Styx: Master of Shadows is an infiltration game with RPG elements from Cyanide Studio that is aiming for a September release to PS4, Xbox One and PC. An exact release date hasn’t been set yet but in celebration of the launch of the official website they’re giving us a new trailer and info on its stealth gameplay mechanics.
The trailer invites us to follow Styx, the two-century old Goblin whose main occupation is thievery and assassination, as he begins infiltrating the huge Tower of Akenash. It is in this immense tower that is jealously kept hidden by elves, humans and other fantasy creatures, the World-Tree and its Heart, source of the precious Amber. This is the final objective of Styx, who today demonstrates a few of his skills and special powers, that will be of great help to make a silent way to his goal.
Guide Styx through the winding Tower of Akenash, home to a Treeworld, source of the Amber – a powerful golden sap filled with magical properties – prowling through the shadows with aide of a host of special abilities refined throughout Styx’s 200 years of history. Within the many hallways and levels of the Tower of Akenash, Styx must avoid the humans who’ve the ability to easily overpower him. With Amber running through his veins, what Styx lacks in might he more than makes up for with stealth, as the golden elixir – often heavily guarded – raises his perception, sharpens his senses, and even offers the ability to turn him invisible for short periods of time.
Styx rewards skill in stealth and an attentive eye, allowing each objective to be approached numerous ways whilst avoiding obvious indicators. The Tower of Akenash, the game’s stage, is a multi-layered tower offering three-dimensional gameplay with multiple levels for each mission.
Sneak, poison, extinguish, kill and assassinate your way to the source of the Amber, anticipating the movement of the guards by poising a communal drinking well and waiting for the inevitable thud, or smothering a guard with your clone as you slit the throat of his companion. Use the environment to your advantage by distracting guards and crushing them from the rafters, but be sure to stick to the darkness by extinguishing lights and staying to the shadows.
Take advantage of a cover system designed to keep Styx tightly out of sight whilst offering good visibility of the surrounding areas. Switch between moving slowly and quickly, using the analogue sticks on your gamepad, with crouch and standing stances. Ensure your conquests are hidden by hiding their corpses out of light or in containers. Make use of a dynamic range of hideouts, such as crawl spaces, tables, and low ceiling passages to circumvent the enemy. Distract the guards by making noises to lure them to, or away from, your desired target. Extinguish lights to cover your approach, and make use of the powerful Amber unlocking magical abilities, such as cloning Styx, invisibility, smoke cloud, and more.
For a game that has been quietly building a following in the shadows (see what I did there) it looks surprisingly good. Keep it locked here on COG for more information as we get it.
