Styx: Master of Shadows

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 137 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 137
  2. Mixed: 50 out of 137
  3. Negative: 30 out of 137

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  1. Levin
    Jul 26, 2015
    7
    I want to give this a solid 8, but inconsistecy in the gameplay design makes it a 7, tops. You play the wonderful goblin that brings a few really nice gameplay elements to the table, with the use of amber. Long loading times and few checkpoints throughout the levels makes dying quite frustrating, since its sometimes is a bit unclear what path or action is intended in each situation.I want to give this a solid 8, but inconsistecy in the gameplay design makes it a 7, tops. You play the wonderful goblin that brings a few really nice gameplay elements to the table, with the use of amber. Long loading times and few checkpoints throughout the levels makes dying quite frustrating, since its sometimes is a bit unclear what path or action is intended in each situation. Enemies has to be approached in the "correct" manner in order for the option "kill" to appear. This results in that you at times is standing right next to your foe, without the option to kill, or any other option than to expose yourself and enter "combat", that often leads to your demise. Well even so, it is a quite nice game, free for playstation plus members.… Expand
  2. Lazlo21
    Jul 16, 2015
    7
    This game has the stealth/thief gameplay of thief, mixed with the charm and humor of sly cooper. How could that go wrong? not in many places. I very much enjoy the stealth, and your choice to take different routes, some less risky, some shorter. There is also a variety of different stealth mechanics, such as throwing knives, extinguishing torches, etc. It's "Amber powers" are also fairlyThis game has the stealth/thief gameplay of thief, mixed with the charm and humor of sly cooper. How could that go wrong? not in many places. I very much enjoy the stealth, and your choice to take different routes, some less risky, some shorter. There is also a variety of different stealth mechanics, such as throwing knives, extinguishing torches, etc. It's "Amber powers" are also fairly enjoyable as well, and found myself using the abilities, such as creating a clone or turning invisible for a brief period of time, to get myself out of many situations. The combat is stodgy, as with most stealth games. But that's not really something to complain about, as you want to avoid combat encounters. But the one thing that nearly killed the game for me, is that is the game was frustratingly, controller-smashingly hard. (At least for me anyways.) The areas are very stingy on health, and after getting through a zone or two, you'll be begging for some guards to have a vial in their pockets. The auto saving is the biggest offender of this difficulty. If you get to an auto save with a snickers fun size of health left, you are screwed on all fronts, and might as well restart the zone/mission. Other than this though, I still found the game fairly enjoyable. 7/10… Expand
  3. XxJoseManuelxX
    Aug 16, 2016
    6
    Styx: Master of Shadows is a stealth video game developed by Cyanide, and published by Focus Home Interactive.

    + Good Stealth Mechanics
    - Bland Characters
    - Repetitive Scenarios
  4. XJoseManuel10X
    Mar 8, 2019
    6
    Styx: Master of Shadows is a 2014 stealth video game developed by Cyanide Studios and published by Focus Home Interactive.

    + Good Stealth Mechanics
    + Good Level Design
    - Bland Characters
    - Meh Story
    - Bad Textures
    - Platforming Sections Sometimes Fail

    My Score: 6.5/10
  5. snogwoggle
    Nov 7, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Styx: Master of Shadows is a 3rd person tactical stealth combat game which contains RPG elements. Developed by Cyanide Studios and available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC as a digital download only title, the game world was created using the Unreal 3 engine.

    Set in a medieval times world environment, the protagonist in the game is a goblin assassin who suffers from an identity crisis on a mission to steal the heart of the world tree. Cursed by a lifeblood (amber) substance which stems from the heart of the tree, the player struggles throughout the realm with a constant head splitting addiction to amber, while at the same time dealing with a continuous conflict between the world of humans, orcs, and elves.

    The game uses a real time combat system which is very rudimentary. The gameplay combat system primarily consists of stealth, agility, cloning, amber vision, and kill abilities that are all tied into a skill points leveling system. Throughout the course of the game, the player acquires skill points during missions which can then be spent on special abilities at the player’s hideout for use during gameplay. The user interface consists of a semi-HUD that displays the characters life bar and amber meters, as well as an inventory indicator that allows the player to be able to cycle items for use during gameplay. There is also a tool-tip/pop-up button that helps direct the player’s actions during stealth mode and while in combat.

    Action during gameplay is relatively slow paced as the game requires the player to plan out their tactics very strategically, otherwise death can ensue very quickly. The idea behind the amber skill in the game allows the player to use special abilities during gameplay which are essential to survival, such as the use of stealth mode to hide effectively while in the shadows and the deploying of clones to create distraction scenarios. Once the player gets the hang of navigation during the game, that’s when the character’s combat skills really come alive, especially with the use of amber in combination with precision tactics, like the covered, aerial, and hanging kill skills.

    The in-game cut-scenes help drive the player’s actions forward during gameplay and the voice over acting is very solid as well. The levels in the game become somewhat monotonous however, because the player is forced to back-track through them several times during the game to access the hideout, which is the central hub for leveling in the game. The game is also a little lackluster at the end, as it lacks any real sort of final boss fight cathartic moment.

    Overall the game is enjoyable to play, (especially when considering the playful dialogue and the random kill animations), however after completion, the game offers limited replay-ability. Outside of accomplishing secondary side quests to acquire relics and/or gather insignias (mainly for trophy/achievement unlocks), there isn’t much else to do in the world. On a scale of 1 to 100, I’d give this title a score of 7.5.    … Expand
  6. BaronMonaco
    Apr 2, 2016
    7
    I played this game thanks to the PS+ subscription but I'll review it like if i bought it as is no longer available for free.

    After the boring Of Orcs And Men Cyanide Studios decided to focus on what worked (the universe and the infiltration) to make a better game, did they succeed ? First technically the game is not worthy of PS4 but on the other side it wasn't sell at a full 70€/$ tag    I played this game thanks to the PS+ subscription but I'll review it like if i bought it as is no longer available for free.

    After the boring Of Orcs And Men Cyanide Studios decided to focus on what worked (the universe and the infiltration) to make a better game, did they succeed ?
    First technically the game is not worthy of PS4 but on the other side it wasn't sell at a full 70€/$ tag price so I would not be too harsh on this point, but nothing will excuse some ragdoll bugs or even "game closing" errors. Clearly the studio could have done a better job.

    Concerning the gameplay Styx: Master of Shadows is a true infiltration game, and a challenging one, all the infiltrations elements are well thought the maps offer a good verticality and a large variety of options to succeed, fighting is (almost) not an option, so if you like to wait for the right time to make your move and to plan all your actions this is a game for you, because if you don't you'll most likely fail and start over, by the way let me give you a piece of advise, think to save manually every time you succeed what you was aiming
    because if you're counting on the checkpoint you'll lose a lot of time.

    The story is pretty good with a nice twist in the middle and the universe is definitely interesting and I still wish to know more . If you want to do all the secondary objectives you can expect the game to last 15 hours but they reused the maps a lot and the game lacks of original locations.

    All in all Styx is a nice infiltration game but it lacks optimisation (technically but also in the game design) to make it a true reference for the genre. Advisable to infiltration lovers that will not judge the game for its low budget.    … Expand
  7. The_Garays
    Dec 1, 2015
    5
    No doubt it's a stealth game, if you like action this is not your game.

    I tried it for a few days and it didn't convince me. At least I ended enjoying the main character with his sarcastic comments, but even so it didn't gain me. The story seems repetitive, something that has already been seen many times, but this time you are the thief... Not very impressive graphics... I didn't    No doubt it's a stealth game, if you like action this is not your game.

    I tried it for a few days and it didn't convince me. At least I ended enjoying the main character with his sarcastic comments, but even so it didn't gain me.

    The story seems repetitive, something that has already been seen many times, but this time you are the thief... Not very impressive graphics... I didn't like the atmosphere either.

    Still, if you enjoy playing on stealth and not create unnecessary battle, try it out, you'll like it.    … Expand
  8. josesueiro
    May 1, 2016
    6
    Styx: Master of Shadows is a stealth video game developed by Cyanide, and published by Focus Home Interactive.

    + Good Stealth Mechanics
    - Bland Characters
    - Repetitive Scenarios
  9. Sparkticle
    Nov 6, 2015
    7
    This is a stealth game than can be fun depending on how you enjoy approaching stealth games. If you love feeling weak and limited - this game is for you, as you do feel weak and limited. Fighting against your enemies upfront is next to impossible, and the level design is solely based around stealth. Fun? Sure, for a little while. Not for too long.
  10. Machi
    Jul 23, 2015
    6
    I really wanted to like this game, but it just didn't do it for me.

    The story is genuinely interesting, but nothing groundbreaking. The main character has a pretty interesting personality, but it is marred by the constant in-his-head chatter that just feels like a mashup of Crypto's lines from Destroy All Humans. The gameplay is fun at times and dreadfully boring at others. Your    I really wanted to like this game, but it just didn't do it for me.

    The story is genuinely interesting, but nothing groundbreaking. The main character has a pretty interesting personality, but it is marred by the constant in-his-head chatter that just feels like a mashup of Crypto's lines from Destroy All Humans. The gameplay is fun at times and dreadfully boring at others. Your abilities seem pretty limited, and there are not many new features brought to the stealth game table aside from the cloning system, which is an interesting idea. The worst part to me is the autosaving; not only can you be screwed if an autosave happens when you have extremely low health, but sometimes you'll get halfway through the level, die, and then have to restart the entire level over again because the last autosave was at the beginning of the level! Overall the game feels like a re-skin of Thief: Deadly Shadows (but with stupid-simple lockpicking; seriously, you just hold a button) with a Destroy All Humans main character personality and the Dishonored style of "Multiple Paths", but lessened due to being unable to warp to higher platforms like in dishonored.    … Expand
  11. Yerczeys
    Nov 15, 2016
    7
    Styx is an incredible game that comes at us with some disappointing features. Like a blind date that starts magically before they casually admit they chew on their toenails. I'll start with the bad.

    This game felt decidedly unfinished. The opening cutscene itself looked like it was using pre-rendered graphics and every one after that used artwork instead. There were minor errors all    Styx is an incredible game that comes at us with some disappointing features. Like a blind date that starts magically before they casually admit they chew on their toenails. I'll start with the bad.

    This game felt decidedly unfinished. The opening cutscene itself looked like it was using pre-rendered graphics and every one after that used artwork instead. There were minor errors all over the place like corpses blending with walls making them impossible to pick up, irregular sensory patterns from the guards meaning they'd notice you sometimes and not other times, other guards would get stuck in positions and just rotate in place making them very difficult to gank or sneak by, there would be random alerts caused by I know not what. Ass ghosts maybe. I even had one save where a guard went into search and destroy mode while I was hiding and wouldn't move, de-agg, or find me so I had to restart the level. These problems all united in an effort to piss me off and found myself sighing and reloading a lot. The combat was also atrocious, just about the worst I've ever encountered, but you weren't forced to engage in it often and I chose not to. But the biggest offender to my sense of decency was the reuse of levels. You pass through about twenty levels in the game, but there are only about eight maps. That was sad to me. The maps they have are fantastic but going through the same ones several times begin tedious.

    The above listed complaints would sink most games but I gave it a seven because the highlights were impressive. The first thing I noticed was the music. The score to this game is easily among the best I've ever heard. Second thing that took me was the atmosphere with which I immediately fell in love. The levels were intricate and laid out in a very fun way which was a treat to explore. The characters felt well thought-out and interesting. And the plot. Oh my god the plot. Plot is a big thing for me in games and I found this one stellar. It drove me to complete the game despite the very disappointing latter half with its recycled levels.

    So in the end it's sad that I have to give this game only a seven, because if it had spent more time being fine tuned and fleshed out it may have hit a ten. If you're driven through a game by plot, atmosphere, and characters like I am then give it a shot. Otherwise you may want to pass.    … Expand
  12. HaloFever
    May 17, 2016
    6
    Competent stealth game that isn't terrible. Full disclosure: This was a PS Plus freebie, I am playing on easy mode, and I'm not very far into the game.

    As a stealth game, Styx works. Enemies have a field of vision and hearing. There are multiple paths including the tried and true duct work. Styx comes with powers such as a controllable clone, invisibility, and the ability to see through    Competent stealth game that isn't terrible. Full disclosure: This was a PS Plus freebie, I am playing on easy mode, and I'm not very far into the game.

    As a stealth game, Styx works. Enemies have a field of vision and hearing. There are multiple paths including the tried and true duct work. Styx comes with powers such as a controllable clone, invisibility, and the ability to see through walls. It's like a fantasy version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. That is, except for the combat.

    The addition of brutal murders seems like a poor design decision. This could have been a game focused on stealth for the sake of stealth alone. Instead, you have a rudimentary combat, stealth take-downs, and places to hide bodies. It really does play like a fantasy version of Deus Ex. This is a shame, because the original Thief was already a great fantasy stealth game (and in my opinion the game that started the stealth genre). Styx is thus saddled with a design that does not set it apart from better stealth games nor does it push the genre forward.

    After a few hours of playing around with the stealth mechanics, I checked the How Long to Beat website. Apparently Styx takes about 18 hours to beat. Seriously? I just can't see myself spending 18 hours on this title. I'll give it a try, but I think the game would be better off as a nice 10 hour adventure.    … Expand
  13. SuperkenGaming
    Feb 13, 2017
    7
    Styx Master of Shadows
    Hardcore Stealth
    In Master of Shadows you’re on your own, no more giant orc by your side... You’re Styx after the heart of the world tree If this is your introduction to Styx He’s a stealthy goblin and easily the best part of Of Orcs and Men Despite your initial thoughts that this game is just assassins creed with a goblin… it’s much more on the hitman meets    Styx Master of Shadows
    Hardcore Stealth
    In Master of Shadows you’re on your own, no more giant orc by your side...
    You’re Styx after the heart of the world tree
    If this is your introduction to Styx He’s a stealthy goblin and easily the best part of Of Orcs and Men
    Despite your initial thoughts that this game is just assassins creed with a goblin… it’s much more on the hitman meets dishonored side with the verticality of assassins creed and is easily the hardest stealth game I’ve ever played…
    |As the name suggests you have to master the shadows…
    Enemies can still see and detect you as you move through the shadows and they’ll even check hiding spots…
    it’s your job to find the best route through the 8 missions of this game..
    Each mission lasting easily 2-3 hours each because of how difficulty the stealth gameplay is…
    You have at your disposal, 2 throwing knifes, throwable sand to put out torches and the ability to create a clone of yourself... getting to your objective is reliant on your ability to sneak past guards and distract them
    You can get into hand to hand combat, but it’s hardly ever worth it as areas are crawling with enemies that will surround you and kill you while you’re locked into a garbage combat system parrying 1-5 times to be able to kill your enemy…
    The being locked in part is the worst…
    you’re able to roll away if you try hard enough.. But the camera stays locked on your alerted enemy trying to kill you... making it almost impossible to run most of the time…
    Unfortunately the game also spoon feeds you abilities…
    As you complete missions and side objectives within mission you’re awarded skill points to buff your agility, stealth, and combat to name a few to be able to hold more items and do new assassinations…
    You have to earn your way up to an air assassination which is annoying… but it’s the games way of teaching you the shadows... so slightly forgivable...
    The game also constantly introduces new enemies with new rules...
    some of them feel cheap though, to prevent spoilers ill just say by the end you’ll be using your clone more than the shadows to distract and lure instead of just as a switch thrower like you’ve been doing…
    I wasn’t a fan of the exploding skills or annoying beetles… but I did appreciate the fact that they were always changing the gameplay making the game just as hard throughout your journey as it is from the start… it never gets easy.. You never feel like you’re a master assassin...
    constant vulnerability... which makes for very tense moments…
    Completing these mission are genuinely satisfying because of this…
    But sadly the 2nd half of the game is really just doing the first half of the game backwards this time with harder enemies which is a bit of a disappointment… it felt like the game was dragging itself out just for the sake of it.. there’s no shame in a game being 10 hours long…
    Doubling your length be reusing levels just feels lazy
    And the game drags on for so long that your start to see massive flaws in the ai..
    They don’t act natural... they seemingly always know where you are, just waiting for you to get into their line of sight to make you restart from a checkpoint…
    you can’t confuse them which breaks immersion and kind of makes you feel like you’re getting lucky at times instead of outsmarting them…
    Which brings me to the biggest issue this game has…
    Its checkpoints and load times..
    You can save this game at any time... do it... don’t rely on the games auto save because it’s horrible and even corrupted on me in the final boss fight…
    When you feel you’ve made progress, save the game…
    But since this game is so difficulty and since stealth games are so much about trial and error.. it’s inexcusable to have load times as long as these are…
    I’m convinced half of my time was spent waiting for the game to load after messing up and dying…
    Master of Shadows
    Is a really good and a really challenging stealth game…
    But its clock in combat systems, magnet headed ai, repeat levels, and painfully long load times stop it from reaching the status of greatness…
    But if you’re a stealth fan definitely still play it.
    I give Styx:    … Expand
  14. Heisenberg93
    May 31, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Styx: Master of Shadows can be defined as a proper example of AA (double-A) video game productions which became widespread during the 2010s. I've been wanting to play Master of Shadows for years after trying the demo.

    Styx is a video game prequel set in a new universe from the makers of "Of Orcs and Men". Although the plot initially appears lighthearted, it gradually evolves into a serious and thought-provoking narrative that explores themes such as identity, free will, vengeance, and consequences. The game follows the protagonist, Styx, a goblin who is revealed to be a clone controlled by his master. Styx desires independence and takes risks to assert his identity. However, his actions lead to disastrous outcomes and threaten the balance of the world. The game's ending has a lasting impact, with the original Styx regretting being a goblin, and the cloned Styx giving rise to a new species. The game's plot is impressive, with rich lore, detailed environments, and excellent writing featuring witty and deep characters and dialogues. It is like a Greek tragedy in a dark-fantasy setting.

    Styx is a stealth video game that offers deep gameplay mechanics and the freedom to choose different paths through levels. The game does an excellent job of providing players with a wide range of tools and abilities to sneak past enemies, hiding and using distractions to avoid detection and complete objectives. Successfully completing missions without triggering alarms, avoiding any deaths, and completing time trials, along with accomplishing secondary objectives, can result in the accumulation of more experience points (EXP). These points can be utilized to unlock new skills. One of Styx's unique mechanics is the ability to create clones of himself to distract enemies or reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. The game also offers a non-linear level design, which allows players to choose different paths through each level and also discover hidden areas. As such, levels in Styx are designed with a focus on verticality, meaning that players can navigate through levels in both horizontal and vertical directions. It's necessary to use movement abilities and stealth skills to navigate through complex environments while avoiding detection. The game challenges players to somewhat think creatively to successfully complete objectives without being detected.

    Despite its strengths, Styx also has several drawbacks that need to be considered. While the game's non-linear level design is a plus, there are moments where there is only one way to progress. Styx heavily relies on trial and error gameplay, which can be frustrating, and there are issues with the detection system based on darkness, which is inconsistent in its functionality. The game's AI can also be clunky and not behave as expected, which can break immersion and cause frustration. Moreover, in some areas, there are too many overlapping enemies, making it difficult to complete objectives without being detected. The Elves enemies, in particular, possess the ability to detect Styx's scent, even if they don't see him, which can ruin stealthy playthroughs. Additionally, the lack of stats visualization during missions is questionable.

    Styx runs on Unreal Engine, which results in good-looking graphics that are aesthetically pleasing, although not groundbreaking or notable. There are some annoying graphical glitches. The game features a nice soundtrack that complements the game's dark, mysterious setting and great voiceover performances that bring the game's characters to life.

    Styx is a stealth video game with non-linear level design and deep gameplay mechanics and a great narrative. It's a video game where its fundamentally good gameplay basics barely counterbalance a plethora of negative aspects, including occasional frustrating AI and too many enemies in certain areas which exacerbate trial and error. Still, Styx is worth checking out for fans of the stealth genre.    … Expand
  15. KayVen17
    Dec 28, 2021
    7
    ### Deutsche Review ###
    Ich war gut unterhalten. Ich hatte sogar an manchen Stellen wieder soviel Spaß wie noch zu Zeiten von Splinter Cell (auf Schleichspiele bezogen). Leider stößt mir allerdings die zweite Hälfte etwas sauer auf.
    Der Endkampf grenzte sogar eher an Glück als an Skill. Man muss, aber auch dazu sagen, dass ich den zweiten Teil vorher gespielt habe. Dieser hat alles was    ### Deutsche Review ###
    Ich war gut unterhalten. Ich hatte sogar an manchen Stellen wieder soviel Spaß wie noch zu Zeiten von Splinter Cell (auf Schleichspiele bezogen). Leider stößt mir allerdings die zweite Hälfte etwas sauer auf.
    Der Endkampf grenzte sogar eher an Glück als an Skill. Man muss, aber auch dazu sagen, dass ich den zweiten Teil vorher gespielt habe. Dieser hat alles was ich hier kritisiert habe wirklich verbessert.

    Es ist gut. Aber auch nicht mehr.    … Expand
  16. JoseManuel10_
    Nov 12, 2022
    6
    Styx: Master of Shadows is a stealth video game developed by Cyanide, and published by Focus Home Interactive.

    + Good Stealth Mechanics
    - Bland Characters
    - Repetitive Scenarios
  17. LeonHabs
    Apr 25, 2023
    7
    Styx: Master of Shadows is all about sneaking from A to B, preferably without being seen. There are rarely consequences if you are spotted, as the game is forgiving here.
    The story is rather simple, a typical fantasy world with orcs, goblins and elves. The main character Styx on the other hand has the most charm, his typical, nasty one-liners provide here and there for laughs.
    In terms    Styx: Master of Shadows is all about sneaking from A to B, preferably without being seen. There are rarely consequences if you are spotted, as the game is forgiving here.
    The story is rather simple, a typical fantasy world with orcs, goblins and elves. The main character Styx on the other hand has the most charm, his typical, nasty one-liners provide here and there for laughs.
    In terms of gameplay, it's like a typical stealth game, with different options and abilities. The levels are very large and divided into several areas, a whole level lasts on average between 30min to over an hour.
    For me it's a pretty solid steahgame and I can recommend it if you like sneaking, silent take downs and big areas to explore.    … Expand
  18. dxtrdnt
    Jun 24, 2023
    6
    Decent stealth game. Its biggest strengths are the level design which is surprisingly good as well as the skills your character can learn and how they can change the way you approach some situations. I would strongly recommend trying to play it without being seen, since duels and fights are not only dull but they also break whatever immersion built.

    The story and lore are a bit    Decent stealth game. Its biggest strengths are the level design which is surprisingly good as well as the skills your character can learn and how they can change the way you approach some situations. I would strongly recommend trying to play it without being seen, since duels and fights are not only dull but they also break whatever immersion built.

    The story and lore are a bit underwhelming, as well as the characters. Technically it's not good for a ps4 game and another lackluster is that the levels end up using the same maps in the end, which makes it feel a bit repetitive.

    Overall: there aren't many pure stealth games nowadays and this is one that does the job and is quite fun to play. For those who aren't much into the stealth genre I honestly would not recommend it, since not much else of the game is worth the experience.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Best PS4 Game of 2014
62
#62 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
72
#72 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. Hobby Consolas
    Jul 16, 2015
    71
    While it's a decent stealth game, Styx: Master of Shadows doesn't meet PS4's quality standards due to its bland AI, basic combat system and poor graphic design.
    Read full review
  2. Gamers' Temple
    Feb 24, 2015
    86
    Pick up Styx if you're a fan of staying in the shadows and don't want to have to dust off your old PS2 just to play a proper stealth game.
    Read full review
  3. LaPS4
    Feb 16, 2015
    71
    Styx: Master of Shadows is quite an interesting stealth adventure, both for its enjoyable moments as for the variety it offers once you unlock different skills. A good example of what can be achieved without the nowadays common excess of action.
    Read full review
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