In news I wasn’t expecting to see, but am still pleased by, Cyanide Studios has officially revealed Styx: Shards of Darkness. The title, which serves as a sequel to 2014’s Styx: Master of Shadows, is scheduled to launch for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC in 2016.
Taking place following the events of Master of Shadows, Shards of Darkness once again sees Styx having to put his expert stealth skills to the test. Having gone into hiding following the fall of the Akenash tower, Styx is pulled into action in order to sneak into Körangar, the city of Dark Elves. Although a diplomatic summit is supposed to be taking place at Körangar, something more sinister is afoot, as a burgeoning alliance between the Elves and Dwarves may spell doom for the Goblin race.
Already six months into development, Cyanide Studios is promising a more refined and improved adventure for Styx this time around. The sequel will introduce new enemies, new environments and new mechanics, such as the ability to grapple around corners and use his knife as a zip-wire. The improved mechanics will only better the movement and agility of the goblin thief, which was a bit of an issue during his last adventure.
As a fan of Master of Shadows, I’m excited to see what Cyanide Studios can do with Styx: Shards of Darkness. The original release was a brutally tough affair that made sure would-be thieves learned to stick to the shadows. It was the type of stealth action that isn’t typically seen at the moment, despite the popularity of “stealth” franchises such as Splinter Cell and Hitman. If the developer can fix up the nagging issues that plagued the previous title, this sequel could potentially be a real winner.
With the 2016 release still a ways off, expect more information on Styx: Shards of Darkness to be unveiled over the coming months.
Published: Oct 14, 2015 06:55 pm