Styx: Shards of Darkness Reviews

10/10

Play the first one instead

Amazing game!!!!

great stealth game!

This game is the perfect stealth game, it is great! Hope they continue to make others!

I snagged this game on sale for around $3 (along with it's prequel: Master of Shadows) and despite some very noticeable flaws, I found it to be an enjoyable experience and something I'd recommend for those in the market for an all-in stealth experience. Pros: -Core mechanics are great and more polished than the first game (such as no BS auto lock-on when you're discovered). This isn't like the sneaking missions in RDR2 or Uncharted that felt like obnoxious filler in order to get back to the meat of the game. I'd say the stealth mechanics most closely match predator mode in the Arkham games, just spread out over much larger areas. So if that sounds interesting, there is likely a lot of fun here for you. The level up and crafting mechanics are simple and well designed (albeit a little unbalanced). -Interesting lore and characters. When the characters are taking themselves seriously they blend fantastically into the rich lore. When they don't...(see cons). -You get to play as a goblin! Goblin Slayer set back goblin rights years and it upsets me because goblins are easily one of the most undersold, mistreated generic fantasy races. Not all goblins are rapists you monstrous troll! Sorry...that was very ugly of me...but not as ugly as a typical Goblin Slayer fan :3. Goblin x human romance when, you cowards? -Great level variety. The first game struggled a little with variety due to tons of brown-gray citadel/dungeon levels that repeat partway through the game. This game has you visiting awesome locales like a slum built on stilts over a bog, an elven city built in the side of a mountain, and steampunk style airship! Some levels do repeat, but Shards of Darkness does a good job making them feel fresh by using new objective locations and starting points. -Solid sound, music, and voice acting. Styx's voice actor, in particular, suites him perfectly. -Great graphics and art style. -Very good keyboard and mouse support. Cons: -Core story and much of the dialogue struggle to land. There is some genuinely good character writing and lore building here but it is CONSTANTLY undercut by Deadpool-style banter and fourth-wall breaking nonsense. This worked for Deadpool (well, at least the first one) but here it taints the good parts of the writing. Styx: "Call of BOOTY". No, that's not funny Styx. Styx: "To infinity and Beyond!" Stop it, Styx! You get ONE more strike! Styx: "Why don't you give me the controller--". Controller? Oh no, goblins are too cool to be console fanboys especially when this game plays well on KnM! Styx: "Big girls aren't my type!" You're a monster! (but not because you're a goblin). The core story itself gets lost in all the "laughs" and Mcguffins which is unfortunate because there is a great story here about an unwanted outcast, who never had a choice in life until recently, trying to find kinship and purpose in a world filled with assholes, but it never quite weaves together before the unnatural cliffhanger ending. -Some polish issues. I definitely ran into some bugs (graphical and gameplay) and the enemy AI can be a dumb or finicky at times; they may see you with a sixth sense, and at times miss you walking in front of their face! Neither was enough to destroy my enjoyment, but I'd be lying to saying it's a perfectly polished game. -Difficulty can be frustrating. This is definitely partially a me thing because I'm not a pro stealth game player, but there are also plenty of unfair, souls-like deaths that can send you very far back unless you manually save (the quicksave/F5 key is your best friend in this game). I easily died 100+ times and I wouldn't have finished the game without manual saves. It'd also be great if they game had a map. Even one you had to track down would be better than nothing. -The first boss is just awful. It's just a lot of platforming with no checkpoint and cheesy deathtraps. I'm not typically a big fan of the stealth genre, but both Styx games ended up being quite a bit of fun. They definitely aren't for everyone due to their shortcomings and dedication purist stealth, but if you are interested, they often go on sale for only a couple of bucks.

Just like Styx: Master of Shadows, Shards of Darkness is a great stealth game with good game design. The levels are vertical, the mechanics are smooth and interesting. It's a challenging yet well-crafted game, and everything is fine except for the bosses.

Great game if you like a stealth/thief challenge. Humor is ok but gets old quick. Sometimes the mechanics can be a pain, especially when you're spotted and have to fight. I find parrying a bit tricky, but I'm old. But overall it's a pretty cute stealthy goblin killer game.