Styx: Master of Shadows
SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT BUT WELL-EXECUTED AND TRUE STEALTH GAME
There are three things you need to know about this game.
1. It’s chock full of potty-mouthedness, including from the main character.
2. It is NOT a game you want to play if you like being the alpha badass.
3. It ranks up there with the original Thief games and others (skip down if this is all you care about).
I’ll address these and more in sequence in this review. It’s a long one, but maybe worth the read.
First off, as regards #1 above, if you’re too young, or if you, your parents, or your professed god do not approve of you being exposed to cussing and other adult humor, skip this game, cuz it’s not for prudes. That said, it’s all just words, put-downs, and sarcasm–only a little more advanced than the stuff that your average first-grader might hear daily on the playground or in the back of the school bus. I didn’t see any nudity or erotic content, so you won’t have to worry about that. Nobody was particularly racist, gay-bashing, etc., although masculine status does get insulted in a few spots. There was at least one subtle joke about masturbating–again, nothing that kids don’t know about already. Guards pee, and you can see the stream from any angle, but the source organ is never rendered; in fact, pants never come down, although associated movements do occur. I’d give it a PG-13 if it were a movie.
– Real player with 138.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Fantasy Parkour Games.
Caveat: the recommendation is intended for existing fans of the stealth genre. If you’re not familiar with espionage/infiltration gameplay, you’re unlikely to gain an appreciation for it in “Styx.” Though the story is decent, that plot progression is gated behind some maddeningly patience-trying stealth sequences, especially at the end.
Hope you’re looking for a challenge, because “Styx”, like DMX, is gonna give it to ya. Some of this difficulty is deliberate (enemies such as Knights and Elves, difficulty selections such as ‘Goblin’, mission insignias, etc). Sadly, some of it is a consequence of mixed design goals and sloppy controls/interface. What’s more frustrating than getting caught because, instead of dropping off the ledge to slip past a patrol, you instead slid across that same ledge and climbed up onto the next platform? Rather than the clever use of environmental interaction that worked in the same situation earlier, the same commands now send you on a completely unanticipated course, like some kind of slapstick scene in a comedy show. And in full view of the two Knights and elite crossbowman who had nothing better to do than hang out on the same balcony. All. Fucking. Night. The answer my friends is nothing. Nothing is more frustrating than that.
– Real player with 74.6 hrs in game
Night Rogue
This was a pretty unique and interesting short game. I have to say that I don’t really like stealth games, but there is something about this game… I liked it so very much. So you sneak around as a Thief/Rogue and break into places and steal loot. You gotta think as a thief too, as at times the front door is locked. The music is perfect for night stealth activities!
So the game isn’t overly challenging (phew!), but it is satisfying. You also don’t have to kill anyone too. I like the idea of a peaceful thief. There is also an older man, a Fence and their relationship works out, showing the truth of how it actually is supposed to be. Oh and Thomas looks pretty good too, so kudos. I like the sprite design. :D
– Real player with 2.5 hrs in game
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The Lord of the Rings™: Gollum™
Athletic and agile, sneaky and cunning. Driven by the desire to once again hold in his hands what he lost, Gollum is one of the most fascinating characters in the world of The Lord of the Rings™.
He has seen things that others can not imagine, he has survived things that others would not dare mention. Torn by his split personality, he can be vicious and villainous as Gollum, but social and cautious as Sméagol.
While being vital to the story by J.R.R. Tolkien, many parts of Gollum’s quest have not been told in detail yet. In The Lord of the Rings™: Gollum™ you get to experience this story. From his time as a slave below the Dark Tower to his stay with the Elves of Mirkwood.
Use stealth, agility and cunning to survive and overcome what lies ahead. Climb, leap and grapple your way past dangers or into advantageous spots.
While Gollum might not be a fighter, it is not unlike him to assassinate a careless enemy when the chance presents itself – or dispose of them in more creative and villainous ways.
The decisions you make and the way you play have a direct influence on Gollum’s personality: Always struggling between the two sides embodied by Gollum and Sméagol, it is up to you to decide whether the darker side of Gollum takes over or if there is a spark of reason left in what once was Sméagol. One mind, two egos - you decide!
Read More: Best Fantasy Story Rich Games.
Styx: Shards of Darkness
Ah, yes. Styx. You know, I’ve never actually finished the original. Got about halfway, then lost interest. So this game already did better in that regard, since I’ve not only gotten all achievements but actually enjoyed it enough to keep playing after. So what can you, a potential buyer expect?
Let’s get the obvious things out of the way first. It’s a stealth game. Not a stealth-action game like Dishonored. Pure stealth, which means that you’re not meant to fight fair. The combat system is very basic as a result, and on the highest two difficulties it’s outright disabled. If you get caught, you either flee or turn invisible.
– Real player with 106.3 hrs in game
After almost 75 hours of play, it’d be hard for me to say I didn’t get my money’s worth, but while I had a blast (most of the time) playing Styx: Shards of Darkness, I think it was frequently in spite of the game rather than because of it.
Shards of Darkness is a stealth-focused, third-person action game with some great, sprawling maps that often had many paths to your objectives. The main character, a chatty, 4th-wall-breaking goblin named Styx, has a ton of unlockable skills and tools up his sleeve that offer a lot of replayability, despite most of those maps being reused two or three times. The game is at its best when it drops you into a level with all your tricks and leaves you to yourself to find your way. Unfortunately, it also suffers from some hyper-annoying bugs and poor design that will account for the vast majority of your deaths and reloads.
– Real player with 77.7 hrs in game
Lockes The Thief
Engage on a brand new adventure! Easy and fun gameplay for all ages! Fight and sneak past villians and beat them to the treasure!
On a mysterious land known as The Slab Land, The Soldiers, The Sneaks and The Sages have co-exsisted. But when The Sages were rewarded a Magickal gemstone called The unRealistic, trouble began to brew. A few jealous Sneaks and Soldiers have banded together to make a tribe called The Sludge and they plan to steal the unRealistic so they can receive unlimited power! But one Sneak is not loyal to this plot.
Hogogeist
I’ve been through about 7 floors so far. It starts off pretty simple to get you used to the game, but they get a little bit harder each time. The puzzles are well thought out and I’m actually a little afraid for them to get harder lol. The game runs extremely smooth, not glitchy at all and is actually a ton of fun. There’s some minor jump scares when you die, but for the most part you are figuring out puzzles. It’s so much fun I decided to do a YT series on this and I can’t wait to finish it. Definitely worth trying out for the price.
– Real player with 2.3 hrs in game
Hyde and Zeke
Please. Read this entire review before you come to a conclusion about whether or not to try this game & remember that most of the following complaints come from the last mode, Sage mode, & all my losses were mostly my fault. While the RNG is either the worst or most noticeable in that mode, I got impatient & left my cover when I thought I had enough time, so a lot of my rage was self-inflicted.
As problematic as this game will sound, as awful as I’m going to make it appear, please understand that it functions perfectly fine & is still a product of effort, clearly seen in the art & AI.
– Real player with 11.2 hrs in game
I Like this game but i might be a little biest because the animater for the game is my Art touter so ya here is her link: https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/KaylaArtLessons this game is a keyboard game so there is no mouse controls you press A to start and S and W to go up and down very good game highly reccomend
– Real player with 0.1 hrs in game
Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™
I just……. can’t really Overappreciate the masterpiece that is Shadow of Mordor- a perfectly balanced blend between visual artwork, story, combat/stealth gameplay- and the whole newly- introduced with the series Nemesis system- Yes, I KNOW it’s glitchy sometimes - but it does Not mean it’s not worthy of any gamer’s attention due to lack of attention to detail from the Devs- since, they got occupied with the sequel….
A great ARPG, with tons of Possible builds for the main character, as well as even more possible boss -encounters…… And YES the Bosses are almost unique to each player - as well as their story with those bosses….
– Real player with 716.9 hrs in game
The general consensus regarding this game is absolutely spot on.
That is to say - It’s a fun action game. It looks good. It plays good. Everything about it is decent or at least acceptable enough to give a pass mark to.
But then the games unique selling point, the ‘Nemesis’ system single-handedly raises it from good to great. Worth playing just to experience the total craziness that occurs with that genius game design.
7/10
– Real player with 45.2 hrs in game
Ghost of a Tale
I can’t name a single other game that can match the unbelievable charm of Ghost of a Tale. The stunning art design and graphics, the adorable animations, the fantastic music, the masterful level design, the deep and engrossing lore and worldbuilding, and the unforgettable characters result in one of the most stunningly realized adventures I’ve had the pleasure to participate in.
This game is simply magical.
Whether you are a fan of the classic animal adventure stories like Redwall, Wind in the Willows, and Disney’s Robin Hood, want to spend some time exploring a beautiful seaside fortress, or just want to dress a mouse in adorable little costumes, this game is more than worth it.
– Real player with 66.4 hrs in game
What a mixed bag this game is.
On the positive side, the world itself is breathtaking, and surprisingly interconnected. I expected a more linear style of progression, where you move past Zones and NPCs once you’ve gotten what you need from them, but throughout the entire game you’re constantly cycling back to places you’ve been and people you’ve talked to. You end up finding all these secrety hidey-holes and passageways that connect all the far-reaching areas of the map in cool, quirky ways. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve absentmindedly been running through a tunnel and come to the end like, “Oh THIS is where I am!”. Perfect example of a smal world done right.
– Real player with 34.6 hrs in game
Of Orcs And Men
Of Orcs and Meh
Let’s get one thing straight out of the way – if you are playing Of Orcs and Men in 2021 there is about 95% chance you enjoyed Styx games and are looking for some more rapsy-voiced goblin goods. As for everyone else, I hope you do love a good piece of jank. If one or preferably both of the above are true, Of Orcs and Men is bound to deliver a good time. The title in question is probably best recognised for allowing fantasy fans to switch things around a little. Rather than fill the role of the default savage punching bags, a duo of orc and goblin are the protagonists of the story. That said, what makes this game a true curio is the unusual combat system. Not only the player controls two characters at once, the combat itself is based on a set of attack commands given to the both characters with extensive help of active pause. Take note, the game wasn’t exactly beautiful the day it came out. Nearly ten years later its visuals aged about as well as fish with a side of raw eggs left out in a dank, humid place for a similar period of time.
– Real player with 18.5 hrs in game
I’ve been wary of Cyanide’s games, since they have a reputation for doing flawed and/or buggy games, but if Of Orcs and Men is any measurement, then I’ll happily play more of them. There really wasn’t much about this game that annoyed me and that’s high praise, given how many games that do have annoying “features”. You can’t rebind keys (without a third party program), but the default set-up worked great and moving around was never an issue.
In this game, you play the orc Arkail and the goblin Styx in a quite dark and grim world where most people, including your player characters, aren’t simply good or evil. Arguably, you don’t play this kind of game for its amazing story and characters and the level design is also very linear, but everything is well done. The music and environments are atmospheric and the graphics are nice.
– Real player with 18.1 hrs in game