Article by Pietro Gualano
Styx: Master of Shadows, a game launched by Cyanide Studios about two years ago, was a rather controversial title: the game had great merits, this is undeniable, but it fell ruinously in some of its components and couldn't convince 100%. Fans, however, have certainly appreciated the title and consequently Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive have decided to invest again in this IP by proposing Styx: Shards of Darkness.
The purpose of the development team with this project is quite evident: to take the formula seen in the first Styx and improve it as much as possible to offer the public a more refined and refined experience than in the past. Have they succeeded? Let's find out together!
The world tree
Styx is set in a fantasy world where humans and elves work together to protect the world tree located inside the huge abandoned tower of Akenash. Our aim in the game is to infiltrate this mysterious place to discover the reasons for a strange alliance, but also to shed light on our origins and to better understand our past. We don't mean much to avoid spoilers, but we can definitely guarantee that the guys from Cyanide did a good job with the narrative component: the countryside is rather pleasant and the events narrated can be followed in a fluid way and without too many oddities. There are no particularly shocking twists, this is true, but the characters are well written and characterized and we honestly enjoyed following the story of the strange protagonist.
The main actor is irreverent and likeable, we are not faced with a tormented soul ready to make a massacre and the style of Styx: Shards of Darkness is practically always light ... If you are looking for an epic fantasy this title is probably not the most suitable for you, even if narratively like we said he defends himself more than well (final excluded).
The large open levels designed by the Cyanide guys contribute significantly to giving that extra touch of mystery to the game: we almost never find ourselves in very large areas since the title is all a succession of labyrinthine passages and sections. We really liked the way the developers used perspective: some openings and some tools can only be noticed by looking from certain areas and this helps to raise the level of challenge proposed by the game.
To the thief!
Our protagonist, as you may have guessed, is not exactly a saint and is a true specialist when it comes to stealing and murdering. On the fighting, however, he leaves something to be desired: Styx is not a warrior and when he is discovered the best idea is generally to run away. Styx: Shards of Darkness is essentially a stealth game with some interesting RPG components, a game where the only weapons we have at our disposal are Styx's agility and skills. Our goblin is almost 200 years old and has learned tricks ... he can hide corpses with simple flasks, climb nimbly in seconds, distract guards with various gadgets, poison food left unattended and much more. Completing a level in Styx without getting caught is not particularly easy but it gives great satisfaction, fortunately the Cyanide guys have worked well with the artificial intelligence of the enemies that every now and then manage to surprise with brilliant and unexpected behavior.
Styx: Shards of Darkness, as we mentioned earlier, has some typical role-playing components: in the course of their adventure, players have the opportunity to evolve their character, developing different skills according to their favorite style. We can invest our experience in magic, infiltration, murder… The skills proposed in the game work and are pleasant to use, we particularly appreciated the one related to the clones which allows Styx to activate a sort of teleportation but we also have other original ones.
There are also some kinds of boss fights that, however, have not convinced us 100%, probably the most pleasant sections of Styx: Shards of Darkness are those in which you wander through the well-structured vertical maps to steal and discover new mysteries.
In the course of our test, in conclusion, we did not have the opportunity to better test the co-op component of the game: we want to wait a little longer to comment on the quality of the multiplayer.
A good engine
Technically speaking Styx: Shards of Darkness is a good title but nothing more. We tested the product on PC and graphically there are no huge defects: the engine used for the occasion is Unreal Engine 4 and the guys from Cyanide have certainly done a good job. The management of the light, fundamental in a stealth game, is more than enough while the animations of the protagonist and the enemies did not disappoint us. The textures are generally cured and we have practically never happened to get stuck in sections of the map or to notice polygonal interpenetrations. The character models were certainly well crafted and it is interesting to note the details on Styx's body, while the environmental models may be repeated a little too often. The frame-rate is pretty solid except in some moments and there is no shortage of minor bugs related to the audio and the movements of the characters: we are talking, in any case, of really secondary problems that do not compromise the overall experience in the least.
The soundtrack did not convince us 100% and we would have appreciated more effort, while the audio effects are generally clean and free of particular imperfections. The game is fully subtitled in español, but unfortunately it has not been dubbed in our language.
Conclusion
Styx: Shards of Darkness is definitely a good title that incorporates all the best aspects of its predecessor: we are talking about a fun and light stealth game capable of capturing the player with its particular style. The plot is not particularly epic, this is true, but it lets itself be followed and there are also interesting gameplay mechanics. The RPG components work and the game levels are well designed with vertical maps featuring an interesting use of perspective.
In conclusion, therefore, we can promote Styx: Shards of Darkness: the game is recommended not only to fans of the predecessor, but also to those who are simply looking for a quality stealth game.
