Styx gets a sequel in 2016

Developer Cyanide Studios received good reviews with their 2014 title Styx: Master of Shadow, and fans of the game won't have to wait long before they get their next fix.

Focus Home Interactive announced today that the sequel, Styx: Shards of Darkness, will be released next year. The game has been in development for just six months, so we're assuming it will be late 2016 rather than early. It's landing on the same platforms as Master of Shadows, meaning PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Styx: Shards of Darkness is being built from scratch in Unreal Engine 4, and we're promised bigger ideas and a "nimble and more refined Styx", according to the press release states.

"Following the fall of Akenash tower, an extraordinary matter has forced Styx out of hiding to infiltrate Körangar, the city of the Dark Elves. Supposedly impregnable, a diplomatic summit offers Styx a chance at slipping in unnoticed, as he learns that the event is nothing but a mere façade... Moreover, the Elves have joined forces with the Dwarves, and the only thing both races have in common is a mutual hatred of the Goblins...

Embark upon a stealthy adventure with new enemies, new environments, and a plethora of new mechanics aimed at refining the abilities and movement of Styx; grappling around corners, climbing ropes, and using his trusty knife as a zip-wire. Shards of Darkness aims to offer unparalleled freedom of movement, along with refined stealth and assassination mechanics, expanding and improving on the strengths of Styx: Master of Shadows."

Even with a bigger budget it feels ambitious to make a whole new game in what amounts to less than 20 months, but hopefully Cyanide are up to the challenge.