You're hugging the corner of the wall, watching the two guards walk toward you as you remain hidden under a cloak of darkness. As they walk past a chest, your trap is sprung and one of them is killed. Without hesitation, you throw a knife at the one remaining guard, killing him before he can raise an alarm. Everything is going according to plan, so you attempt to leap up off the balcony to another platform, but the stilted way in which you jump makes you fall short of your goal. You fall to the ground, alerting a couple of guards. You time your parries in an attempt to duel with one, but the other shoots you with a crossbow and you die instantly.

Such is the experience of playing Styx: Master of Shadows, a stealth game that occasionally hits the right notes before making you forget about them thanks to bad AI, sub-par combat, repetitious environments, and occasionally frustrating controls.

The plot of Styx serves as something of a prequel to another Focus Home Interactive game, games. That prospect may sound exciting, but Styx unfortunately finds itself in the shadows of better stealth experiences.