When I caught the first glimpse of Stygian: Outer Gods, I was immediately captivated by the very prominent image of a lighthouse and the promise of eldritch horror. I had made a somewhat hasty assumption that this would be some kind of lighthouse management sim with horror elements—somewhat in the vein of No One Lives Under the Lighthouse. And while my hopes for a video game version of The Lighthouse were dashed against the rocks, having an otherworldly survival horror on offer was a nice consolation prize.
I had been keeping my eye on Misterial Games ever since their other game, Regeneration, found its way onto one of my social media feeds. Despite not really knowing what to expect with Stygian: Outer Gods I was ready for some spooks, and I will admit, this game certainly has the makings for a truly gripping horror experience.
For those unaware, Stygian: Outer Gods exists in the same universe as Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones, which was developed by Cultic Games but also published by Fulqrum Publishing. While not explicitly a sequel, it does claim to “provide a fresh perspective on events and characters from The Reign of the Old Ones.” Players take on the role of Jack—a researcher caught up in the pull of some occult force he can’t quite remember or comprehend.
One day, his estranged friend Victoria appears at his door claiming his father—who Jack believed to be missing—is alive in the strange town of Kingsport. Jack is pulled into a terrible adventure to uncover the dark secrets of the town and possibly put a stop to whatever terror is proclaiming a dark arrival.
What surprised me most about Stygian: Outer Gods was the evolution from its predecessor’s asymmetric RPG trappings to a first-person survival horror experience. When players first arrive in Kingsport, they’re introduced to some basic RPG elements—some basic exploration, dialogue options and even crafting elements. The real survival horror kicks off when they encounter their first feral dog—needing to engage in combat either with their bare hands or a pretty ineffectual knife.
“What surprised me most about Stygian: Outer Gods was the evolution from its predecessor’s asymmetric RPG trappings to a first-person survival horror experience.”
This is where players get their first taste of survival horror, as combating this carnivorous canine with a worthless weapon and a sabotaged stamina system is bound to leave them clinging to life. Consider this the game’s tutorial, since after a brief cutscene; players are given their first mission—finding three tablets to open a gate. Players are given some clues as to their whereabouts, but it’s up to them to figure out where they are and how best to get them.
But things get a little more interesting as Stygian: Outer Gods reveals the secondary gameplay style hiding within. It was actually something that surprised me with the game—Stygian: Outer Gods is somewhat of an immersive sim. While the game accomplishes this in the macro by giving players “Sin Cards” that allow them to choose perks which can affect how they approach different situations, it achieves this in the micro sense that areas are also fairly open and provide players multiple avenues to achieve their goals.
It was the first thing I asked myself when presented with an area I couldn’t quite get to—can I get around this by stacking boxes? Which you absolutely can. In fact, leaning into the survival horror style of the game, Stygian: Outer Gods tries as much as it can to disincentivize combat unless players are absolutely certain they can survive.
However, combat is definitely the one area where the game could use some rebalancing, especially in this pre-release stage. Even by survival horror standards, the combat is beyond dissatisfying. Players are restricted by a stamina meter, only able to swing their weapon two or three times before being left completely vulnerable. Blocking feels completely unreliable and enemies can attack with no in-between animations, gigantic attack ranges, and can absolutely obliterate you in two or three hits.
I tried to approach certain unavoidable combat situations in every possible way—trying to get a few stealth attacks in first, strafing around and trying to stay out of attack range, wailing away before an enemy could get an attack, and there wasn’t a single strategy that seemed to work. What’s even worse, while enemies can throw out attacks with an infinite animation cycle, players are not given such luxuries, so even if you attempt to block, your attack animation comes out so slow you end up dying from three unavoidable hits.
“Stygian: Outer Gods tries as much as it can to disincentivize combat unless players are absolutely certain they can survive.”
Since this isn’t a review, I’m not mentioning this as a point against the game. Rather as something I genuinely hope gets fixed—or at least rebalanced—before the game is released because it genuinely nails almost everything else. The little portside town of Kingsport that made up the bulk of the preview demo had such an incredibly unnerving atmosphere—with the eerie wisp of the wind and the strange echoes of a scream that filled the air at times. It’s dreary and rundown and made all the more bizarre by the deranged chanting of local “witches.”
There’s a sense of weight and gloom that pervades the entire experience and genuinely makes me excited for what else is to come in this horrific place, but Stygian: Outer Gods doesn’t need to be unforgivingly punishing to be either challenging or scary. It’s a little rough around the edges, and I really hope Misterial Games can iron out the kinks before release, but this game certainly has the potential to be something special.
