Nearly a decade after his last outing, gaming’s most irreverent, caustic, and surprisingly lethal goblin is stepping out of the shadows once again. Styx: Blades of Greed, the third installment in the cult-classic stealth series by Cyanide Studio, marks a triumphant return to a genre that has felt increasingly sparse. While many modern “stealth” games prioritize action-oriented combat as a backup plan, Blades of Greed doubles down on the hardcore, methodical infiltration that made its predecessors, Master of Shadows and Shards of Darkness, standout hits for purists.
A New Chapter in a War-Torn World
Set after the events of Shards of Darkness, the story finds Styx no longer playing the part of a lone mercenary for hire. Instead, he has taken a leadership role, guiding his own crew of misfits—including members of the “Black Hand” from Of Orcs and Men—aboard a massive zeppelin. Their target? Quartz, a mysterious and volatile resource that serves as the lifeblood of a world on the brink of an all-out war between humans, elves, and orcs.
The narrative maintains the series’ signature dark fantasy aesthetic, blending cobbled-together steampunk machinery with grimdark masonry. Styx himself remains as talkative as ever, delivering fourth-wall-breaking quips and scathing insults to the player whenever they fail a mission.
Sandbox Infiltration and Verticality
The core of Blades of Greed is its massive, multi-layered sandbox environments. One of the game’s flagship locations, the Wall Fortress, exemplifies the developer’s commitment to verticality. Players aren’t just traversing flat maps; they are scaling dizzying heights, shimmying across rafters, and navigating complex ventilation systems.
The game introduces a “Metroidvania” style progression to its level design. As Styx unlocks new abilities and tools, he can return to previously visited massive hubs to access secret areas and shortcuts that were once out of reach.
New Tools of the Trade
While Styx still relies on his trusty dagger and puke-based cloning abilities, Blades of Greed introduces a suite of new gadgets to handle the more “Breath of the Wild-ified” open spaces:
- The Grappling Hook: Allows for rapid traversal and zipping to hard-to-reach vantage points.
- The Glider: A new mechanical wing that lets Styx soar between high towers or drop silently onto unsuspecting guards from above.
- Enhanced Alchemy: Expanded crafting allows for more creative kills, such as poisoning food supplies or setting intricate traps.
- Mind Control: A powerful late-game ability that allows Styx to possess enemies, forcing them to attack their allies or simply walk off a ledge.
Styx: Blades of Greed is a love letter to fans of the Thief and Dishonored era. It is a game that rewards patience over reflexes and creativity over brute force. For those who enjoy the thrill of being a “shadow in the night,” February 2026 cannot come soon enough.
