Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones Review
Release Date: September 26 2019
Platform: PC/Mac
Developer: Cultic Games
Price: $29.99
The experience of playing Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is frustrating in the best way, just like any exploration of a Lovecraftian world should be. The turn-based RPG from Cultic Games is set the fallen city of Arkham and is heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories about fish people and tentacled atrocities.
Stygian’s main character journeys through Arkham which has somehow been pulled to an alternate realm of reality, searching desperately for a way out of this literal hellhole. As you play you will encounter several unsavoury characters who will offer to help you on your quest, either through sharing your goals or through being offered an ongoing supply of cigarettes (the currency of the world). Wandering though the dark setting, it almost feels as if you have become a character in the original stories.
One of the things I enjoyed the most while exploring Arkham was the amount of interaction I was forced to have with both the city and its residents. Frequently in Stygian it wasn’t clear where to find my next clue so my character was forced to ask around, with the interactions varying wildly based on the choices made I had made in character creation. Despite the city’s somewhat claustrophobic size, I still felt lost while trying to work out what my next step should be, with my journal only offering vague clues. As someone very familiar with Lovecraft’s work, I felt that invoked the confusion and dread so often felt by his main characters in a very effective way.
Unfortunately, some of the other ways that Stygian invokes that confusion are slightly more problematic and frustrating. At the time of writing this review, Stygian still suffers from quite a few bugs, including a combat glitch with brings the game to a grinding halt. While the developers have announced they are working on a patch to fix these bugs, right now they seem to be exceptionally common in both my and other player’s experiences.
Another problematic element of the game is just how closely it sticks to H.P. Lovecraft’s original short stories. As Lovecraft was writing in the early 19th century, his stories feature many out-dated points of view, which most modern adaptations have chosen to not include. On the other hand, Stygian features quite a few problematic ideas about race from Lovecraft’s work, seemingly without any reason. The game’s dialogue also quite frequently assumes that the player character is male, despite offering a choice of genders during character creation. Whether these things were included by accident or design, both these elements made me feel quite alienated from a game I would have otherwise enjoyed.
But when these problematic elements weren’t at the forefront, it was hard for me not to enjoy playing Stygian. The world of Arkham is realised through some unique 2D art and despite not having voice acting, it contains some of the best sound design I’ve encountered in recent years. I found the heavy footfalls, smooth jazz and unearthly noises all combined to create the soundscape of a city that was both unsettling and familiar.
Overall, I found Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones had the potential to be a pretty great experience for someone who, like myself, enjoys the world that H.P. Lovecraft created. Unfortunately, at the time of publishing this article, that experience is severely marred by bugs and some rather problematic writing choices. I would also suspect that those unfamiliar with Cthulhu and his tentacled brethren would have a hard time becoming as invested in the game as I was. In the end, this game has potential for those who love Lovecraft’s work but not really anyone else.
Pros
Interesting story world filled with chaos and confusion
Excellent sound design
A story that feels like it could have actually been written by H.P. Lovecraft
Cons
Still contains quite a few glitches at the time of writing this review
Contains content players may find offensive
Not a good starting point for those unfamiliar with the Cthulhu mythos