DaRmaZat With Stygian: Outer Gods, Misterial Games returns to its dark, brooding universe following the Lovecraftian horror of Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones. Set to launch in Early Access on April 14, 2025 for PC, this isn’t a direct sequel, but a prelude of sorts that unfolds just before the infamous Black Day. This time, the developers aim for a survival horror experience featuring grotesque creatures ripped straight from H.P. Lovecraft’s nightmares. The psychological horror largely revolves around the mental state of the protagonist. Console versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are expected at a later date.
Pure Lovecraft in a Resident Evil setting
It’s 1920. Jack Harrison, a man worn by war and exploration, wakes from yet another disturbing dream—or was it a vision?—at his desk in the grim town of Arkham. On his table lies a letter from Victoria Fredkin, a childhood friend and expert in the occult, inviting him to join a research expedition to Kingsport, a strange coastal village. Her timing is no coincidence—Jack’s father, a famed explorer obsessed with African relics and the supernatural, recently went missing there. What begins as a search for answers quickly spirals into a full-blown nightmare.
Visually and conceptually, including the looming sense of dread, the game makes a strong first impression.
During the journey by sea, the ship sinks, and Jack seems to be the only survivor who washes ashore in Kingsport. What follows plays like a fusion between Resident Evil: Village—with its haunting setting and snarling creatures eager to sink their teeth into you—and the kind of dreamlike delirium only a Lovecraftian tale can deliver. Magical incantations twist the human body, mutated dogs stalk you in the snow, and suffocating red flora chokes the land.
Visually and conceptually, including the looming sense of dread, the game makes a strong first impression. But from the start, the gameplay doesn’t always support the creeping horror. Missions appear with little build-up or mystique—expect to get hit with a few basic fetch quests right out of the gate.
A range of gameplay systems: some deep, others basic
Despite this rough start, there’s more to the mechanics than meets the eye. Early on, you define Jack’s strengths and weaknesses via a personality quiz in a fogged-up bathroom mirror. Stats like Sanity, Insanity Resistance, Lockpicking, Occult, Speech, Cold and Fire Resistance all impact gameplay. A high Occult skill lets you examine strange objects without losing your mind, while strong Speech skills let you lie or negotiate your way through tense encounters.
Jack’s toolkit includes a map (sadly, one that can’t be marked), a logbook, an inventory, and a weapon belt. You start with a trusty lighter that can be used alongside a one-handed weapon. As you explore, you’ll pick up progressively stronger weapons like knives, sickles, axes, sledgehammers, and firearms including a pistol, shotgun, and rifle.
Passive abilities—called Talents—such as Heavy Strike, stealth walking, or even speaking with the dead, are unlocked by collecting and activating cards. Survival elements like bleeding, frostbite, and broken bones add to the tension, alongside crafting systems that allow you to make ammo and healing items at workbenches using gathered resources.
More than a walking sim with combat
At first glance, Stygian: Outer Gods feels like a walking simulator with combat layered on top—but there’s more going on. Jack can block attacks with his fists or weapons and wields a supernatural ability called Scry, which lets him see invisible footprints leading to hidden areas—much like Sherlock Holmes’ intuition in The Awakened. This power can also destroy corrupted plant growth or reveal hidden puzzle solutions. Lockpicking, however, is overly simplistic—based purely on your stat level. Just hold a button and hope for the best.
Combat exposes some of the game’s rougher edges. Enemies move slowly, often getting stuck behind crates or scenery. Yet they can hit you through walls and objects due to oversized hitboxes. Gunplay lacks impact, and lighter melee weapons feel useless in direct fights because of a stamina system that drains too quickly. There’s also no quick-swap for weapons or items, which is both inconvenient and frustrating. Saving is limited to mirrors in NPC hideouts, and since autosaves can be rare, manual saves are essential. There are currently three difficulty levels, but once you choose, you’re locked in.
A masterful soundscape – paired with less-than-masterful performance
Though Jack delivers internal monologues with solid voice work, he remains silent during conversations. Most NPCs lack voice acting too. Luckily, the audio design truly sells the dread in Kingsport: ticking clocks growing louder, whispering voices when Jack’s sanity dips, slamming doors, and guttural snarls all dial up the tension.
Much work still needed on the visual side.
Running on Unreal Engine 5, Stygian: Outer Gods presents a snowy, decaying Kingsport that wouldn’t look out of place in a Resident Evil: Village DLC. But performance in this Early Access version is shaky. On Epic settings, framerates dropped to the 40s, while High settings offered around 100 FPS. Upscaling, Frame Generation, Global Illumination, and Ray Reconstruction are available, but rough edges remain. Character animations are stiff, lipsync is poor, and visual bugs like floating NPCs or unbroken objects persist. Most problematic of all: occasional Unreal Engine crashes that twice corrupted save files during testing.
Preliminary Thoughts
In this preview, one thing becomes clear: Stygian: Outer Gods tries to do a lot at once. It blends deep dialogue and stat systems with elements of walking sims, puzzle-solving, survival, stealth, and action—set against a backdrop of Resident Evil-style horror laced with Lovecraftian madness. And honestly? Sometimes it works. The concept is undeniably intriguing. But a number of rough spots need work before full release.
The game would benefit greatly from proper voice acting during conversations, improved performance and stability, better combat flow, and smarter AI. Yes, that’s a long list—but if those conditions are met, Stygian: Outer Gods has the potential to become something truly special.
Additional Information
Release Date: April 14, 2025 (Early Access)
Reviewed On: PC. Download code provided by the publisher and PR agency via BeyondGaming.
Developer: Misterial Games
Publisher: Fulqrum Publishing
Official Website: https://www.fulqrumpublishing.com/game/781-stygian-outer-gods
Relevant links: Stygian: Outer Gods on STEAM
