A rich, immersive odyssey that fuses the existential terror central to Lovecraftian style with the layered narrative and gameplay complexity that define the very best role-playing games.
Stygian: Outer Gods, a new survival horror from Misterial Games, challenges players to embark on a search for the truth behind the baffling disappearance of the protagonist’s father. With all the signature elements of a Lovecraftian narrative, the game offers an exploration of obsessive truth-seeking, the constant oscillation between reality and illusion, and the threatening presence of strange, perilous creatures.
The search motif, central to Lovecraft’s works, also resurfaces in games like Forgive Me Father 2, which delved into the journey toward mental clarity, or Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, where the theme of forgotten memories was at play. In Stygian, the focus lies on uncovering the fate of the protagonist’s father, believed to be dead, yet mysteriously returned.
Here are our first impressions of this intriguing project from Misterial Games, launched in Early Access on April 14th for PC via Steam, in partnership with Fulqrum Publishing.
Classic Survival Horror Gameplay with an Open-World Twist
Stygian: The Outer Gods offers a quintessential survival horror experience, featuring an inventory system reminiscent of Resident Evil, which demands the careful and strategic management of limited resources. Its open-world structure offers multiple areas to explore, although some environments occasionally suffer from a lack of detail. Puzzles and quests enrich the gameplay, providing meaningful objectives and unlocking new areas, though at times the progression risks becoming somewhat diffuse and unfocused.
From a narrative and direction standpoint, Stygian: The Outer Gods truly excels, delivering a masterfully crafted and deeply immersive storyline. Nevertheless, certain gameplay shortcomings still undermine the overall experience. Exploration remains compelling—particularly thanks to the meticulous design of the town and its eerie surroundings—yet the persistent sense of disorientation can, at times, weaken the immersion so essential to horror RPGs.
The melee combat system, a cornerstone of the gameplay, requires substantial refinement: weapon handling, the feedback of strikes on enemies, and damage balancing all need revision to achieve a more fluid, satisfying, and impactful experience. The scarcity of resources, which is meant to build tension, often feels overly punitive, causing frustration instead of enhancing the intended atmosphere.
Nevertheless, it is the exceptional quality of the writing and the intricate, multifaceted portrayal of its characters that truly set Stygian apart, offering richly textured narratives that invite deep introspection and heighten the player’s emotional and psychological immersion.
Reflections on the Current State of Optimization and Performance in Stygian: Outer Gods
Stygian showcases an outstanding aesthetic, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Its environments exhibit exceptional realism, while the intricate lighting effects — particularly the ambient glow from the oil lamp — masterfully shape the visual tone, enhancing even the darkest scenes. Nonetheless, performance remains a pressing issue: the game is highly demanding, and older graphics cards can experience severe frame rate degradation, at times dipping below 10 FPS. Although significant work remains, we are optimistic that this pivotal phase will bring much-needed improvements to optimization.
Stygian: Outer Gods 1.0 — First Look and Key Details
Stygian: Outer Gods is currently available in Early Access on Steam. Upcoming updates will bring new content, including missions, enemies, and additional features. We highly recommend keeping a close eye on the game’s Steam page for more details on the features to be introduced.
Although no release date for version 1.0 has been confirmed yet, the developers have shown great promise and seem ready to address future challenges. Time will tell if Misterial Games can fully capitalize on player feedback to polish the experience.
