14 DAY TRIAL // 
The character I am controlling is small enough to hide under low slung tables, and that’s the limited cover I am currently using as I try to get a clear look at the routines of the various characters moving around in the environment that I need to traverse to get to my next objective.
I have a basic understanding of how I plan to move in order to reach it, but there are some questions that still linger: do I want to use a clone to distract everyone for a moment and then move fast or is it better to simply use darkness in order to remain unnoticed at all times? Should I kill any of these annoying humans or should I be merciful and conserve my resources?
It’s very easy to die in Styx: Master of Shadows, so planning is as important as executing in the new title created by Cyanide and published by Focus Home Interactive.
The story is relatively simple and is focused on the character from the game’s name as he tries to infiltrate a complex structure called the Tower of Akenash, which is part medieval castle and part research facility, all of it linked to the World Tree, which oozes the amber substance that’s so important to the fantasy world.
There’s plenty of exposition and dialog in Styx: Master of Shadows, but it does not feel important at any point, and the six major missions are mostly an excuse to explore the game world, stay hidden as much as possible and perform silent takedowns on a variety of enemy types, each of them with its own quirk.
The modern trend for most stealth games, from the rebooted Thief to Assassin’s Creed, has been to empower the player and give him tools to be able to get through a fair fight the moment he is discovered.
Styx, as a Goblin, is small and lacks the power to take on guards head on, which means that the game created by Cyanide is very classic in its approach to the genre, with the gamer required to carefully look around, plan where and when he wants to hide in order to avoid being spotted, and then use an array of powers to further disorient guards.
The levels in Master of Shadows are probably the best thing about the game, as they are layered, complex, and interesting to explore in order to find secret areas and to gather all the tokens that can increase the experience reward offered at the end of a mission.
There’s a lot of verticality introduced by the development team at Cyanide and it’s a pleasure to see that there are plenty of alternate paths to get from one place to another, with gamers able to decide exactly how they want to use their invisibility, their clone or their weapons to navigate the environment.
The Tower itself has an interesting look and is inhabited by colorful and powerful enemies, and Styx needs to try and stay out of sight for as long as possible, using muffled kills to take out those who stand in his path and moving bodies in order to avoid discovery.
The computer-controlled guards have various levels of alertness and can be easily avoided most of the time even if they become aware of the existence of Styx, but if they draw their weapons and actually start looking for the goblin, then it’s time to find a quiet spot and linger there until they cease their efforts. However, their eyesight is sometimes so poor that you can stand right next to them without any problems, as seen in the video attached to the review.
The temporary invisibility, which quickly drains the magic like amber powers, is the best bet to get out of a jam quickly, and it helps to have a good grip on the layout of the level in order to disappear from sight.
The best part of Styx: Master of Shadows is exploring the levels and finding new ways to reach a target, but the game can become frustrating because the core mechanics evolve relatively slowly over the course of the campaign.
The save points are placed awkwardly, which means that manual saves are required before attempting any complex move, which is a shame for a stealth-focused title.
Styx: Master of Shadows is a decent looking game, but the development team clearly does not have the resources to match the behemoth launches that are coming later in the fall in the same genre.
The titular character is suitably covered in rags, bits of armor and scars, and there are some moments when the environments created, with their multiple paths and open areas, are beautiful to look at.
But there’s limited detail to the various character models and the in-engine cutscenes can look downright weird at times.
Blood also mysteriously vanishes from floors after combat, and the general feeling is that Cyanide could have done better when it comes to the look of the experience but did not have enough time or developers for it.
The quality is never low enough to impede gameplay, but it sometimes tends to break the immersion the development team is working hard to create the rest of the time.
The sound design is decent but unimpressive, with decent voice acting and some interesting soundtrack choices.
Styx: Master of Shadows does not feature any sort of cooperative or competitive multiplayer.
The Good
- Complex, layered levels
- Stealth mechanics
The Bad
- Some weird enemy behaviors
- Limited graphics quality
Conclusion
The level design is the standout element of the entire experience and there are moments when the layout and the player’s abilities combine in impressive ways.
The title is priced at half of what an AAA release tends to sell for during the fall season and those who have an urge to explore complex environments while constantly experiencing the fear of being discovered can pick the Cyanide experience up and enjoy it.
