Styx: Shards of Darkness Reviews
I see a lot of reviews slammed the game for its poor combat system really?! This is a stealth base game, not a hack and slash game combat is not an option. You aren’t supposed to be facing enemies head on. Another issue reviewers seem to have is the fact that Styx breaks the 4th wall like Deadpool. And that his sense of humor is a bit much for these reviewers who clearly lost theirs a long time ago. And yes I am aware humor/comedy is subjective but to me, Styx is a welcome change of pace as protagonist. He is a character, snarky, scheming and yes he makes the occasional quips and dated pop-culture references. That alone gives him a definable personality. Styx: Shards of Darkness is a solid stealth game with plenty of humor and style. And it harks back to the old-school hardcore stealth games of the past.
It may not have quite the level of polish of a AAA title, but it’s more than worth your time.
Styx: Shards of Darkness is an enjoyable easy to pick stealth game. It has all the tools to set a solid footing among the best in the genre like amazing variety in levels, likeable character, very well designed open levels, and addictive stealth mechanics, but sadly it stumbles and fails to do so, chalk it to the sense of incompleteness that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. I highly recommend it to the fans, if you liked Master of Shadows, you well like this game even more, I recommend a buy but in a later time with a budget price.
A mean-spirited character leads a big-hearted game; you’re unlikely to dwell on its lore but its features combine well to create a satisfying stealth experience.
Styx: Shards of Darkness greatly resembles the earlier Styx: Master of Shadows from 2014, but Cyanide improved the gameplay this time around with the inclusion of craftable weapons, the lack of a lock-on in combat, and expanded abilities. 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.
Enormous adventure playground with small blemishes for adventurous Stealth-Fans.
Review in German | Read full review
Ultimately, Styx: Shards of Darkness is a great game however, it is a STEALTH game, with no misconceptions of anything else thrown in, that must be understood. Sure, the satirical nature of the world might not get fleshed out quite as much as I'd have liked but the refreshing tone is more than enough as-is. The gameplay is fun and the options provide great replayability to each level. Not to mention, of course, Styx himself, who provides comedy and wit galore. If you're looking for a stealth title that will have you creeping cautiously through vast levels while trying not to laugh your head off, then Styx: Shards of Darkness is definitely the game for you
A stealth game in the true sense of the word you should keep an eye on, even if the enemies AI is still not that great.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Styx: Shards of Darkness improves the level design of its prequel, and gives the protagonist several ways to complete the missions.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Styx: Shards of Darkness One of the few titles that provided stealth in a great form, all the elements were designed to serve the player in his adventure away from action and direct clashes as much as possible, but on other hand you feel the limited budget the game have or it's safe more to say it didn't have much time in development especially at second half of the game, which represents weak story and limited graphical level.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Styx: Shards of Darkness puts its own unique spin on the stealth genre by giving us an unconventional hero that’s not only incredibly powerful, but very crude too. What’s most important though is that it’s fun to play throughout, offering an adventure that constantly entertains and offers plenty of things for the player to do. It has its flaws with some shoddy climbing controls, poor AI, and lack of diversity with its visual design, but none of these issues trump what Styx: Shards of Darkness does right. If you’re looking for an enjoyable stealth adventure that offers plenty of freedom to the player, it’s certainly worth checking Styx: Shards of Darkness out.
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.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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 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. The foundation that Of Orcs and Men built set the perfect stage for both Master of Shadows and Shards of Darkness and it can only get better and more interesting from here.
While not the best stealth game, Styx: Shards of Darkness offers some fun, unique gameplay. It might be filled with mixed messages, but there's still a number of hours' worth of sneaky, fun, stabbing action.
Styx: Shards of Darkness is an evolution of the franchise, and an improvement over a game stealth enthusiasts will greatly enjoy.
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 upon its predecessor in nearly every way, but still leaves room for a deeper, more thought-out stealth experience.
Styx is a mostly enjoyable ride from start to finish
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.