Brilliant little stealth assassination game. Exactly what you want without much unnecessary. Similar to Dishonored, but less cheesy... maybe a little less immersive, but like I said, nothing unnecessary, just a stealth action game. Story is actually pretty cool but can stay out of the way if you want. Nothing crazy new, but as a game, it nails what its going for.

I’ve seen a lot of people calling this phenomenal stealth, some even rating it 8 or 9, and I genuinely don’t understand based on what criteria. This is not about personal taste, it’s about structure, mechanics and execution. If we’re reviewing a game seriously, we can’t just say “I enjoyed it” and move on. We have to look at what it actually does, how well it does it, and whether it elevates the genre in any meaningful way.

The concept itself is strong. Playing as a goblin assassin in a hostile human world has real potential. A small, irritating, intelligent creature surviving through stealth and manipulation could have created a mechanically unique experience. That is not the problem. The problem is that the execution never reaches the level that concept deserves.

If you are going to design a hardcore stealth game, the systems must be solid. AI needs consistency. Movement needs precision. Level design must support creative infiltration, not just avoidance. In Styx, most of the time you are simply navigating around guards placed in predictable formations. You are not executing complex plans, you are waiting for gaps. That’s not deep stealth, that’s restricted pathing.
Combat exists, but it is extremely shallow. Parry, wait, attack. That loop does not match the identity being sold. If assassination is part of the marketing and narrative, then the system must support it properly. If combat is meant to be avoided, remove it entirely. Right now it feels like a half-commitment.
The clone mechanic is another example of wasted potential. Interesting idea, limited application. It never evolves into something that changes the way you approach levels. It feels underdeveloped.
Level design rarely allows meaningful environmental interaction. There are very few moments where you feel clever. Compared to other stealth titles available even before or around 2014, this does not innovate, and it does not refine the formula beyond what already existed.

Technically, the execution also feels rough. Even at high FPS, the game does not feel smooth. There is stiffness in animations and a strange sensation of stutter even when frame time appears stable, something often seen in older engines running on modern hardware. Stealth requires precision and fluidity, and when movement feels slightly off, immersion breaks immediately.

This game did not revolutionize stealth. It did not execute its own identity with exceptional quality. The goblin assassin idea is strong, but the systems behind it are average at best.

A good concept is not enough. Execution defines quality.

Score: 4/10
(1) Trash (2) Horrible (3) Very Bad (4) Bad (5) Average
(6) Fine (7) Good (8) Very Good (9) Great (10) Master Piece

For me, this is a 4/10. Not because I dislike hardcore stealth, but because I expect structural depth and mechanical consistency when a game commits to that philosophy, and this one does not reach that level.

instead of fixing their old broken games they churn out new ones. boring to an extent and certainly not worth a flippin' penny let alone life time.