Thanks for that. I am caught in two minds as I like the idea of stealth but it sounds a bit frustrating if you get found out; more reason to hone those skills I suppose.
Yes you feel punished when you get caught. You can escape really easily if you have supplies on you to go invisible for a short duration and take cover somewhere.
On the higher difficultes if you get caught in combat it's pretty much a restart. I'm playing on Goblin so I quick save very frequently.
Is Styx the first T rated game to say fuck? I wonder if there is going to be a Oblivion scenario where it gets switched around, ERSB descriptor doesn't even say "Strong language"
I don't care about cursing of course, but rating systems are interesting.
Everything in this review makes it sound like you finished the tutorial and maybe the very first mission and gave it a quick review, you don't mention anything that happens or any of the abilities you unlock outside of that very first mission.
The ability to clone yourself proves useful when required, but is unhelpful beyond a brief area scouting.
The only thing you can do in the tutorial with him is scout, you unlock abilites for the clone to grab enemies and distract them, hide in boxes and kill guards walking by or create a fog to disorient them so you can sneak past or take them out in the following missions.
If you are spotted, you can almost bet on your demise. If you escape, well, you’ll likely get shot in the back. Escapism is so commonly ineffective
LT + X, bro. You can immediately go invisible upon being spotted and escape with no issues which you can do dozens of times in a single mission. And rolling away with RB prevents arrows from nailing you while you retreat. Reviewers absolutely did not do this game justice, what a shame.
Most of the time I can find a hiding spot and get away, on normal difficulty anyway - you can change difficulty at any time from the pause menu.
For all its frustration, the game can be fun. Some of the upgraded abilities trigger satisfying results, and throwing your lifeless victims over the edge is worth a giggle. These strides don’t last very long, and quickly become marred by repetitive level design, and airhead AI. The game is not short, but the overall quality won’t compel anyone to the credits, or feel like their money was well spent. All told, Styx: Master of Shadows is a pickpocket.
Level design has been great so far, it's a huge open castle!
I definitely did not feel ripped off at £20. The game is a stealth one and does it really well in basically all aspects. You can also quick save (on pc anyway) if the check points get to you.
There is no macro reason to agree with your review It's really fun!
One tip when walking off ledges, do it slowly, make sure you are in the crawl state and don't worry about the animation, just walk off, it will auto flip directions so don't correct it with the analogue stick or it will think you want to walk off faster. Can be a bit annoying to begin with but is very consistent when you know how it works.
If you are using the keyboard then just press the walk button (shift?) as you go off the ledge, as someone mentioned already.
One tip when walking off ledges, do it slowly, make sure you are in the crawl state and don't worry about the animation, just walk off, it will auto flip directions so don't correct it with the analogue stick or it will think you want to walk off faster. Can be a bit annoying to begin with but is very consistent when you know how it works.
If you are using the keyboard then just press the walk button (shift?) as you go off the ledge, as someone mentioned already.
Bought this on a whim because I am a sucker for stealth games and goblins. Downloading now. Hopefully my puppy keeps quiet tonight so I can get a couple of hours in. Any tips for a beginner?
Bought this on a whim because I am a sucker for stealth games and goblins. Downloading now. Hopefully my puppy keeps quiet tonight so I can get a couple of hours in. Any tips for a beginner?
In the first area that teaches you how to hang on ledges, train a bit.
Try to master how to drop to a ledge, how to climb and how to grab it from below without climbing.
It will take you 2 minutes and you won't have any problems with the game later on!
In the first area that teaches you how to hang on ledges, train a bit.
Try to master how to drop to a ledge, how to climb and how to grab it from below without climbing.
It will take you 2 minutes and you won't have any problems with the game later on!
A lot of them didn't take the time to properly learn the mechanics. The very first 3 part mission is all about learning how to play, experiment as much as you can.
A lot of them didn't take the time to properly learn the mechanics. The very first 3 part mission is all about learning how to play, experiment as much as you can.
I still don't think the ledge mechanics are very good even knowing how to use them. Walking slowly towards the ledge is cumbersome and it's disappointing that you can't shimmy around corners. Once you learn it it's not difficult but it's not optimal either.
I still don't think the ledge mechanics are very good even knowing how to use them. Walking slowly towards the ledge is cumbersome and it's disappointing that you can't shimmy around corners. Once you learn it it's not difficult but it's not optimal either.
Oh god, quicksave, will definitely get on PC then. MGS and Tenchu Wrath of Heaven are the only stealth games Iv'e been abused by enough to be willing to play on console...because there's no PC versions with quicksave.
One tip when walking off ledges, do it slowly, make sure you are in the crawl state and don't worry about the animation, just walk off, it will auto flip directions so don't correct it with the analogue stick or it will think you want to walk off faster. Can be a bit annoying to begin with but is very consistent when you know how it works.
If you are using the keyboard then just press the walk button (shift?) as you go off the ledge, as someone mentioned already.
Yeah, dropping down from ledges is not a problem. On the other hand, jumping from a grappling point to a ledge is often problematic.
The duel mechanics are pretty bad too and I wish the game let me up the difficulty level (started on normal), I just instantly F9 when they catch me and I'm finding it too easy anyway.
Also, FLYING FURNITURE!
Other than those small problems, it's very good.
Yeah, dropping down from ledges is not a problem. On the other hand, jumping from a grappling point to a ledge is often problematic.
The duel mechanics are pretty bad too and I wish the game let me up the difficulty level (started on normal), I just instantly F9 when they catch me and I'm finding it too easy anyway.
Also, FLYING FURNITURE!
Other than those small problems, it's very good.
Yeah, dropping down from ledges is not a problem. On the other hand, jumping from a grappling point to a ledge is often problematic.
The duel mechanics are pretty bad too and I wish the game let me up the difficulty level (started on normal), I just instantly F9 when they catch me and I'm finding it too easy anyway.
Also, FLYING FURNITURE!
Other than those small problems, it's very good.
Everything in this review makes it sound like you finished the tutorial and maybe the very first mission and gave it a quick review, you don't mention anything that happens or any of the abilities you unlock outside of that very first mission.
Well, thanks for the feedback I suppose. But, I did finish the game, and didn't enjoy myself. I'm not the only one to front the game with these criticisms. I never felt there were interesting mechanics introduced, and no characters or narrative I could root for.
Edit: Dude, you're owning this whole thread. Maybe some people know how to play, and they just aren't having fun. Your enjoyment doesn't obligate you to be a flag bearer.
Played about two hours today. Really enjoying myself. I don't really care about the fighting mechanics because the game is clearly made as a stealth game and that's fine with me. I love how the levels I've seen so far are pretty huge and vertical. It still feels like I am in the 'tutorial' part of the game so this will probably only get better. I'm a happy customer so far.
Uh. I did check the options and didn't notice it... boy, do I feel dumb now.
Played a bit with Goblin difficulty level. Much better. Not having to endure the duel scenes is great and the enemies are more aware. I still find it a bit on the easy side, though.
Enjoying it immensely, anyway. Love the main character and the stalth gameplay is very good. Maybe it will be a bit repetitive going onward, but for now we're having tons of fun.
Filtering looks better.
It still feels really sensitive when using a controller, almost more than I remember it. You have to basically tip toe off ledges. You can't just move off. And by that I mean just edge the analogue stick on the controller (<50% ish) ...slightly more and you'll walk right off.
Perhaps an option so that it auto latches to ledges when you crawl? And allow shimmying around corners please, would be perfect.
These two additions would be great. Auto-latch when in stealth mode seems so logical I am wondering why the devs haven't thought of it in the first place. You can still drop yourself after that by pressing E.
I will probably buy the game once I finish Shadow of Mordor. It is going to feel a bit different from the utter chaos of battle in Mordor but I do like the look of the game.
The game seems to ooze character and the level design looks very interesting too.
I will definitely play on goblin difficulty as I don't want the parrying QTE shenanigans.
It is good to see that ledge detection has been improved (can anyone elaborate on this?) as some impressions of the game were quite scathing in this area.
Almost eight hours in and I keep enjoying myself. This game might turn out to be my GOTY for 2014. The big draw for me is how there are always multiple solutions for a problem. Whenever I get stuck, I look around and see a feature in the environment or spot something that gives me a new perspective on the problem I need to solve. Even when making mistakes I ended up solving stuff. Happy accidents! Hopefully the game sells good enough for a sequel. I'd enjoy that.
Well, we managed to complete it.
Very, very good game. The stealth mechanics are great, there's a lot of variety and different approaches at the various challenges, and spending XP to buy more skills doesn't simply make the game easier, instead gives you more tools to approach the situations. Graphically is decent, a bit repetitive but the design is pretty good. The enemies armor design is absolutely fantastic, almost as good as The Witcher's ones, and there are a good variety of enemy types too that need different approaches, although
I didn't like the damned skull enemies, they makes no real sense, feel out of place and offer nothing gameplay-wise. Also, the elves are annoying, but you only find them in a single level and they do add something to the gameplay.
Great level design (sometimes too vertical for my tastes, but that's just me) and good soundtrack too, pleasant, appropriate to the setting and never invasive or annoying. I also really like the main character's and his voiceover. Speaking of which, I also really liked
the twist in the story, left me sorta dazed and wondering "who the fuck am I then?", and I did not like it at first... which it's actually the whole point of it. Spot on, great job.
On the flaws side, the platforming is kinda unresponsive and can lead to some frustration, and the combat is dull, boring and useless. That's intended to discourage you to go rampage on enemies, but still. Those are really minor flaws, tho, and the combat can (and should be) deactivated by upping the difficulty level. I usually don't play games at the maximum level, but Styx kinda needs it, and still stays a bit on the easy side. Some other bug here and there (guards can get stuck on stairs and furniture, guards that do not cross some doors and the damned cockroaches that sometimes kill you from very far), but nothing major. Also, the AI can be pretty dumb sometimes, but this one's a flaw of the whole genre that has no real way to be fixed without making the game insanely hard. Still, it's weird to see guards going back to sleep when they're 2 meters away from a murdered comrade and things like that.
A little gem, shame it's not getting enough spotlight and the metascore is kinda low (not an AAA title so it should be bad, right?).
Hope they'll release a sequel and maybe some DLC.
I still need to get used to the platforming and the fact that getting spotted is an almost instant death on the Goblin difficulty but I absolutely love this game.
Thanks for the replies, guys. Already picked it up earlier today, played up until a little bit after the Sewer Hideout.
The game has a lot of charm, feels very "oldschool" and the size of the zones is pretty overwhelming at first. Lots of verticality and lots to explore. Playing on Goblin difficulty, it's 100% stealth or bust. Story is just.. I don't even understand what's going on, but who really cares.
Platforming in the game is quite a bit of a mess. If you make a non-magnetic platformer you better make sure the player can navigate the environment without falling to his death because he somehow couldn't reach a ledge. In Styx however I've died numerous times because of ledges that somehow aren't accessible, jumps that aren't high enough for some reason and other annoyances. The game is very inconsistent with telling the player which ledges can be reached and which don't, which makes navigating the levels counter-intuitive. The game is tense, but it is tense because every jump can be your last. The poor autosave system doesn't help either.
Unfortunately, the game's optimization is poor at best. Chugging, framedrops and a bizarre issue where panning the camera around causes some weird load-in effect at the side of the screen where you can see the world "load in". It's hard to explain but very jarring nontheless. Also some bizarre AI quirks and weird warping from enemies/bodies.
I'll definately keep playing because I love exploring the zones.
Also: what the fuck at the "Press cross button" prompt in the loading screens, haha. First time in my life I've seen the X referred to as "cross".
Oh lawd does it really say that? I've seen debates with people arguing over calling it X or "cross", apparently loads of people grew up calling it a cross lol.
I've not finished it yet, but if you're a completionist, the game has its fair share of replay value. What I do the first time through is complete a mission -- which generally encompasses a few levels -- to the best of my lethal ability, and then run through it again for the Mercy (no kills)/Shadow (no alerts, although even when being lethal this is easily avoided)/Swiftness (complete the mission within the stated time limit) challenges.
If you've ever found yourself lamenting the death of the stealth genre in recent years, Styx, even for all its "eurojank", is more than worth your consideration.
I feel that this game is being overlooked by a ton of people who absolutely crave for a true stealth game where getting spotted is an instant failure.
There are so many paths to complete your objective that it makes for a truly enjoyable experience, with its verticality being one of the true gameplay heights.
There are scenarios where you are 40-50 meters above an enemy and you can drop chandeliers to kill an enemy by ''accident''
It is not perfect but for the price you pay for it (25 euro's) it is definitely something that needs to be bought if you crave for true stealth games. There are so few that this feels like a breath of fresh air.
Forget about the terrible mess that was Thief a year ago. This is by far much more enjoyable.
I agree that the game feels like a throwback to oldschool stealth games like Thief, especially with mechanics like throwing items to dim torches and stuff like that.
Not going to lie, I ragequit earlier today during the starting section of the Incinerator level, that was some proper bullshit. Must've tried that part 15 times at least. Same goes for the area with the second relic in it. But even with its glaring flaws I'm still enjoying myself, I've been playing Styx for the better part of this Sunday. It's just really cool to explore, find new areas and treasure. I wish the game had a more thief-like approach where there's treasure in cupboards and you could pickpocket guards and whatnot.
If I replay earlier missions in the hideout, do I keep my current upgrades? And does it reset all loot in the mission so I have to get everything in one go, or can I replay it several times to collect everything?
Then it wouldn't really be a stealth game in my opinion. I'm not saying that combat in Styx is good, but on the highest difficulty, there basically is no combat. Hide or die.
Then it wouldn't really be a stealth game in my opinion. I'm not saying that combat in Styx is good, but on the highest difficulty, there basically is no combat. Hide or die.
Goblin mode is literally one hit kill. If they catch or find you, they instantly play an execution move.
I haven't really touched this game since my last post. The lack of autosave really, really started to annoy me at some point because it really restricts exploration and experimentation.
Goblin mode is literally one hit kill. If they catch or find you, they instantly play an execution move.
I haven't really touched this game since my last post. The lack of autosave really, really started to annoy me at some point because it really restricts exploration and experimentation.
It's really fun!
