Styx: Blades of Greed – A Stealth Masterpiece That’ll Make You Feel Like a Goblin Mastermind

Styx: Blades of Greed isn’t just another stealth game—it’s a glorious throwback to the golden age of sneaking, when patience, precision, and planning reigned supreme over mindless action. Developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Nacon, this prequel to the beloved Styx series delivers an experience that stealth purists have been craving for years.

The Goblin’s Gambit: Why This Game Matters

In an era where stealth mechanics often take a backseat to cinematic set pieces and open-world chaos, Blades of Greed dares to strip everything back to the essentials. You’re not some superhuman assassin with an arsenal of gadgets—you’re Styx, a cunning green goblin who relies on wit, shadows, and a healthy dose of cowardice to survive.

This isn’t Assassin’s Creed, Sniper Elite, or Hitman. This is pure, unadulterated stealth gaming, and it’s absolutely glorious.

The Save Scumming Revolution

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the save system. Traditional gaming wisdom might label “save scumming” as cheating, but Blades of Greed embraces it wholeheartedly. The instant save feature, triggered by a simple button press, transforms frustration into experimentation.

Get caught? No problem—you’re back in action in seconds. This encourages bold strategies and creative problem-solving that would be too punishing in other games. It’s not just a feature; it’s a philosophy that fundamentally changes how you approach stealth gameplay.

Three Massive Maps, Endless Possibilities

Don’t let the “three levels” claim fool you. Each map in Blades of Greed is a sprawling, meticulously crafted playground that could easily stand alone as a full game. The verticality is staggering—rooftops, underground passages, ventilation ducts, and hidden alcoves create a three-dimensional stealth experience that rewards thorough exploration.

The metroidvania progression system adds another layer of depth. As you acquire new abilities like grappling hooks and gliders, previously inaccessible areas become available, making you want to revisit old haunts with fresh eyes.

Styx’s Arsenal: From Basic to Brilliant

Your green protagonist comes equipped with an impressive toolkit that evolves throughout the campaign. Mind control lets you puppet unsuspecting guards into fatal mistakes. Time manipulation provides escape routes from seemingly impossible situations. And classic favorites like invisibility and clone distractions return with satisfying effectiveness.

The upgrade tree is modest but meaningful, ensuring every new ability feels impactful rather than overwhelming.

The Good, The Bad, and The Janky

What Works:

• The save system is revolutionary for stealth gaming
• Level design that rewards creativity and exploration
• Satisfying stealth mechanics that feel genuinely challenging
• Styx’s character and dialogue are genuinely entertaining
• The commitment to old-school stealth design is refreshing

What Doesn’t:

• The voice acting outside of Styx is inconsistent at best
• Cutscenes suffer from stiff animation and awkward transitions
• Technical issues including frame rate drops and occasional bugs
• The story assumes familiarity with previous games, potentially alienating newcomers

Technical Performance

On high-end hardware like an RTX 5070 Ti setup, the game runs well at maximum settings, though occasional stutters and crashes were noted. The keyboard and mouse controls feel secondary to the gamepad experience, with the DualSense controller providing the most responsive control scheme.

Should You Play This?

Play it if you:

• Miss classic stealth games that prioritize sneaking over action
• Enjoy methodical, planning-heavy gameplay
• Don’t mind embracing save scumming as a legitimate strategy
• Appreciate games that reward thorough exploration
• Are already invested in the Styx universe

Skip it if you:

• Prefer action-oriented gameplay over stealth mechanics
• Get frustrated by frequent deaths and trial-and-error gameplay
• Expect AAA production values in every aspect
• Are new to the series and want a more accessible entry point

Accessibility Features

The game offers three difficulty levels and a modest accessibility menu focused primarily on color blindness options, including deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia filters. Subtitles are enabled by default.

Final Verdict: 8/10

Styx: Blades of Greed isn’t perfect, but it’s exactly what stealth fans have been waiting for. It’s a bold, uncompromising return to form that prioritizes player agency and creative problem-solving over hand-holding and spectacle. The technical issues and production inconsistencies are noticeable, but they’re overshadowed by the sheer satisfaction of pulling off the perfect heist as a cunning little goblin.

This is stealth gaming at its most pure and challenging—and for those who appreciate the genre, it’s an absolute must-play.

Tags: #StyxBladesOfGreed #StealthGaming #GoblinHeist #CyanideStudio #Nacon #GamingReview #StealthMasterpiece #SaveScumming #Metroidvania #Gaming2026

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