Styx: Shards of Darkness

Depending on what you’re looking for in your next third person stealth game, Styx may fit the bill. It gets a lot right and is a noticeable improvement from the first game, which itself was pretty good to begin with. It may not carry the history or prestige of some of stealth’s bigger franchises, but if you like the genre at all, Cyanide Studios’ latest effort deserves your attention.

The Goblinthief Styx steals the show again in Styx Shards of Darkness. While the game gets difficult, it keeps you entertained till the end. Styx introduces you to a fantasy world full of mysteries to solve.

The second Styx game plays it safe, but still manages to improve upon its obscure predecessor in significant ways. Recommended!

Since it's first adventure, Styx has grown and now offers quite complex infiltration mechanics, along with a very well done level design that allows for a lot of replayability. The only drawback is the crappy humor and appalling punchlines. A pretty good game overall.

The game mechanics are on par with some of the better known stealth titles out there, and taking place in a massive and beautiful fantasy world only enhances the experience. The typical stealth elements such as hiding in the shadows and hanging off building ledges mix well with the more unique abilities such as invisibility and having a clone run amok to take the focus off of Styx.

What it may lack in narrative development, Styx: Shards of Darkness more than makes up for in its near-faultless gameplay that stands out as a prime example of stealth design done right.

It presents an interesting world to explore but wastes its potential by recycling environments from early missions late in the game. Co-op mode is fun, too, but only selectively as some stealth-only missions seem far more manageable on one's own.

Styx comes back with a satisfying adventure that feels like a big step forward compared to the previous one. It's not one of the best stealth-based games, but still very enjoyable.

In the end, Styx: Shards of Darkness is a solid stealth title. The lack of real combat puts your ability to go undetected to the test, and the breadth of each level means that your solutions to each problem are wide open, giving you some flexibility to your approach. While your abilities are fun to use, it would've been nice to see them make a difference, especially since the game reuses some environments instead of going for new ones. Shards of Darkness is an improvement over the first game, and it's worth checking out if you're a stealth fan.

Styx: Shards of Darkness improves on the original just enough to be interesting when it comes to gameplay mechanics, but much more in the plot aspect and character quality. Its main selling point is Styx's highly sarcastic sense of humour, but the game is not really lengthy, which weighs down the final result. A game to keep an eye on for the moment it is on sale.

Shards of Darkness is a fine sequel to the unexpected and great Master of Shadows. It’s more ambitious, but this results in some other aspects not feeling as polished as they should.

Styx: Shards of Darkness is a safe sequel. The developers have prepared more of the same elements that were praised in the original game. The gameplay is pretty much the same with minor improvements. All of that makes second Styx a good game, but not as surprising as the first one. Still, it's a tasty morcel for fans of stealth games.

Styx: Shards of Darkness improves on its predecessor significantly without having to steer away from its core attributes. Everything from its visuals and dialogue to its gameplay and story have been upgraded and polished to an impressive sheen. It’s still far from being perfect and its style of stealth and combat might not be for everyone, but it’s definitely a challenging and enjoyable experience that sometimes forces you to think hard first before acting.

Overwhelming in size and overflowing with freedom with which to tackle its sprawling campaign, Styx: Shards of Darkness is an unapologetically pure stealth title that might struggle to expand its hardcore appeal beyond the die-hard fans of the genre.

Styx: Shards of Darkness is an evolution of the franchise, and an improvement over a game stealth enthusiasts will greatly enjoy. Don’t expect to run around, daggers raised, and succeed in this one. If a high-quality stealth title is right up your alley, you won’t do wrong with Styx… just turn down the volume in-between deaths.

A stealth game that sticks to its core values and offers some excellent level design, Styx: Shards of Darkness is a solid sequel. It is not without some presentation issues and could really benefit from some better controls on the more delicate maneuvers. If you can get past the crassness of the main character there is much to like.

Despite being so similar compared to Master of Shadows in terms of gameplay, Shards of Darkness improves in visuals and level design, but still has deficiencies in terms of AI and narrative.

It can be a little frustrating, but thankfully these flaws are not so insurmountable that Shards of Darkness stops being a diverting and fun misadventure [June 2017, p81]

If you can look past its ugly mug and terrible tongue, Styx may just throw up some unexpected treasures. [May 2017, p.78]

A creative stealth game that improves on its predecessor, though remains a little rough around the edges. Styx remains a deeply unpleasant character. [May 2017, p.93]

Styx: Shards of Darkness continues the series with as much enthusiasm as its predecessor, and builds upon what made Master of Shadows work so well - the stealth aspect. The fact that Cyanide Studio didn't pay attention to the negative reports on the combat, and kept the mechanic the same as before is practically the only thing that lets the side down in terms of playability. If you want to have to think about getting from point A to point B, and don't mind getting frustrated at times, then this is easily the best way to spend 15-20 hours.

A decent stealth experience, but the AI tends to sour the experience, as does the occasional camera angle issue.

Styx: Shards of Darkness is an enormous improvement over its predecessor. The gameplay has seen a large amount of refinement to the point where it's actually a fun game to play, and Styx himself steals the show with his charismatic performance. It's not without its own set of returning and new defects, but Styx's second adventure is something we can confidently recommend. This is everything the first game should have been.

By no means a perfect game, Styx: Shards of Darkness is still an improvement on the first. As the series continues to progress we can hope to see some better storytelling, world building and crisper graphics and sound, but for now at least we have an enjoyable experience with some interesting ideas to experiment with.

Amid an overcrowded season full of newly launched triple-A titles, Shards of Darkness, at its very best, works as an inconsistent but serviceable stealth experience.

A dated yet enjoyable stealth affair. [Issue#186, p.78]

A dark, challenging stealth game undermined by an unimaginative and rambling story littered with crude gags and lazy pop culture references.

Shards of Darkness could have been a big step forward for the series, giving you a more rounded set of gameplay possibilities, alongside the better looking environments and other areas. Alas it’s not as big an improvement as I’d hoped and is let down by bugs and inconsistencies. It’s a stealth game with one foot stuck in the past, and that remains both a blessing and a curse.

Styx: Shards of Darkness had the potential to be a really fun and clever stealth game in a high-fantasy setting with a memorable and witty protagonist. Unfortunately, it never progresses beyond being a moderately functional game with low-fantasy aspirations and an irredeemable main character that would be pretty forgettable if he wasn’t so damn annoying.