Styx: Master of Shadows - Goblin stealth in the Of Orcs & Men’s world - by SubJeff
henke on 9/10/2014 at 09:11
Hmm. Well it has a metascore of 69, and the (
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/08/styx-pc-review/#more-239683) RPS' WIT paints a picture of a decent stealth game with great leveldesign that is unfortunately plagued by flaky movement controls and repetetive gameplay.
This part was the most worrying:
Quote:
You want to drop down and grab on the ledge of the surface you’re currently standing on. A simple request, but one that’s fucking infuriating when the game can’t decide whether you want to drop down and fall or drop down and come immediately back up. It happened to me a hundred times, and each time coming immediately back up would mean I was spotted by a guard and falling down meant I disappeared into the smoky void and died. Even when you’re trying to do something simpler, like jump between two adjacent platforms, the game’s edge detection is flakey, making it unpredictable as to whether Styx would grab on to the wooden beam you were aiming for, some small outcrop of wall nearby, or nothing at all.
Nevertheless, the underlying stealth game apparently isn't too bad. I'm sure I'll play through this at some point.
Renault on 9/10/2014 at 13:59
Oh boy, contextual movement - sounds like another game we know.
Judith on 9/10/2014 at 14:20
(
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIvtuQRbEsG0bHquWQId7mA) Fen seems to like it. But the design screams "let's do a typical plaftormer first and then try to wrap some world around it" (PoP, Darksiders etc.), rather than creating some more real sense of a place.
Rubim on 13/10/2014 at 03:42
Quote Posted by Brethren
Oh boy, contextual movement - sounds like another game we know.
You have as much freedom as Dishonored. Despite some contextual movement.
Renault on 17/11/2014 at 01:42
OK, I think I've played enough of this to give it the TTLG thumbs up. This is a really fun stealth game. Especially if you're a Thief fan.
First things first - it's NOT Thief. Just to be clear. The main difference is the third person perspective. However, some similarities to Thief:
-There's a lightgem, of sorts. It's a tattoo on your body to indicate if you're in shadow. Not as sophisticated as a true lightgem, but still useful.
-You can put out torches, either by hand or by throwing sand (same idea as shooting a water arrow).
-You can pickpocket, lockpick, and move bodies around.
-There are no KOs, but there are kills, and "stealth kills" which take more time and leave you more vulnerable. The trade off is they're quiet.
-There's a wall hugging feature, ala TDS.
-You can make a distraction sound, similar to a noisemaker arrow.
-Not all surfaces register, but you are quieter on carpets.
-Sleeping guards. :D
-Medieval environment.
-Loot - simplified though, only two kinds.
Some other features:
-Create a clone of yourself to create distractions or reach places you normally couldn't.
-You can hide in barrels, chests, under tables/desks, or in a floor drain.
-You can accidentally knock objects over, giving away your location (this happens a lot if you're not careful).
-There is a sort of Focus feature, "Amber Vision" but you don't have to use it.
-Some RPG elements which I haven't tapped into yet.
The game is divided up into chapters/levels, and at times they can be somewhat platformy. There are always multiple paths to take, however. And there's a nice amount of verticality. Your goal is usually to get to a location, but there is loot available for stealing and artifacts to discover. The AI seems good so far. Tbh, the game is hard. Once you're detected, it's usually over. It's hard to escape. There is a combat system, but if you get more than one guy on you, forget it.
The story seems kind of odd so far, focusing around a tree with a drug/chemical called Amber. I'm not familiar with the "Of Orcs and Men" universe, but maybe it will make more sense as I go along.
The game is on sale for the next 12 hours or so, and can be had for only 20 bucks. You're not going to get AAA visuals, but it is some good old school stealth fun. Actually, it feels like one of the better stealth games I've played over the past couple of years. Go check it out.
henke on 17/11/2014 at 07:56
I'd love to hear from someone who's played the game before and after that latest patches. Has the game, and in particular the ledge detection, been improved much?
Considering getting this, but I'm not sure I'd get around to it for the next month so I might as well wait for the Xmas Sale.
Shayde on 21/11/2014 at 09:36
Bump for the same reason as henke. Has it been patched to the point where it's worth buying?
henke on 21/11/2014 at 17:25
Cool. Did you finish it, Brethren? If so, what's your final verdict?
Renault on 21/11/2014 at 20:09
I'm about 8 hours in, kind of taking my time with it, trying to ghost my way through. I'm only on chapter 2 of 7. Still digging it, but I read somewhere that later levels reuse levels you've previously been through and just put the AI in new locations, so I wasn't too thrilled with that. I'm still recommending it though, especially for Thief fans.
