Styx: Shards of Darkness

+

.

soo gg

Styx and Stones may break my bones, but at least I'm no a stinkin green skin.

great game

Great Stealth game, better than the first.

The minute-to-minute gameplay of this is quite possibly some of the best the stealth genre has to offer, especially third person stealth games. The story is fine, I enjoyed the characters, but that cliffhanger is very awkward, especially since people had to wait nearly a decade for the sequel to even be announced. And yes, Styx makes an occasional quip, fourth wall break, or pop culture reference, which feels very odd considering he did none of that in the first game, which is a blemish on this game. However, while I do feel like if I had played this back when it released, it probably would have been the peak of cringe to me, with how much worse writing in general has gotten in the years since, this seems exceptionally tame and reserved with those sorts of things, especially since they mainly only happen when you die.
Overall, a quality stealth title with the occasional bit of meh dialogue. Number/10

If you like Stealth games this is very solid. Good mechanics and level design with many ways to go about things. Also has coop! More refined from the first game which was also great.

At first It was fun but that quickly disappeared, for me anyway. The atmosphere is ambient and the green guy can be funny at times but the game play lacks in many areas. The controls are OK, if you use a controller, the bonus objectives are nice but can be difficult at times. The enemies are numerous and not all lights can be extinguished, requiring you to use most of the tools in your inventory, in order to remain hidden and progress successfully. Not a bad game, just not for me.... way too frustrating.

The first one was pretty good but honestly this beats it by a mile. Looking forward to the next one!

Again, solid game! Replaying these is so much fun. 10/10

An excellent stealth game that can be compared to the best! Climbing and grabbing the edges can sometimes be a bit unresponsive, but most of the times it is great. Stealth is done remarkably, I truly enjoy it and there are some fun ways to dispose of your enemies using the environment. Can't wait for the new Styx coming out this year. In the meantime, play this one. You will not regret it!

I cant force myself to keep playing this game. I know they improved the gameplay,the level design and graphics,but i really cant dea'l with the damn Marvel humor that ruins scenes that are supposed to be taken seriously. The first game had their funny moments,but were placed well enough to make sense with the setting,and Styx was more of a sarcastic a-hole but smart, and had those moments were still was able to show compassion for someone else

The amount of real world references and jokes pushes you out of the immersion. Styx can't stop talking, trying to be funny.Sometimes goes to such lenghts talking that i ended jumping in the void below to make him shut up (for the love of god,if you want to go with this game,go to the options and disable the post death cinematics. Do you remember before how i mention this game is filled with references? Yes,this one is for the Batman: Arkham series,just worse in every way,with twitter humor and,yes,more references). For the plot,played too little,but already im seeing a lot of plotholes and nonsensical decisions (Why there's a small rudimentary air balloon attached to a giant flying ship? To just let a small goblin escape?)


Blade of Greed is coming soon,and i really REALLY hope they will tone down completely this nonsense.

stealth infiltration game

It's all fun and games until the Boss Fight. I've seen videos of people defeating it, but I'm sure it took hours and hours of retries. I didn't sign on for this. I didn't finish the first game, either. I hope the third installment is better. It's a shame, because this was a better game than the first. for about 27 hours (10 for most people, heh) and then it's no longer fun.

Since Blade of Greed is comming soon, I hope he's caked the f*ck up, booty showing, jiggling, as i stroke my chicken while trying to flee from guards. Or something...

First introduction to the game was a youtube short showing the different death messages you'll get from styx and man seeing a character with so much personality immediately got me invested. After seeing it was a stealth assassin type game I knew it was a must buy and damn does it deliver; it isn't perfect by any means and definitely has some bugs here and there, but it's well worth your money and time and I'm surprised it isn't more popular

This is the second Styx game and surpasses the first in just about every way. The gameplay offers more, the engine it was made in runs smoother and allows for a more general better feeling all around compared to the first game. As a stealth game it's one of the most enjoyable i've ever played and offers great replayability thanks to the insignias. Beating levels in certain ways (i.e without getting caught, within x minutes) will reward you with additional skill points to use to strengthen your character and make the game even more enjoyable. This game also has co op and while i haven't played with that myself, it does allow you to keep all of your skills and abilities when playing with a friend which is great fun. It's rare to see co op or really any kind of multiplayer component in a stealth game imo, i hope the next Styx games will have it as well. This game also has unlockable outfits and weapons although it's EXTREMELY limited. You only unlock 2 outfits in the game (one from your skills and another late into the game) and I believe only 2 unlockable daggers as well? Same deal, one from a earlyish level and another one from your skills. There is a dlc that adds another 1 dagger and 1 outfit but i left a review for that already. I wish this system was expanded upon because it's really neat to be able to customize how you wanna get through these levels. All the unlockable weapons and outfits have an upside and a downside so they can cater to your playstyle. Again, really cool system but i wish it was expanded upon and hopefully they bring this back with the next Styx game. Just like with the first game, this game also has fun and easy achievements to get if you're into that sort of thing. These games also allow you to replay any levels you have previously beaten and they do include the cutscenes and dialogue which you can watch again if you wanted to re-experience it.

NPCS ARE A PAIN

We gettin' Stycky in this bish

good

styx 2 goblin boogaloo

upgrade from the first one

It's been a while since I played a stealth assassin game this fun! Styx is a real menace and I can't help laughing at his jokes and sarcasm. I also love the Dishonored, Thief and even AC references. Speaking of Dishonored, the NPC models in Styx move exactly like the ones there. To a big extent, the game feels like Dishonored but in 3rd person, with a funny gobo, and with jankier physics.

I only wish Styx could close doors. What's up with that, seriously?

"Order in a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, please. This is gonna take time!"

The level design and parkour for this game is far better than Master of Shadows. The story are not bad. End in a cliffhanger. It would suck but then Blade of Greed is coming up. The level repeat just like the last game but it doesn't concern me. Overall a fantastic game

great game worth a buy

I love the Styx games, and this one was incredible!! I nearly rage-quit a few times, but despite that I loved seeing references to the previous game and the hilarious death screens. Can't wait for the new game later this year!

Also I really like Djarak<3

Kinda jank, but its a fun time with a mate. Buy when its on sale for like 3 bucks

Amazing Amazing Amazing game love it at all heart.Story dialog stealth everything amazing.

I died and the character in the game told me in the cutscene: "You are ugly and You will never get laid."
super realistic game 10/10

The best stealth game, bar none. I've played this game for hundreds of hours (off Steam) and Master of Shadows likewise, and I can't get enough of this franchise. Here's to another unforgettable experience in Blades of Greed!

One of the best stealth games

Can't believe we're getting a new Styx game! Can't wait to play as the little shit-talker again!

It was all good and annoying until got the ending scene

I'm the ghost in the sheell!

amazıng voıce actıng and writing , very fun game overall, we need styx 3

10/10

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.

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

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 stealth game!

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.

Play the first one instead

Amazing game!!!!

Boring stealth

we going goblin mode with this one
10/10

fun stealth game with some good humor in it

just such a slog

Was a great co-op game to play with my partner.