I know I don't have a crazy amount of hours in the game, but as someone who's played the first two over and over as well as stealth genres being a favorite of mine, I feel like I can justifiably give a true review.

The game is unpolished. Point blank period. I genuinely can see this game getting withdrawn and reworked on then re released. I've seen some of the devs replies to the reviews and they're cut and dry with a lot of dodging in terms of certain issues being brought up repeatedly. Their main response seems to just always be "keep playing the game, it gets better after awhile!" But that's an overlook of real feedback your players have. These are all Styx veterans leaving these critical reviews, we've played the pure gold that is the previous games. You can't expect a response like that to get us to entertain this clearly forced sequel. It's like you saw how good the last game was and wanted to make another, but somewhere down the line you got lost trying to improve upon and add to the greatness that already was the Styx series, therefore ruining it in the end.

The gameplay feels extremely janky.
Difficulty? Never heard of it. There's no punishment for getting spotted and no rewarding feeling for getting through undetected.
Oh! And did you know this is essentially now just an action RPG? Yea, there's literal REAL combat now, so no more hardcore stealth. Just run into the room of 4 enemies and start swinging that dagger while dodging around and using the Force. Don't worry about getting hit, a guy slices your 4'5 frame 4 times with his sword longer than your body and you're still alive and kicking!

The kills feel...null? now. The people you kill literally make ZERO noise when you get them. The only sound is Styx's dagger, that's all. The previous games would have them cry out on a standard kill because, hey, you were just minding your business and now there's a knife getting plunged into your kidney! When Styx would do a silent kill, he'd cover their mouth to muffle the screams but they'd still obviously be screaming as they just got surprised with a dagger to the back. I don't want to sound like a sadistic creep, but the kills feel less intimate now. Just a super fast stab or slash and keep it moving because guess what, there's 10 more enemies you need to deal with in this hallway due to the enlarged maps in this very open world needing to be filled with more enemies.

The "skill tree" is a joke now. Just a bunch of stuff you could already do automatically in the previous games now removed and put into a category that you have to unlock.

Graphics are terrible compared to Shards of Darkness, oh and the lighting looks like you're in a WWII tape.

There's a dozen other things to nitpick at as well but you'll already see them in the other reviews. All in all the game is severely disappointing. I really was looking forward to this game (that they delayed for 3 MONTHS by the way.) and it's sad to see it like this. Someone who's new to the series i can understand enjoying this, but for the veteran Styx players, it's a far cry from the former glory that the series was.

This is my first time ever really writing a review on a game so sorry if it wasn't super coherent or anything, the Styx series is just a big deal to me.

It is with great reluctance that I must critique one of my all-time favorite game series, but this latest project feels devoid of soul and love.

Technical Performance
While the game runs relatively stable on Unreal Engine 5, its technical state remains appalling. It is plagued by numerous bugs and strange graphical artifacts. I believe most would agree that it is high time developers seriously reconsider their approach before utilizing this engine for their projects.

Tone and Presentation
A major red flag was the absence of the series' signature, stylishly directed trailers featuring upbeat tracks. This shift signaled an attempt to be overly serious and abandon the fun. Do not misunderstand me, I would welcome a complex and meaningful plot, but why must it come at the complete expense of fun?

Gameplay Experience (Post-Act 1)
Having completed the first act, here is what the game is critically missing:

• Humor: Styx seems to have been stripped of his wit entirely. He has been reduced to a dull, tiresome goblin, offering none of the funny references or snide remarks during gameplay. Even in cutscenes, he has become uninteresting.
  
• Refinement: This is the third game in the series. One would hope for better world reactivity to Styx, smarter enemy AI, and more polished animations, at least for the protagonist. While the levels are incredibly large, their size fails to enhance the gameplay experience.
  
• Player Roasting: I know many disliked the death scenes in previous games, but they were a unique and original feature. It offered more personality than simply hitting "Load from last checkpoint."
  
• Interesting Characters: Even returning characters from previous games feel bland and uninspired. New characters add little flavor to the mix, with the possible exception of the Dwarven Mechanic.
  
• Audio Design: The sound design is terrible. At times, it feels as though 40% of the ambient sounds are simply missing.

What I Appreciated

• Core Gameplay: Despite this entry being weaker than its predecessors, the gameplay does feel somewhat fresher, even if it has the potential to be much better.
  
• Level Size: The environments are genuinely gigantic, though as mentioned, they feel underdeveloped.
  
• Visuals (Sometimes): Despite the problematic UE5 engine, the game can look breathtaking at times, especially in "The Wall" location.
  
• New Abilities: Styx's new skills are essentially just an expansion of the skill tree, but they are a welcome addition nonetheless.
  
• Grappling Hook and Glider: These are great additions, though one could argue they should have appeared in the previous game.

Conclusion
Once again, the developers have prioritized massive, empty 3D environments over compact, tightly designed, and polished spaces. It is a disappointing trend. I ultimately decided not to request a refund, though I was very tempted. I feel a sense of gratitude for the wonderful experiences the previous games provided me. Perhaps my opinion of this one will improve upon completing it.

The lighting needs work it’s hard to tell when you’re safely hidden from enemies.

Running on UE5, the game needs several patches. It has crashed 6–8 times, usually after 30 minutes.

Textures pop in and out, which is very distracting.

The game lacks Styx’s usual banter and player insults he feels toned down a lot.

Lacks full keyboard customization. The game is controller-friendly but not optimized for keyboard and mouse Very Well

Styx’s movement feels weird compared to the previous games. I can’t really describe it.