Styx: Master of Shadows Reviews

Styx: Master of Shadows is ranked in the 37th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Oct 7, 2014

This ultra-hard stealth game kind of feels like it came out ten years ago, but in a good way.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2014

A little buggy and a little glitchy, but a whole lot of stealthy.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2014

Styx: Master of Shadows is not a great game and the timing of its launch is somewhat unfortunate as many gamers are probably still enjoying the stealth approach in Shadow of Mordor, but for old school fans of the genre it does offer a solid experience with some nice level design and cool character abilities.

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CGMagazine
Jason D’Aprile
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Dec 1, 2014

Styx: Master of Shadows isn't terrible, but it follows the template of the genre to the letter, warts and all.

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6.5 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2014

Our verdict is probably to think long and hard before purchasing. Even though Styx only retails for $30, which Cyanide Games certainly deserve for their hard work in creating an awesome character and a good overall stealth experience, the lack of variety in the environments will really drag at times. Huge stealth fans will get an enjoyable experience out of this, but anyone else likely to get mildly frustrated by the dated gameplay and repetition is probably best off avoiding it.

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6 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2014

Styx: Master of Shadows has a promising set-up that, at times, feels like a much-needed boost to the stealth genre, and that's something fans can appreciate after being let down by Thief. However, broken combat mechanics, combined with audio and level design issues, leave this game feeling somewhat incomplete. Stealth fans may be tempted to give it a try, but not everyone needs to pick up Styx.

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Oct 16, 2014

"Styx: Master of Shadows" has something special inside it, but with muddy, ugly character models, control hindrances and A.I. issues, a lot of the fun will be lost on casual gamers. Those who love stealth action games will find it an immense challenge however and will be able to look past most of the game's issues to, at the very least, have it steal about a dozen hours of their time.

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3 / 5.0
Oct 7, 2014

In closing, Styx: Master of Shadows is (read this in your best Yogi voice) slightly better than your average game . Problems can be frustratingly frequent just as moments of brilliance can fill an evening with a controller in your hand.

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Oct 7, 2014

Styx: Master Of Shadows is a proper old-school sneak'em up that harks back to the tough and rewarding heyday of the stealth genre, but the production values don't come close to matching the ambition. Thanks to its budget price, enormous sandbox levels and fun stealth mechanics, I can still recommend this shonky yet endearing little game to patient fans of sneaking, stabbing and pressing F9 every few seconds.

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6 / 10
Oct 14, 2014

The stealth mechanics in Styx: Master of Shadows are bloody fantastic, but the game is completely overshadowed by its poor controls and repetitive scenery, turning what could have been a really enjoyable game into controller-breaking frustration, as an ungodly amount of time is spent repeating the same sequence over and over again, praying that Styx isn't a clumsy mess.

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3 / 5
Oct 28, 2014

There's a brilliant game hidden deep inside Styx: Master of Shadows but a lack of item variety, shoddy controls, and a horrid combat system keep its potential buried deep.

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56 / 100
Oct 18, 2014

At its best, Styx: Master of Shadows is a half-decent stealth game with barely a fresh idea in its head. At its worst, it's a soggy pile of frustration, clumsiness, and save-scumming. Guess which end of the spectrum it tends towards.

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5.5 / 10.0
Oct 7, 2014

As such, it's difficult to recommend Styx: Master of Shadows to all but the most hardcore shadow skulker when the many other games that have come before it have all done the whole stealth thing that much better.

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5 / 10
Oct 6, 2014

Clunky combat, bad AI, and so-so stealth leave Styx lingering in the shadows of mediocrity.

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5 / 10
Oct 8, 2014

Styx is an honest attempt at a traditional stealth title that, like its protagonist, all too often grasps for the ledge and falls short.

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50 / 100
Oct 20, 2014

Styx's stealth is less "Master of Shadows" and more like the lyric from his namesake band "This jig is up. The news is out. They finally found me."

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GamingBolt
Top Critic
4.5 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2014

Styx: Master of Shadows feels like a dated game. The unsurprising progression and brainless AI make for a game that offers nothing new in exchange for one's time.

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4 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2014

Styx: Master Of Shadows showed some potential. Styx himself is an interesting character and the game's use of amber allows the player to be creative in their approach to each mission, but unfortunately these ideas have been thrown into a game which lacks the enjoyment to appreciate them. The frustrating moments far outweighed any fun we had with Styx, and the game's repetition solidified this by making us do those frustrating sections over and over again, which only helped to create a very unenjoyable experience. We only hope that Styx sticks to those shadows he is so masterful of, because we don't want to play a game like this again.

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ACG
Top Critic
Buy
Oct 7, 2014
Styx: Master of Shadows Review video thumbnail
Unscored
Oct 8, 2014

You're not going to love Styx. It's not the kind of game you're going to be itching for a sequel to. It seems kind of unfortunate that it was released within a week of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Alien: Isolation. But sometime five or ten years from now you'll be talking about stealth games with a friend and you'll go, "Oh, hey, remember Styx? That was pretty good."

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