of playing, and it only gets worse from there, stuttering between 5-25 frames over and over, making the game completely unplayable until you restart it.”
character development
23 mentions
48 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique character design and the protagonist's progression, while others find it lacking depth and immersion. Although there are moments of engaging storytelling and character growth, many feel that the overall development is minimal and could benefit from more lore and narrative depth. The game's atmosphere and visual design are praised, but the repetitive character designs and limited plot development detract from a fully immersive experience.
- “However, when I really got into it, I could see a 10/10 stealth game with a good story, nice character development (for its short duration) and even replayability.”
- “I loved Styx's character development throughout, and I was always looking forward to finding out what happens next with the story after every mission.”
- “The fantasy-setting story is both refreshing and compelling, not lacking in plot twists and character development in a mood reminiscent of Thief: Deadly Shadows.”
- “There are no books, recordings, and what-not to provide more lore and worldbuilding, nor much of any character development.”
- “It is just a little lackluster and does not really pique interest or drive character development.”
- “Almost no plot, character development, intrigue; you either don't know what's going on or you just don't care.”
emotional
19 mentions
79 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of intense emotions while engaging with the game, experiencing frustration and tension due to challenging controls and punishing mechanics, yet also finding moments of relief and satisfaction in gameplay choices. The protagonist's motivations resonate differently with players, leading to feelings of detachment or connection, while the overall narrative is often criticized as lacking depth and engagement. Despite these shortcomings, the stealth mechanics and immersive atmosphere evoke a sense of empowerment and skill, making players feel like adept assassins in a challenging world.
- “It is not easy and it has made me feel tension, frustration, and relief over and over again.”
- “Styx is a nice stealth game with a touching story and perfectly fitting music.”
- “It made me feel like a small, weak badass that could kill anything from the shadows, but hardly anything in the open.”
- “Even though it has some decent stealth mechanics and the main lead is voiced well, it still suffers from a boring story and wonky NPC/AI. It is very punishing, and you will need to reload a lot.”
- “It suffers from a very boring story, stupid AI, misplaced checkpoints for respawning, and lame combat.”
- “Shitty graphics and a kind of boring story.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, which focuses more on the game's strong language and the character of Styx as an anti-hero. Therefore, no specific insights on monetization can be derived from this review.