Gobl-infiltration: Styx - Master Of Shadows
Styx and stones make an awfully loud noise
Styx: Master Of Shadows is a stealth spin-off, framed as a prequel to Of Orcs and Men. While orcs and men blunder about biffing one another, sneaky little Styx the goblin sticks to the shadows, robbing and stabbing as he goes. The game is out on the 7th of October and to prepare perfidious pickpockets around the world, Cyanide have released a video with a developer talkthrough. It's an instant contender for best video because it contains the statement, "In terms of the mechanics of infiltration, we tried to never lose sight of the fact we were playing a goblin".
Click on the subtitles/cc button for an English translation, should you require one.
Levels that reward those who look up (sorry dogs) and lots of audio trickery make this a far more appealing proposition than I thought it would be when the announcement came through at the beginning of the year. Along with all the hiding and seeking, gaming's favourite form of murder makes an appearance as well - that is, of course, the leaping blade attack that all the best assassins utilise as part of their daily routine.
We'll tell you wot we think before release. I've got my green fingers crossed in the hope that smart level design will make Styx worthwhile and, like Graham, I'm tentatively optimistic.