A goblin, dark elf, human, and dwarf walk into a tavern. Sounds like the start of a joke, right? Thank God it’s not, it’s actually one of the foundations of the new Styx game. Oh yeah, after nearly 9 whole years, a sequel to one of the better, if not the best, stealth adventures is finally here, called Styx: Blades of Greed. In an era where the stealth genre is dying out, where Sam retired, and Snake got old, and everyone’s relying on remasters and remakes of those games, getting a new, original stealth adventure is a real little miracle. Still, Cyanide isn’t giving up, even now under the wing of their new publisher, French NACON.
Before Styx: Blades of Greed, we had two games where the little ugly, cynical goblin was the main character: Styx: Master of Shadows and Styx: Shards of Darkness. And I gotta mention all three games are really connected. So Styx: Blades of Greed picks up right after the end of the second one. Old players will appreciate that, but it’s good to note that newbies can jump in without any prior knowledge, ’cause Styx constantly mentions what happened in the first two games, both at the start and throughout. So, over time, you’ll learn everything you need, which is a really nice touch during gameplay. For veteran players and series fans, those moments are fun nods to the past; for newcomers, they’re the history lessons they missed.
Let’s talk a bit about Styx as a character. I believe everyone’s seen him somewhere, on a cover, YouTube, wherever, and often wondered how this guy could be the lead in a game. The thing is, Styx was never meant to be a traditional hero; he’s an anti-hero you guide as he dishes out his own twisted justice or carries out assigned tasks. Small, ugly, cynical, full of dark humor, and totally lacking empathy for others, and the only goblin in this world who can actually talk. All that makes him truly unique, but most of all, he’s such a despicable being that you just can’t hate him; over time, you’ll grow to love him. Yeah, we’ve had cynical old dudes in stealth games before (Snake, where you at?!), but here it’s all dialed up even more, and cruder, of course.
So at the start, Styx is fleeing Korrangar, the dark elves’ homeland, in search of new trouble. He soon learns a new substance has appeared in this world: Quartz, which no one fully understands yet, but one thing’s clear, it gives insane power to whoever controls it. Styx, the perfect thief, assembles a crew of familiar faces from previous games to steal every piece of this valuable Quartz, basically a gem packed with unbelievable power. That’s the game’s opening and story setup. In the whole prologue, you’ll recruit the perfect team for your journey through this diverse, crumbling empire on the brink of another all-out war between every race imaginable: humans, orcs, dwarves, high elves, and one goblin. ‘Cause who better to theoretically stop it than a chatty goblin who’s a pathological thief?
In my mind, the Styx games have always been a mix of two franchises: Thief and Splinter Cell titles. Though the series came from a much smaller team at a time when stealth was dying, Styx was a welcome alternative. Like the previous games, Styx: Blades of Greed heavily relies on stealth mechanics. Or rather, that’s the only real way to play these titles. I say “real” way ’cause unlike before, Styx can now fight back, but the whole game isn’t built around combat. Maybe in 1v1 scraps when you’re really cornered, but never against groups. So shadows are your friends, and light, floating steps like gliding on clouds are the only way to move through this world. Joking aside, you’ll have two key indicators: how well hidden you are, and how quiet you are. Learn to control yourself and your fingers, be patient, and you won’t have any issues.
That said, there are mechanics unique to Styx games. Since he’s a goblin, small, light, quick and quiet when needed, the controls are on par with that. Meaning, for some players not used to it, it might feel floaty. The game gives the illusion that Styx isn’t fully controllable, but it all fits perfectly into this world and his nature. I think that’ll be moments some players won’t like until they get used to it and accept the rules of the Styx universe. What’s most important is that the controls are responsive, sometimes almost too much. Styx responds to every analogue movement and button action. You won’t have frustrating situations where something doesn’t work despite mashing buttons; any mistakes are on you. I didn’t have a single input issue throughout the game; it’s all just right. Cyanide refined that part even more, redefined the controls from before, modernised them, and adapted to this new title’s execution.
The whole philosophy around gameplay and progression is pretty straightforward: follow enemy patterns, stay in shadows, sneak around or outsmart them to reach your goal. And now, onto one really overwhelming moment, at least for me at the start. Unlike previous Styx games that were mission-based (each with its own map), Styx: Blades of Greed is a semi-open world. You’ve basically got three huge maps, and on each you’ll complete a set of missions. When I say huge, I mean really big, complicated, with insane detail levels and brilliant level design. So if someone spots you, you really gotta be clever and find a spot with no one around, because that “open world” on one map is packed with soldiers, enemies, scared folks who’ll run off to “report” you, and so on.
The thing is, I don’t mean one map is just a big flat area; the three maps have unbelievable verticality. Houses and structures are basically stacked on each other. When you head up, you don’t know where you’ll end up. Sometimes the marker’s 80 meters above, and it’d take me 30-45 minutes to reach it, thanks to the level’s complexity and how it’s designed and realised. And the best part: nothing on the map is filler. Every part, every building has some function in the game, and over time, they’ll hide secrets and tasks you gotta solve. I said “over time” for a reason; the prologue and first Act feel like warm-ups for what’s coming. The game really opens up in the second Act. Not in map size (they’re the same), but in the stuff and tasks you’ll get from your companions, scattered across the map.
Such a big map needs mechanics borrowed from other games, so in Styx: Blades of Greed, Cyanide went with metroidvania vibes to gate progression behind tools you’ll unlock as you advance. The game doesn’t hold your hand either; it won’t tell you “you need this to solve that”; you gotta figure it out yourself. Plus, there’s no in-game map for Styx. Just a compass that marks on the HUD how far the next Quartz crystal is and fast travel points you’ll unlock by exploring each map.
Besides those tools you get over time via progression, there are talents and abilities unlocked with talent points, blueprints, amber, and quartz XP. They’ll make crossing the game way easier. Styx was never “just a goblin”, he’s a man-made creation, a clone of a clone that never existed, with no origins. With Styx, you can go invisible as long as your amber bar’s full, throw clones to distract, make a nest to return to if needed or after death. But now there are new abilities not there before, like a Force Push from Star Wars, a few others, and my favourite: Mind Control. All extra abilities use energy from the Quartz crystals Styx collects. So over time, though it won’t feel like it at first, you’ll have so many tools that only your imagination and creativity will limit you.
Speaking of which, Styx: Blades of Greed is hands-down the stealth game that rewards creativity and strategic thinking the most of any I’ve played, even over MGS or Splinter Cell. You’ve got so many ways to tackle a section that replayability is theoretically endless. I’m not talking two or three ways, literally as many tools and approaches as you can think of, and trust me, thanks to the genius map design, you’ll have tons of ways to solve problems or complete missions. But that’s also why it feels overwhelming at first, you don’t know what to do first, how to approach, where to go. But with a good plan and clear goal, those difficulties fade. And yeah, one more thing about the design.
I said they’re detailed, and I mean it literally. Levels are as intricate outside as they are inside. Stuff that clatters if you bump it, chairs, food you can poison with your spit, water you poison for shortcuts, fireplaces you extinguish by puking to make a path, and chandeliers you drop on enemies. I can only imagine how demanding it was to create these maps and this world in Styx: Blades of Greed, and after beating it, I tip my hat to Cyanide Studio.
Styx: Blades of Greed runs on Unreal Engine 5, the now infamous engine that doesn’t look great on current consoles and performs horribly on PC. But on Xbox Series X, this game looks gorgeous and runs perfectly. Maybe a couple of times, FPS dipped below 50, but 99% of the time, it’s super fluid and pleasant. Plus, all three maps look totally different. The Wall, the first map, a human empire fortress giving off that medieval vibe, looks stunning day or night. Then Turquoise Dawn, a jungle overrun by mutated cockroaches on the ground, humans taking refuge in rocks where they’ve built bases, and orcs pushed deeper into caves. And my most impressive map: Akenash, home of the World Tree that produced Amber, the valuable and powerful substance from previous games. Destroying the tree literally threw everything out of balance. Ruins and buildings just float in the air, creating platforms you gotta cross. Destroyed forts now roamed by mutated dark elves and goblins. Every environment is unique and beautifully done.
Look, I really love stealth games, I’m just craving a new title in any franchise that’s still alive. That’s why Styx: Blades of Greed hit perfectly for me. And I believe others will find issues just from the lack of triple-A production here. The music isn’t always on point and doesn’t always convey the on-screen action through themes. Sometimes spot-on, sometimes like something’s missing. Voice acting is excellent, especially Styx’s, but some scenes aren’t directed as well, if I can say that. Weird cuts or just not much happening while they play. And of course, the main flaw for some: that complexity and overwhelming feeling.
We would like to thank NACON for providing us with a copy of the game for review purposes.
Styx: Blades of Greed (Xbox Series X)
In the end, Styx: Blades of Greed is exactly what every fan of this series has been waiting for. A new stealth adventure with the repulsive, sarcastic Styx that you can stretch out as long as you want. This isn't a Triple-A blockbuster, but a pretty grounded title that offers way more than anyone could expect, of course with some minor flaws that'll bug others. When you put it all on paper, Styx: Blades of Greed will be one of those games not everyone tries, but those who do and finish it will praise it for all the brilliantly executed ideas. So if you're a stealth action fan, and even better, a Cyanide Studio fan, check this one out; you won't regret it.
