Styx: Blades of Greed Interview – Comedy, Drama, Lore, Gameplay, And More

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Ahead of the launch of the new Styx game, Julien Desourteaux, the creator and director of Styx: Blades of Greed, spoke with us about how the series and the stealth genre have changed, and more.

I’ve always loved how the Styx games manage to tell a really engaging story while still being funny and lighthearted. I’m really curious – how are the developers planning to strike that same balance between serious storytelling and comedy in Styx: Blades of Greed? It’s a key part of what makes those games so special, and I’m hoping they’ll keep that up!

Like before, Styx is still a snarky, mischievous goblin thrown into complicated and often dangerous situations he doesn’t fully understand.

Our goblin character develops throughout the story. He starts out rude, but learns to cooperate with the player, first because it benefits him, and then because he genuinely enjoys the feeling of belonging and being appreciated – something he’s never experienced before.

Styx is a goblin with a sharp, often mocking, wit who keeps getting tangled in complicated and serious plots he doesn’t fully understand.

Stealth has always been the standout feature of this game series. With Styx: Blades of Greed, what new options – like tools, skills, or changes to how the game works – are added to make stealth even better and give players more ways to approach it?

Styx is now even faster and more flexible, and we’ve built bigger levels with lots of vertical space. Plus, there are more ways to escape and stay hidden, making stealth gameplay more exciting and unpredictable.

These new abilities give us more flexibility and ways to handle challenges. We’ve always believed that every problem has several possible solutions.

Styx: Blades of Greed builds upon the world and backstory introduced in Of Orcs and Men. Beyond simply sharing the same setting and groups, does it offer significant story connections and expand on the existing lore in a substantial way?

In Styx: Blades of Greed, we wanted to build upon the established story from earlier games and depict the very start of the major war between the Empire and the Orcs – a conflict that forms the backdrop for the events in Of Orcs and Men.

We aimed to tie together the stories from past games and reveal how the major war between the Empire and the Orcs first began.

You mentioned the game has three large, expansive areas. How do these areas change the way the game is structured compared to past games? Specifically, how does this affect the missions, how players advance, and how they complete objectives?

As a huge fan, I’m really excited about how different this game feels! They’ve completely changed the way levels are built, letting them create way bigger and more open areas. You unlock these areas as you play and as Styx learns new ways to get around, which is awesome. It feels like a real journey of discovery!

Styx is focused on stealing all the Quartz, and they’re using a compass to help them find it.

Players can usually work on multiple Quartz objectives simultaneously, letting them decide the order in which to complete them. This freedom allows players to customize their experience by choosing different paths and tackling challenges in their own way.

This new design allows us to hide more rewards throughout the game’s large areas, like emblems, gold, relics, runes, and crafting plans. Finding these collectibles will give players experience points or unlock new skills, encouraging them to explore.

Will we see any characters from previous games, whether they had big or small roles, or is this story entirely about new characters?

Helledryn and Djarak will definitely be joining the story. We also wanted Styx to encounter fresh faces who can become his crewmates, and to meet people from various groups – like the Flux, the Inquisition, and those fighting against the Empire in the Resistance.

Okay, so in Styx, my main goal is to grab all the Quartz. Luckily, there’s this compass that points me in the right direction, making the search a little easier. It’s basically a treasure hunt!

What happens in the story after the events of Styx: Shards of Darkness, especially concerning the consequences of what happened with Djarak?

The game Styx: Shards of Darkness concluded with Styx and Djarak forming an uneasy alliance to defeat Korrangar. Styx: Blades of Greed picks up immediately after that battle, with Styx facing Djarak following his escape. Their confrontation is quickly overshadowed by a much larger, unexpected event.

You’ve often talked about “freedom and creativity” being central to the game’s design. Can you explain how that translates into the actual gameplay? Does it mean players will have more options for solving problems, more ways to explore levels, or more combinations of tools and powers to use, or is it something different?

Players have a lot of freedom to combine different abilities and skills, letting them get creative with how they approach challenges – whether it’s through stealth, direct attacks, or finding unique ways to move around.

In Styx: Blades of Greed, what is the Black Hand’s purpose? Are they simply villains, a source of political conflict, or do they have a more complex role in the story?

When Styx: Blades of Greed begins, the Black Hand isn’t yet established. Players follow Styx and his team as they encounter a small group of rebels fighting against the Empire – this is where the Black Hand starts. The game reveals how this organization is formed and how Styx and his crew influence its development.

As a developer, what are your initial thoughts on the PS5 Pro? Specifically, how does the improved graphics processing unit (GPU) affect your development process compared to creating games for the standard PS5?

We primarily developed our game for the original PlayStation 5, so we didn’t make specific changes for the PS5 Pro. That said, the Pro’s increased power still delivers a consistently smooth experience, which is fantastic for players.

Styx and his team came across a small band of rebels fighting against the Empire – these fighters were the first members of what would become the Black Hand.

What do you think about PSSR, and how could it improve Styx: Blades of Greed? Specifically, could it enhance the game’s visuals, performance, ray tracing capabilities, and overall stability?

Since Unreal Engine 5’s built-in upscaling was working effectively for Styx: Blades of Greed, we didn’t focus heavily on PSSR. However, we are looking into using PSSR in our future games.

What resolution and frame rates are you hoping to achieve on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and the future PlayStation 5 Pro? Will these settings change depending on the game’s demands, or will they stay consistent?

We’re putting the finishing touches on the console versions now and will announce the technical details soon.

Is there a specific reason why the game is not coming to Nintendo Switch 2?

Because our game uses advanced technology from Unreal Engine 5 – including features like Lumen and Nanite – and features large, detailed environments, we’ve decided not to release it on the Nintendo Switch 2. Considering how long it takes to create the game, this was the best decision.

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2026-02-17 17:14