Styx: Blades of Greed - Turns Out B-Tier Budget Stealth Is the Real Magic
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Forget the big budgets, mate – *Styx: Blades of Greed* is a surprise stealth masterpiece, delivering genuine thrills with its Metroidvania structure and a deeply satisfying, if drug-addled, goblin protagonist that reminds us what true stealth gaming feels like.
Alright, listen up, because I've been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it's wilder than it first appeared. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit *too* well, blowing a hole in your expectations? That's what I reckon Cyanide Studio just did with *Styx: Blades of Greed*.
Now, fair warning: if you're expecting some triple-A, bazillion-dollar cinematic masterpiece, you might want to adjust your ethereal goggles. The original review from Eurogamer's Jim Trinca calls it a "shorter game with worse graphics," and honestly, he's not wrong. But here's the kicker, mate – it's also probably the best stealth game we've seen in years. Yeah, you heard me. It's like finding a rare enchanted artifact in a bargain bin; looks a bit dusty, but the stats are absolutely god-tier.
So, what's the deal with our favourite grotty little goblin, Styx? This third installment picks up right after *Shards of Darkness*, throwing a dash of *Mass Effect* into the mix as Styx gathers a motley crew on a floating pirate ship. Their mission? Snatch shards of quartz. This mysterious ore isn't just a power source for the evil human empire and their wizard gestapo Inquisition (who, let's be clear, are just generally bad eggs). For Styx, it's his precious, his... well, his drug. Absorbing quartz gives him magical abilities, turning our hero into a stealthy, quartz-addicted virtuoso. Think Batman, but with a severe amber habit and green skin, and you're halfway there. Those skill trees? They're basically just charting his ever-growing mastery of pinching things thanks to his, ahem, *motivational addiction*.
And that analogy, funnily enough, is core to the whole experience. The world-building sees an empire addicted to conquest, and in a delightfully meta twist, *you* become addicted to the game itself. It's a Pringles can of methodical sneaking, stabbing, and stealing. Once you pop, you just can't stop.
What truly elevates *Blades of Greed* from 'just another stealth game' to 'oh, you absolutely *have* to play this' is its clever Metroidvania structure. Instead of a sprawling, forgettable open-world that's an "icon janitoring" nightmare, you get three vast, beautifully distinct "murder playgrounds." There's The Wall, a labyrinthine, impossibly vertical medieval mega-structure; Turquoise Dawn, an alien jungle full of Orcish tree-cities and creepy crawlies; and the ruined tower of Akenash, a warped, post-apocalyptic remix of the first *Styx* game's setting. How cool is that? Revisiting an old stomping ground, but it's been through a magical blender and now presents itself from entirely new angles. It's a prime example of a video game sequel doing something genuinely innovative with its history.
As Styx progresses, he unlocks new traversal options – a bit of Batman's grapple, Link's glider, Corvo's blink – slowly unfurling the maps like some impossibly intricate origami chicken. It's a masterclass in measured pacing, giving you just enough new tools to feel powerful, but not so many that it breaks the challenge. You need a set number of quartz shards to advance, which might sound like a side-quest in lesser games. Here, it's front and centre, a tightly focused to-do list with an *extraordinary* amount of freedom in how you tick those boxes. I mean, you can skip entire areas if you're clever enough with your "amber vision" (Styx's detective mode, fueled by another one of his liquid macguffin drugs – seriously, this goblin's got issues).
Now, I won't lie, it's not all sunshine and perfect stealth kills. The cutscenes, bless their little hearts, are a bit... well, they're like watching a school play where half the cast is phoning it in and the other half is actively trying to break the fourth wall with sheer ineptitude. The voice acting often feels as enthusiastic as someone reading the shipping forecast, and the Unreal Engine glitches with camera cuts are an old, annoying friend. But thankfully, these moments are brief blips in an otherwise stellar experience. This isn't *Metal Gear*, after all; the plot serves the gameplay, not the other way around.
And what glorious gameplay it is! The traversal is an absolute rush. You're covering huge distances with death-defying acrobatics one moment, then slinking through impossibly tight spaces, up walls, and through drains the next. Styx's magical abilities provide that sweet dopamine hit when you pull off the perfect crime: a mind-controlled guard taking an unfortunate tumble, a conveniently loosened chandelier. It's all fair game when you've got amber to spare.
But here's the real genius: the game shines brightest when you *don't* have resources. When you can't just Derren Brown your way out of a pickle. That's when you rely on the core tenets of stealth: hiding, observing, patience, and impeccable timing. Every blunder means death. This, my friends, is what makes *Styx: Blades of Greed* a *true* stealth game. Not like some bloated action RPGs (looking at you, *Assassin's Creed*) where silence is merely an optional virtue. Here, it's a way of life.
Despite its B-tier budget, it's resisted the urge to load up on empty calories. It's smart, it's lean, and it's cracked the formula. Previous Styx games often felt stifling with reused locations. *Blades of Greed*, with its Metroidvania heart, makes revisiting areas an absolute joy. It’s not just the best Styx game by a wide margin; it's the best stealth game in years. Styx, you horrid, grotty little git, I didn't realise how much I needed you back. Let's not wait another decade, eh?
*Original article by Jim Trinca for Eurogamer.*
Tags: StealthGame, Metroidvania, IndieGem, RPGlite, GamingReview
Original article: Eurogamer