SORRY to all patrons whose names were sliced from the credits - I have no idea how it happened, and since the thing didn't die in the algo and I don't wanna kill it, I'm going to personally shout out the people below: ROYLANDO RPGAYMER RYAN MACHELL RYAN "MORI" BROOKS SAIGONMAN SALSA SALTY SMASHER SCRIBE SLENDY SEKAINOOWARIDE SENSUALCODER SEPHIRIAM SEXY BIONICLE GF SHAUD SHINTENDO SHUT UP WESLEY SILVERBEAR909 SINGE SIMP GOD SIRDOODLESALOT SIR. SLURPSALOT SLEEPYWABBIT SNART SMALL SMALL TURTLE HOUSE SO ZETTA DAD SOCK 'EM BOPPERS SOCKDOLAGER SPACE LIZARD SPIDER-DAD SQUIJID SQUISHWARD STARNIGHTSKY STORMSTRIDER AND THE HOUSE OF STORM STREPHEN BATTLES SUPER DINGUS SUPER SANDWICH GUY TAYA TOXIN TCHORN CHUBBINGTON TERRNENCESWIFF THE BIG BUBBY THE CLOWN PRINCE OF CRINGE THE DIGITAL DUTCHMAN THE GOOD LORD HAS BLESSED ME HALLELUJAH! THE GREEN LOKI THE KIRSPIBOI THE PEACEMAKER PYRO THENACIKNIGHT THENOMAD THE REAL MCCOY THICCDICKMYSTIC THRESH THRIPS HEARTROP TIGGLESMCGUFFIN TIM LOBSTER TIMID THE WRITER TONY JONES, THE LEGEND TOTAL PLAY TRAVIS EDWARDS TWITTLE CHUNGGIS TYGUY9001 TYPE-A GRAPEFRUIT V1D VACANTPLAZA VALENRIST VENOM VICEPUP- VIK WALK IN GET RIGHT IN MY BAG WAPOSA WE ARE SO KBACK! WEEBTRASH WELLSHEAT WEYLEN WHEREAMIHELP WIDGY WINTRESOLTICE WOODTV WRENCHIMP XANNYTANNER XRAVIUS YABOIFLYEST YAROW12 YASHICHI YEET KUNE DO YOUR MOM ;) ZACHARY LIVESAY ZACHARY V ZANASO ZANE THE IMPURE ZANE THE PURE ZEDSLAYERGAMER ZERO ZALAZOR ZILVLYNRAE ZNOVA ZYBER BUNK *if you'd like a refund for this error, DM me on the patreon site, please!
You could always just say their names twice next video. That's how that works, right? 🙃 This was the first video I watched from your channel. I was scrolling thru, saw a Styx review/critique & was like "omg someone else actually played this game!"
I didn’t forget Styx. In fact, I gave master of shadows its only 90 on metacritic! (It was a 10/10 to me, but my boss dropped the score because IGN gave it a 7)
Everytime KBash starts talking about his frustration with the game-playing publics's inability to engage with things on their own terms I feel that shit
KBash, if you ever see this, for whatever it's worth, these niche titles that never got their day in the sun is exactly what I come to this channel to see. There are hidden gems, like Styx, that I will never have the time to enjoy. Life happens. Responsibilities accrue. Time becomes a commodity. Watching your videos is the closest that I, and a lot of your fans, can come to having these experiences. Thank you for giving us that.
When a developer spent all of their budget on making the sure the game was really good but no money on actually marketing it. It's one of the best stealth games no one's heard of. It felt like I was playing OG Splinter Cell again, but with fantasy characters.
Hey, Styx! I remember Styx. Shoutout to that one other guy in the audience with me who does. ...Styx always felt like it SHOULD be worse than it is. Like, in a different world, where the stealth genre isn't so empty, the standards would be high enough that Styx would be too janky to rate. But we're not in that world, competition is scarce, and some jank never hurt anyone.
I dunno. I played Styx and tried to like it. I'm not one to turn away from jank, I like it. But with the first Styx I found only one problem: everything it does is done better in another game. It feels like a spiritual inspiration for Dishonored, but it came out 2 years after Dishonored. Stealth always strived on iteration. Metal Gear was a more complex Wolfenstein, Metal Gear 2 was a retelling of the first game with better technology and the vision realized. Splinter Cell was Thief, but modern spec-ops and all it entails. Metal Gear Solid V is the known series, but open world sandbox, Dishonored is Thief, but more immersive sim and superpowers, all the great games are very distinct, but Styx… Styx is Dishonored, but without combat and a lot more jank. and, well, you can just play Dishonored, while not fighting people perfectly well. I don't know about my standards, but I found Styx to be THE mediocre stealth game. not too bad, not too good, the most interesting part about it is how okay the game is
A subscriber recommended this video, and I am blown away with how well you “get” the Styx games. So many people come to the games expecting normal, modern stealth games where stealth is typically optional and where you get just sword fight your way out of situations. Styx is not that. You have to be stealthy for the most part or else you’ll die. People need to look at these games as being like the Dark Souls of stealth. Where it’s super brutal, but when you master it, it’s extremely rewarding. You nailed basically every point. Loved what you said about the humor in Styx: SOD and also what you said about how Styx can be someone to relate to when it feels like the whole world is against you. So thanks for bringing more attention to these games! One last thing: you have got to try the Co-Op. it makes the game basically endlessly replayable and completely changes the dynamic of the game.
I remember styx. I feel like I was one of the only people on planet earth that played these games and enjoyed them. Blemishes and all. Though sometimes the jank got to me.
I have always kind of loved Spiders, starting with Of Orcs and Men. I've never played a game from them that I thought was, like... exceptionally GOOD. They're usually fine... ish. But what I appreciate about them is that they tend to tackle really UNIQUE projects. Technomancer, Greedfall, that, uh... Fairy: Legends of Avalon or whatever it was. They take really fun ideas and turn them into generally playable and enjoyable experiences. Kind of a Dark Horse studio and I'm always happy to try something by them.
The funny thing for me is that I hated Technomancer but I LOVED Mars: War Logs. Technomancer was like a kid that tries too hard to be a cool kid and Mars like that weird goth that hangs out with a few other people but stays true to himself. Also Tehcnomancer was too clean for my liking, everything had that sterile feel that felt off, unlike Mars that was downright dirty and had that sweet spot of "High Tech Low Life" of the 80s and 90s movies and games aesthetic. Ugly graphics also contributed to that even more.
Oh, I wasn't expecting anyone to talk about these games lol. They are super fun and being a little goblin puts you in the mindset of being a little cheeky guy who likes to rob and stab. Like in MGS I feel bad for shooting and killing randoms, but in this game it suits the character. Also just a lot of flexibility in how you navigate the level and move around that I quite enjoy.
Styx is my favorite series under Kingdom Hearts. When I got Master of Shadows for free back in 2015 I never knew I would love these games so deeply that I was actually excited for a new game release. Back in 2017
HAIR GONE And since you mentioned Spiders, and the idea of treating lesser known/praised games with the same artistic validity as any other, it would be cool to see you dig in to that studio's catalogue some time. They have some interesting games in there. I'm particularly fond of Greedfall, that's definitely worth checking out if nothing else.
I remember playing these game and honestly loving them. But I also love a grimey little goblin and play as many stealth options in games as I can. So even through any jank and stinky stand up I only remember having fun. I found this to be an incredibly interesting watch. I never new about Orcs and Men. Great video man.
As a huge fan of the original splinter cell games and thief I must confess that I never knew of Styx . After watching your video I bought both games on steam for 20 euros each and my money were well spent. Thank you for giving light to niece games such as this so that people like me can discover them and play them.
I'm a big fan of these games, Master of shadows genuinely felt like a revelation to me. It got me into stealth games and I loved absolutely everything about this masterpiece. So seeing someone in 2024 speaking about this franchise is more than enough to make me happy. Great job and great video !
If you want some weird "outsider" games I would like to recommend three series Patapon - a "strategic" game where you lead giant eyeballs to fight by rhythmically pressing buttons Zeno clash - first person action fighting game set in a world straight out of surrealistic painting Rock of Ages - a game where you play as a ball rolling down the hill to squash historic and mythological figures
This is probably one of the best videos you've put out but maybe I'm a bit biased because your opinions are in line with my own. I just really enjoy the genuine, enthusiastic coverage of games that otherwise wouldn't get a second look, much less a first one.
I loved your takes in this video. The whole idea of forcing players to engage with a game is a key aspect of what I love about game design. I'd been interested in the Styx for a while and now I'll definitely queue them up. You really sold them for me
I feel so sad being one of the few people that remember Styx lol. I'm still a big fan of stealth games, it's just a shame most content creators (e.g. Centerstrain01) don't play them nearly as much anymore.
Oh man I absolutely loved my time with Master of Darkness. I certainly had to save scum a lot. But it never impacted my appreciation of the game. The level design was so good. Its telling that I could remember pretty much all the levels shown off in the footage here. Haven't got around to Shards of Darkness yet, but will eventually. Thank you for shining a light on gaming's best Goblin.
YT just randomly fed me this video, and I almost missed it. I've never seen your channel before, but I... I think I love you. Stealth is my ultimate genre. At my first job after university, a coworker gave me Thief I, prior to the Gold Ed. I never really bonded with Styx, though I was very aware of it. I think because I was not into the lead character. But I think I'm going to play Of Orcs and Men as a proper prequel. And try Styx again. I think the dynamic between the two characters looks entertaining enough to make the game worthwhile. Thanks for the background history. I love this sht. I'm sure you're aware of it, and it may be abandoned-ware at this point, and might be difficult to get running, but Velvet Assassin is also a wonderful game that no one knows. With, I might add, a female protagonist. Very different from a NOLF style female lead. Highly recommended.
I remember finding out about styx some years back when I was doing research on stealth games to design my own! (was for a uni project iirc) Seemed pretty cool, and I got super sidetracked taking a look at trailers, gameplay videos, reviews of the game, etc. I actually already knew a lot more of the info in this video than I expected to haha (but buncha new stuff as well! great video!) Even though I didn't play it, it I spent enough time with it (took heaps of notes from it and its reviews while designing my game) that it's occupied a very distinct place in my mind. I actually did get Styx Shards of Darkness in a GOG giveaway a while back, but never got 'round to it unfortunately. Gotta someday though!
God this makes me want to reinstall all 3 of these games so badly, what a great video. Master of Shadows has my favorite linear story in any game, I genuinely don't think it could ever be told in any other medium, and Shards of Darkness's gameplay just feels like a huge step up from its predecessor in genuinely every single way. Still need to finish Of Orcs and Men!
Kbash, I'm always at Ohh when I watch your video, your writing is just immaculate. It's insane how deep and funny you can be at the same time. The passing is top notch every. single. time. Thx so much for making these videos, they are deeply entertaining!
So happy to see a video on Styx! Anyone I told these were excellent stealth games didn't want to check it out. They're so much fun, even with the bank here and there.
Honestly i saw these games when they came out and really loved "of orcs and men" and thats how i got to love styx and throughout the whole first game i was searching for Arkail and wondered where he was. I liked playing as him. But after the first styx game he grew on me and the games became some of my most favorite.
I believe I was too hasty in my initial judgement of you and your videos. Styx was one of the first pc games I ever bought I rage quit within a couple hours and it was probably the dawn of my “backlog”. Have always felt like I never gave it a fair chance due to your video maybe I will. Good stuff
Best games ever. Im still playing them ha. We need number 3! Playing as a goblin is so rare. I always do when i can, like Enclave back in the day and WoW and the warhammer games. This game got me playing something i always skipped, and that's the stealth genre, im now a big fan. Also great Video mate!
Hey Kbash! Love the new video! Stealth games are sorely underrated as a genre and I've always wanted to try playing Styx at some point! Unrelated: YOUR HAIR!
Thanks for shining light on those less known games while keeping your script funny and personal (and doing research on the teams and trying to understand the intent behind the games). And always resonating with your take on how the big public has been conditioned in having no taste for anything that's outside the blandest flavour
Thank you for making this video. Styx is a weird freakish series that nobody I know has heard of or cares about so its nice to see some appreciation for the rotten little guy, idiosyncrasies and all. Small titles like this are what video games are about for me so it really is lovely to see it get some love.
I certainly feel you about the artistic inequality, but that's the game. No matter what medium, we as people value different things, different aspects of said things, and only so much time on this mortal to appreciate them. People will be selective, because they have to. Especially in video games where play time can widly vary depending on skill level and the game's general length.
38:09 I have a strict rule that, For every dollar I spend I should get an hour of playtime out of it, not just story but with replay ability, If I don’t get the hour per dollar ratio I consider it a waste of money. This is only because I tend to not Like story games as much, I love story but sometimes my brain ceases function and I ignore it. If a game can keep me interested in its story, then I throw that conversion out the window. I have done that with a few CoD games, crackdown 3, Dishonored 1, etc etc. there have also been a few exceptions like Goat simulator, those games are fire and always worth the money for a few hours of genuinely stupid fun.
Very happy to see the spotlight put on the little rakash. While I’m getting tired of the prescriptions of dnd alignments these days I can’t help but describe Styx as the perfect chaotic neutral character. So chaotic to the point that he’s his own worst enemy and it is glorious in execution. Since I actually knew how to use my analog stick I would have a lot of fun scaling the levels to find the perfect route to achieve my goals. Green skins for the win
I remember Styx because I LOVE Styx and am sad there aren't many games like it out there. I'm someone who will always try the stealth approach in games and Styx was the first one I played that did stealth correctly. It's still one of my favorite games of all times just for that and of course I love its main character as I'm a big goblin fan. And Since I grew up on N64 and GameCube games, the janky mechanics didn't bother me all that much lol Edit: Forgot to add that I adore puzzle games and to me, each Styx level is a puzzle. They're far from perfect and some only have one solution, making them not that replayable, but I remember loving my time with the game.
The only context of Styx I ever had before watching this was Ster getting increasingly furious at the game, especially the death stand-up gags when he played it on launch.
I feel like Styx generally just having more pedestrian goals among all the scheming is what makes him so endearing. He feels relatable, like he's always biting off far more than he can chew and really just wants to get paid and get out of there, and it can be really hard to nail a character like that. Styx is a bastard, but he's not evil, nor does he have some weepy worldview to show how pure-hearted he is. He just is trying to get by in a world where everyone is kinda cruel and rotten. It's refreshing that they got it right most of the time, since it's very easy to go full Marvel "never take anything seriously" with that, and it's refreshing take on an anti-hero when most are either greedy, but with a heart of gold, or traumatized and pragmatic, but with a heart of gold.
I remember playing styx not long ago, sometime last year, and I played both games on the hard difficulty as my first playthrough, which means for those who don't know, if you're caught, you die in one shot, no redemption shot, no fighting back against enemies, you get caught, good luck
Styx is great, two of the only games I ever bothered to knuckle down and 100% because I just enjoyed them that much. It easily joined Prototype and Overlord as the games I weep for never getting a third entry.
8:12 When you mentioned QT and put up an orc who looks like him I was _wheezing_ Another great review! I tried Styx but never actually played through it; I should give it another try.
Wow thanks youtube algorithm! This was a great video. I've tried Styx a few times and always liked it, but got frustrated since I always try and full ghost stealth games when I'm not good enough. I didn't realize there was this much history in the series, I'll have to dig up some time and try it again
You sold me. I’ve always been a massive stealth fan, Splinter Cell and Hitman being two of my all time favorite series. I already owned the first game because I’m assuming it was a free ps plus title years ago, and Shards of Darkness was on sale for $4 so yeah, thanks for putting this on my radar. Now if I can peel myself away from MH4U at some point I’ll start them up lol.
K, I will always watch your vids when they're about some obscure bullshit I've never heard of in my life. They're fascinating. In fact when you make vids about stuff I plan to play, I'll skip 'em for spoiler reasons. It's me, the sicko who'll watch an hour long video about Styx.
Great video. For some reason I own Of Orcs and Men, and also the first Styx game. But they both filtered me very early on. Of Orcs and Men especially just felt so difficult in the earliest levels.
Styx is one of those games I always noticed the cover sitting on the Gamestop used game wall, had brief "huh" moment to myself, then walked out without buying anything. Maybe I'll get it off of Steam one of these days on a whim.
Really intereating stuff! I'm always a fan of forgotten classics (These games are... roughly old enough to be classics, right?), and I think they just earned a spot on my backlog. I was linked this video in a discord server, and sorta recognized the thumbnail's style, and uh... turns out I've been saving your Xeno series videos for once I finish those games (Currently done with the main game of Blade 1, 2, and 3, and just wrapped up disc 1 of Xenosaga 3. Planning on doing Future Connected, Torna, and Future Redeemed after Gears). Having watched this, I can safely say I'm even more excited to finish them! Will have to check your other stuff as well
I love PS2 era stealth games, and Styx always looked like a game series that looks comfortably nostalgic, but for whatever reason I never tried it out. The second game still looks great, though. Maybe one day I’ll pick it up on sale.
I don’t know if it’s a case of getting older and more passive but I never find myself going from one extreme to the next when it comes to my experience with games these days. I can play a game that is more akin to a 7/10 or even a 6, has major flaws holding it back but I still end up loving the game regardless because the vision was so captivating and the dev’s enthusiasm for what they’re making is infectious. Personally wished we did away with numbered scores as it’s honestly killed any kind of interesting discussion of games in the general mainstream. Like the recent Sand Land video game is getting 6/10 like review scores while most everyone who has played it has stated it’s a solid time with a nice art style and vibe but who cares about that when 6/10 is a failing grade. lol.
i met a new friend after a week fresh in college, we talked, found out we play games, and by the end he recommended Styx. i think its time to check it out.
I remember stumbling across Styx playthrough when I was a kid and wanted to play it myself. Love playing stealth games and I’ve actually been planning to play both games some time soon.
I really liked Styx, and I remember liking its sequel well enough too. I think I'll go back and finish them again. Glad someone is talking about it too. The core is all great and there are many paths and things you can do but I think I eventually just abused the clones ability to scout, distract, lead away, and slow down enemies. Its really ridiculous as I recall. Finally got invisibility of course and it's barely a niche use power next to the clones cause you can like even get your amber back? Between the immersion of first person and the bonus to spatial awareness of third I take the latter as well in a pure stealth game. Less so in something like Dishonored.
I played styx shards of darkness in its entriety in coop, we had the best time. Unforgettable. We had gotten so used to all his death screen dialogue that we would say it with him in increasing frustration at how hard the game was :D good times
Styx is one of my guilty pleasures. I have a hard time recommending it to people, but I love it. Super surprised it got a sequel and I was really confused why they went with the 4th wall break, things.
SORRY to all patrons whose names were sliced from the credits - I have no idea how it happened, and since the thing didn't die in the algo and I don't wanna kill it, I'm going to personally shout out the people below:
ROYLANDO
RPGAYMER
RYAN MACHELL
RYAN "MORI" BROOKS
SAIGONMAN
SALSA
SALTY SMASHER
SCRIBE SLENDY
SEKAINOOWARIDE
SENSUALCODER
SEPHIRIAM
SEXY BIONICLE GF
SHAUD
SHINTENDO
SHUT UP WESLEY
SILVERBEAR909
SINGE
SIMP GOD
SIRDOODLESALOT
SIR. SLURPSALOT
SLEEPYWABBIT
SNART
SMALL SMALL TURTLE HOUSE
SO ZETTA DAD
SOCK 'EM BOPPERS
SOCKDOLAGER
SPACE LIZARD
SPIDER-DAD
SQUIJID
SQUISHWARD
STARNIGHTSKY
STORMSTRIDER AND THE HOUSE OF STORM
STREPHEN BATTLES
SUPER DINGUS
SUPER SANDWICH GUY
TAYA TOXIN
TCHORN CHUBBINGTON
TERRNENCESWIFF
THE BIG BUBBY
THE CLOWN PRINCE OF CRINGE
THE DIGITAL DUTCHMAN
THE GOOD LORD HAS BLESSED ME HALLELUJAH!
THE GREEN LOKI
THE KIRSPIBOI
THE PEACEMAKER PYRO
THENACIKNIGHT
THENOMAD
THE REAL MCCOY
THICCDICKMYSTIC
THRESH
THRIPS HEARTROP
TIGGLESMCGUFFIN
TIM LOBSTER
TIMID THE WRITER
TONY JONES, THE LEGEND
TOTAL PLAY
TRAVIS EDWARDS
TWITTLE CHUNGGIS
TYGUY9001
TYPE-A GRAPEFRUIT
V1D
VACANTPLAZA
VALENRIST
VENOM
VICEPUP-
VIK
WALK IN GET RIGHT IN MY BAG
WAPOSA
WE ARE SO KBACK!
WEEBTRASH
WELLSHEAT
WEYLEN
WHEREAMIHELP
WIDGY
WINTRESOLTICE
WOODTV
WRENCHIMP
XANNYTANNER
XRAVIUS
YABOIFLYEST
YAROW12
YASHICHI
YEET KUNE DO
YOUR MOM ;)
ZACHARY LIVESAY
ZACHARY V
ZANASO
ZANE THE IMPURE
ZANE THE PURE
ZEDSLAYERGAMER
ZERO ZALAZOR
ZILVLYNRAE
ZNOVA
ZYBER BUNK
*if you'd like a refund for this error, DM me on the patreon site, please!
Some of those names actually go so hard
You could always just say their names twice next video. That's how that works, right? 🙃
This was the first video I watched from your channel. I was scrolling thru, saw a Styx review/critique & was like "omg someone else actually played this game!"
More power to you
👍
I remember Styx.
But I definitely didn't play Styx.
Same. I actually recognized it from the thumbnail. Also I think I own it but never cracked it open. lol
I just remember the trailers for 1 and 2 were drastically different in tone
I played 3hrs then couldn't refund it 😂
I didn’t forget Styx. In fact, I gave master of shadows its only 90 on metacritic! (It was a 10/10 to me, but my boss dropped the score because IGN gave it a 7)
Another IGN L.
Damn
Hi Geoff, what're you doing here?
@@hplwonder4054 supporting his Canadian brethren
Geoff commenting on a Kbash video...has Kbash finally made it?
common Geoff W
Everytime KBash starts talking about his frustration with the game-playing publics's inability to engage with things on their own terms I feel that shit
Oh the game-playing public, can't live with em, can't live without em.
Well it can be a huge consumption of time
@notmarz45 so is any form of entertainment or hobby in general if you'd go that far
KBash, if you ever see this, for whatever it's worth, these niche titles that never got their day in the sun is exactly what I come to this channel to see. There are hidden gems, like Styx, that I will never have the time to enjoy. Life happens. Responsibilities accrue. Time becomes a commodity. Watching your videos is the closest that I, and a lot of your fans, can come to having these experiences. Thank you for giving us that.
I have a distinct memory of seeing this game on the shelf of a GameStop, not having any money, and thusly not buying it.
Multiple multiple times
Relatable
Man's so good he snuckin with a stealthy up-
*WHERE'S YOUR HAIR!?!*
When a developer spent all of their budget on making the sure the game was really good but no money on actually marketing it. It's one of the best stealth games no one's heard of. It felt like I was playing OG Splinter Cell again, but with fantasy characters.
for me it felt like how i always imagined my d&d character lol (unfortunately old school thieves are actually bad tho.)
Hey, Styx! I remember Styx. Shoutout to that one other guy in the audience with me who does. ...Styx always felt like it SHOULD be worse than it is. Like, in a different world, where the stealth genre isn't so empty, the standards would be high enough that Styx would be too janky to rate. But we're not in that world, competition is scarce, and some jank never hurt anyone.
I dunno. I played Styx and tried to like it. I'm not one to turn away from jank, I like it. But with the first Styx I found only one problem: everything it does is done better in another game. It feels like a spiritual inspiration for Dishonored, but it came out 2 years after Dishonored. Stealth always strived on iteration. Metal Gear was a more complex Wolfenstein, Metal Gear 2 was a retelling of the first game with better technology and the vision realized. Splinter Cell was Thief, but modern spec-ops and all it entails. Metal Gear Solid V is the known series, but open world sandbox, Dishonored is Thief, but more immersive sim and superpowers, all the great games are very distinct, but Styx… Styx is Dishonored, but without combat and a lot more jank. and, well, you can just play Dishonored, while not fighting people perfectly well.
I don't know about my standards, but I found Styx to be THE mediocre stealth game. not too bad, not too good, the most interesting part about it is how okay the game is
Jank hurts everyone, stuff like this isn't a badge of honor.
it's just showing that you can't limit yourself properly.
@@thereseemstobeenanerror1219
Very dramatic of you lmao
@@jakejutras5420
I mean... I am a drama hound, lol.
@@DorkN313 So... it's not Dishonored at all then.
You know what’s funny? I knew Styx from “Of Orcs and Men” before I knew he had his own spin off.
And that is why you were bullied in high school.
Orcs and Men came first before Master of Shadows.
That's hilarious
A subscriber recommended this video, and I am blown away with how well you “get” the Styx games. So many people come to the games expecting normal, modern stealth games where stealth is typically optional and where you get just sword fight your way out of situations. Styx is not that. You have to be stealthy for the most part or else you’ll die. People need to look at these games as being like the Dark Souls of stealth. Where it’s super brutal, but when you master it, it’s extremely rewarding.
You nailed basically every point. Loved what you said about the humor in Styx: SOD and also what you said about how Styx can be someone to relate to when it feels like the whole world is against you.
So thanks for bringing more attention to these games! One last thing: you have got to try the Co-Op. it makes the game basically endlessly replayable and completely changes the dynamic of the game.
The haircut made me think this was an older video for a second I was very confused
I remember styx. I feel like I was one of the only people on planet earth that played these games and enjoyed them. Blemishes and all. Though sometimes the jank got to me.
I have always kind of loved Spiders, starting with Of Orcs and Men. I've never played a game from them that I thought was, like... exceptionally GOOD. They're usually fine... ish. But what I appreciate about them is that they tend to tackle really UNIQUE projects. Technomancer, Greedfall, that, uh... Fairy: Legends of Avalon or whatever it was. They take really fun ideas and turn them into generally playable and enjoyable experiences. Kind of a Dark Horse studio and I'm always happy to try something by them.
The funny thing for me is that I hated Technomancer but I LOVED Mars: War Logs. Technomancer was like a kid that tries too hard to be a cool kid and Mars like that weird goth that hangs out with a few other people but stays true to himself. Also Tehcnomancer was too clean for my liking, everything had that sterile feel that felt off, unlike Mars that was downright dirty and had that sweet spot of "High Tech Low Life" of the 80s and 90s movies and games aesthetic. Ugly graphics also contributed to that even more.
Oh, I wasn't expecting anyone to talk about these games lol. They are super fun and being a little goblin puts you in the mindset of being a little cheeky guy who likes to rob and stab. Like in MGS I feel bad for shooting and killing randoms, but in this game it suits the character. Also just a lot of flexibility in how you navigate the level and move around that I quite enjoy.
Tbf I think that’s the point of MGS so they both accomplish their goals pretty well
@@ashleylongley1628 for sure, but it's nice to have a stealth game that tries something else
@@jakeymorrison-gardiner2903 true true
I just uninstalled this last night thinking I'm not gonna touch this again anytime soon... Damn you now I want to.
Styx is my favorite series under Kingdom Hearts. When I got Master of Shadows for free back in 2015 I never knew I would love these games so deeply that I was actually excited for a new game release. Back in 2017
Played through them earlier this year. Shards of Darkness is underrated af
Omg he cut his hair
his HAIR
his HAIR
Damn, Spoiler Alert!!!!
Looks good KBash 👍
😭😭😭
Adore all the effort to research the devs, their inspiration, etc. It adds so much texture to the retrospective.
HAIR GONE
And since you mentioned Spiders, and the idea of treating lesser known/praised games with the same artistic validity as any other, it would be cool to see you dig in to that studio's catalogue some time. They have some interesting games in there. I'm particularly fond of Greedfall, that's definitely worth checking out if nothing else.
I remember playing these game and honestly loving them. But I also love a grimey little goblin and play as many stealth options in games as I can. So even through any jank and stinky stand up I only remember having fun. I found this to be an incredibly interesting watch. I never new about Orcs and Men. Great video man.
As a huge fan of the original splinter cell games and thief I must confess that I never knew of Styx . After watching your video I bought both games on steam for 20 euros each and my money were well spent. Thank you for giving light to niece games such as this so that people like me can discover them and play them.
I'm a big fan of these games, Master of shadows genuinely felt like a revelation to me. It got me into stealth games and I loved absolutely everything about this masterpiece. So seeing someone in 2024 speaking about this franchise is more than enough to make me happy. Great job and great video !
If you want some weird "outsider" games I would like to recommend three series
Patapon - a "strategic" game where you lead giant eyeballs to fight by rhythmically pressing buttons
Zeno clash - first person action fighting game set in a world straight out of surrealistic painting
Rock of Ages - a game where you play as a ball rolling down the hill to squash historic and mythological figures
This is probably one of the best videos you've put out but maybe I'm a bit biased because your opinions are in line with my own. I just really enjoy the genuine, enthusiastic coverage of games that otherwise wouldn't get a second look, much less a first one.
Hell yeah B-game coverage
bro how many references have i scooped from you to enchant my own private conversations with the most mundane people
As someone who LOVES stealth elements in video games I have a burning desire to get into this game. Thanks for introducing it to me
I loved your takes in this video. The whole idea of forcing players to engage with a game is a key aspect of what I love about game design. I'd been interested in the Styx for a while and now I'll definitely queue them up. You really sold them for me
I feel so sad being one of the few people that remember Styx lol.
I'm still a big fan of stealth games, it's just a shame most content creators (e.g. Centerstrain01) don't play them nearly as much anymore.
“What is AAA gaming if not design gumbo?”
On fire and about to crash within 3-5 years?
Oh man I absolutely loved my time with Master of Darkness. I certainly had to save scum a lot. But it never impacted my appreciation of the game. The level design was so good. Its telling that I could remember pretty much all the levels shown off in the footage here. Haven't got around to Shards of Darkness yet, but will eventually. Thank you for shining a light on gaming's best Goblin.
I was NOT prepared for that hair! Looks good!
YT just randomly fed me this video, and I almost missed it.
I've never seen your channel before, but I... I think I love you.
Stealth is my ultimate genre. At my first job after university, a coworker gave me Thief I, prior to the Gold Ed.
I never really bonded with Styx, though I was very aware of it. I think because I was not into the lead character. But I think I'm going to play Of Orcs and Men as a proper prequel. And try Styx again. I think the dynamic between the two characters looks entertaining enough to make the game worthwhile.
Thanks for the background history. I love this sht. I'm sure you're aware of it, and it may be abandoned-ware at this point, and might be difficult to get running, but Velvet Assassin is also a wonderful game that no one knows. With, I might add, a female protagonist. Very different from a NOLF style female lead.
Highly recommended.
My friend told me of these games but not of the studio or their old works... Now these games are on my radar.
FYI: You can also disable the post-death "jokes" in the options. It makes it vastly more tolerable.
Man i remember your hairstyle now from waaaay back when. Its giving ne nostalgia vibes
Been keeping up for awhile, your videos are getting REALLY good dude💪
Yayyy! Regular kbash is back! Love this vid, love the hair cut!
"Ever present cello" I'm sold I love the cello and it needs to be in more game scores
The Super Mario Bros theme with piss/fart sounds as instruments will always be funny, KBash. Always.
I remember finding out about styx some years back when I was doing research on stealth games to design my own! (was for a uni project iirc) Seemed pretty cool, and I got super sidetracked taking a look at trailers, gameplay videos, reviews of the game, etc. I actually already knew a lot more of the info in this video than I expected to haha (but buncha new stuff as well! great video!)
Even though I didn't play it, it I spent enough time with it (took heaps of notes from it and its reviews while designing my game) that it's occupied a very distinct place in my mind. I actually did get Styx Shards of Darkness in a GOG giveaway a while back, but never got 'round to it unfortunately. Gotta someday though!
Styx is one of my all-time favourite inhuman characters! Specific I know, but man, I enjoy him as a character so much. And his lore, beautiful.
God this makes me want to reinstall all 3 of these games so badly, what a great video. Master of Shadows has my favorite linear story in any game, I genuinely don't think it could ever be told in any other medium, and Shards of Darkness's gameplay just feels like a huge step up from its predecessor in genuinely every single way. Still need to finish Of Orcs and Men!
Really appreciate you taking the leap to invest in making this
Kbash, I'm always at Ohh when I watch your video, your writing is just immaculate. It's insane how deep and funny you can be at the same time. The passing is top notch every. single. time.
Thx so much for making these videos, they are deeply entertaining!
YAS! Been waiting for this since you mentioned Styx on Twitter! ♥
Also, great new haircut. ^^
So happy to see a video on Styx! Anyone I told these were excellent stealth games didn't want to check it out.
They're so much fun, even with the bank here and there.
Honestly i saw these games when they came out and really loved "of orcs and men" and thats how i got to love styx and throughout the whole first game i was searching for Arkail and wondered where he was. I liked playing as him. But after the first styx game he grew on me and the games became some of my most favorite.
I believe I was too hasty in my initial judgement of you and your videos. Styx was one of the first pc games I ever bought I rage quit within a couple hours and it was probably the dawn of my “backlog”. Have always felt like I never gave it a fair chance due to your video maybe I will. Good stuff
Best games ever. Im still playing them ha.
We need number 3! Playing as a goblin is so rare. I always do when i can, like Enclave back in the day and WoW and the warhammer games. This game got me playing something i always skipped, and that's the stealth genre, im now a big fan.
Also great Video mate!
40:10 The saddest instrument? The mellotron would like to have a word.
Hey Kbash! Love the new video! Stealth games are sorely underrated as a genre and I've always wanted to try playing Styx at some point! Unrelated: YOUR HAIR!
I get so happy when I see a new kbash post, ty Mr. Bash. Can’t wait for the next vanillaware video
Thanks for shining light on those less known games while keeping your script funny and personal (and doing research on the teams and trying to understand the intent behind the games). And always resonating with your take on how the big public has been conditioned in having no taste for anything that's outside the blandest flavour
Thank you for making this video. Styx is a weird freakish series that nobody I know has heard of or cares about so its nice to see some appreciation for the rotten little guy, idiosyncrasies and all. Small titles like this are what video games are about for me so it really is lovely to see it get some love.
I certainly feel you about the artistic inequality, but that's the game. No matter what medium, we as people value different things, different aspects of said things, and only so much time on this mortal to appreciate them. People will be selective, because they have to. Especially in video games where play time can widly vary depending on skill level and the game's general length.
This, this is why i love this channel..❤
Immediately found the style and verve put into this video to be delightful, thanks for making me remember Styx???
38:09 I have a strict rule that, For every dollar I spend I should get an hour of playtime out of it, not just story but with replay ability, If I don’t get the hour per dollar ratio I consider it a waste of money. This is only because I tend to not Like story games as much, I love story but sometimes my brain ceases function and I ignore it. If a game can keep me interested in its story, then I throw that conversion out the window. I have done that with a few CoD games, crackdown 3, Dishonored 1, etc etc. there have also been a few exceptions like Goat simulator, those games are fire and always worth the money for a few hours of genuinely stupid fun.
Very happy to see the spotlight put on the little rakash. While I’m getting tired of the prescriptions of dnd alignments these days I can’t help but describe Styx as the perfect chaotic neutral character. So chaotic to the point that he’s his own worst enemy and it is glorious in execution.
Since I actually knew how to use my analog stick I would have a lot of fun scaling the levels to find the perfect route to achieve my goals. Green skins for the win
I remember Styx because I LOVE Styx and am sad there aren't many games like it out there. I'm someone who will always try the stealth approach in games and Styx was the first one I played that did stealth correctly. It's still one of my favorite games of all times just for that and of course I love its main character as I'm a big goblin fan. And Since I grew up on N64 and GameCube games, the janky mechanics didn't bother me all that much lol
Edit: Forgot to add that I adore puzzle games and to me, each Styx level is a puzzle. They're far from perfect and some only have one solution, making them not that replayable, but I remember loving my time with the game.
"Boxy graphics" whilst the Fable music plays is genius. 8:01
The only context of Styx I ever had before watching this was Ster getting increasingly furious at the game, especially the death stand-up gags when he played it on launch.
I feel like Styx generally just having more pedestrian goals among all the scheming is what makes him so endearing. He feels relatable, like he's always biting off far more than he can chew and really just wants to get paid and get out of there, and it can be really hard to nail a character like that. Styx is a bastard, but he's not evil, nor does he have some weepy worldview to show how pure-hearted he is. He just is trying to get by in a world where everyone is kinda cruel and rotten. It's refreshing that they got it right most of the time, since it's very easy to go full Marvel "never take anything seriously" with that, and it's refreshing take on an anti-hero when most are either greedy, but with a heart of gold, or traumatized and pragmatic, but with a heart of gold.
🤔
Well, maybe there's a reason why writers then to drift towards heart of gold for their anti-heroes?
grats, you got 140k views, first saw your vanillaware video, but these are all great.
Omg he’s re-entering his golden sun era. Slay
I remember playing styx not long ago, sometime last year, and I played both games on the hard difficulty as my first playthrough, which means for those who don't know, if you're caught, you die in one shot, no redemption shot, no fighting back against enemies, you get caught, good luck
Styx is great, two of the only games I ever bothered to knuckle down and 100% because I just enjoyed them that much. It easily joined Prototype and Overlord as the games I weep for never getting a third entry.
I have very fond memories of the Styx games, nice to see them get some recognition.
Hell yeah finally someone actually put time into making a Styx video. Another underated game just like it's main character.
I swear I can count on my elbows the number of UA-camrs who don't frustrate me after being in game dev for over a decade; glad we have KBash.
8:12 When you mentioned QT and put up an orc who looks like him I was _wheezing_
Another great review! I tried Styx but never actually played through it; I should give it another try.
I love this series.
really cool to see a video about these games, especially from you!
Goddamn I love Styx, thanks for shining a light on this bad boy
Your cheesy sense of humor and lame joke cuts earned this sub. Love it 😅
Wow thanks youtube algorithm! This was a great video. I've tried Styx a few times and always liked it, but got frustrated since I always try and full ghost stealth games when I'm not good enough. I didn't realize there was this much history in the series, I'll have to dig up some time and try it again
You sold me. I’ve always been a massive stealth fan, Splinter Cell and Hitman being two of my all time favorite series. I already owned the first game because I’m assuming it was a free ps plus title years ago, and Shards of Darkness was on sale for $4 so yeah, thanks for putting this on my radar. Now if I can peel myself away from MH4U at some point I’ll start them up lol.
K, I will always watch your vids when they're about some obscure bullshit I've never heard of in my life. They're fascinating. In fact when you make vids about stuff I plan to play, I'll skip 'em for spoiler reasons. It's me, the sicko who'll watch an hour long video about Styx.
Styx was my go to example of great stealth games in the "modern" era it's such a fun set of games
top notch video. Knew about styx (I am a game designer, I have to) the history is incredibly intruiguing. Subscribed!
Great video. For some reason I own Of Orcs and Men, and also the first Styx game. But they both filtered me very early on. Of Orcs and Men especially just felt so difficult in the earliest levels.
Styx is one of those games I always noticed the cover sitting on the Gamestop used game wall, had brief "huh" moment to myself, then walked out without buying anything. Maybe I'll get it off of Steam one of these days on a whim.
I think 5:33 might be the single funniest thing I've seen on this platform in years.
Played every single one of these. Love the entire series. I wish we got more.
Really intereating stuff! I'm always a fan of forgotten classics (These games are... roughly old enough to be classics, right?), and I think they just earned a spot on my backlog. I was linked this video in a discord server, and sorta recognized the thumbnail's style, and uh... turns out I've been saving your Xeno series videos for once I finish those games (Currently done with the main game of Blade 1, 2, and 3, and just wrapped up disc 1 of Xenosaga 3. Planning on doing Future Connected, Torna, and Future Redeemed after Gears). Having watched this, I can safely say I'm even more excited to finish them! Will have to check your other stuff as well
You’ve taken me from never hearing of these games to being very interested. Love games with additional friction compared to most mainstream games.
saw the thumbnail and was like "This better be about Styx" (I was the one guy in the first 20 seconds (I am very happy))
I love PS2 era stealth games, and Styx always looked like a game series that looks comfortably nostalgic, but for whatever reason I never tried it out. The second game still looks great, though. Maybe one day I’ll pick it up on sale.
I don’t know if it’s a case of getting older and more passive but I never find myself going from one extreme to the next when it comes to my experience with games these days.
I can play a game that is more akin to a 7/10 or even a 6, has major flaws holding it back but I still end up loving the game regardless because the vision was so captivating and the dev’s enthusiasm for what they’re making is infectious.
Personally wished we did away with numbered scores as it’s honestly killed any kind of interesting discussion of games in the general mainstream. Like the recent Sand Land video game is getting 6/10 like review scores while most everyone who has played it has stated it’s a solid time with a nice art style and vibe but who cares about that when 6/10 is a failing grade. lol.
i met a new friend after a week fresh in college, we talked, found out we play games, and by the end he recommended Styx. i think its time to check it out.
I remember stumbling across Styx playthrough when I was a kid and wanted to play it myself. Love playing stealth games and I’ve actually been planning to play both games some time soon.
"Master of Shadows" is THE stealth game for me. "Shards" did not have the same charm though, but still solid.
I really liked Styx, and I remember liking its sequel well enough too. I think I'll go back and finish them again. Glad someone is talking about it too.
The core is all great and there are many paths and things you can do but I think I eventually just abused the clones ability to scout, distract, lead away, and slow down enemies. Its really ridiculous as I recall. Finally got invisibility of course and it's barely a niche use power next to the clones cause you can like even get your amber back?
Between the immersion of first person and the bonus to spatial awareness of third I take the latter as well in a pure stealth game. Less so in something like Dishonored.
Just want to say that I love your videos, and this is a good one
You have our full support brother Aaron!!!!
I played styx shards of darkness in its entriety in coop, we had the best time. Unforgettable. We had gotten so used to all his death screen dialogue that we would say it with him in increasing frustration at how hard the game was :D good times
Styx is one of my guilty pleasures. I have a hard time recommending it to people, but I love it. Super surprised it got a sequel and I was really confused why they went with the 4th wall break, things.