00:11Sticks Master of Shadows
00:12Welcome to Sticks Master of Shadows, the dark infiltration game coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC.
00:18So please join me in taking a moment to learn about the mechanics, lore and gameplay of Sticks.
00:25In Sticks Master of Shadows we meet Sticks at the heart of the tower of Achanash, busy on his hunt
00:30for the source of the amber, an elixir or a lifelink for the elves and an infinite source of power
00:35guarded by the humans.
00:36In Master of Shadows the humans vastly outnumber the player, Sticks, so it's with your strategic insight that you must
00:42guide our goblin friend to his desired destination as the narrative unveils.
00:54It would be foolish to take on three armed and armoured human soldiers in a fist fight, so let's wait
00:58a moment and see if an opportunity to move on Unseen Arises.
01:03It seems these soldiers are engrossed in gossip, but there's no path to reach the ground from here so we'll
01:08have to go around.
01:10Yes, with Curran you wouldn't have to put up with the company of root suckers, cause characters are more ambers.
01:20Keeping to the walls and crouching ensure Sticks' movement is as quiet as possible, but not always silent, with the
01:26amber in his veins indicating the shadows veil his visibility.
01:30Where there is no root around the light, Sticks will have to manipulate the environment in favour of his objectives.
01:36Let's turn out the lights.
01:50The guards are heading back to their patrol, but dowsing the lights has prevented Sticks from drawing attention to himself.
01:56Still, what they cannot see they can potentially hear, so we'll have to tread carefully.
02:00If not the kill we can go for the steal, let's see what he's got.
02:04It looks like it's Discard's lucky day.
02:07It looks like it's Discard's lucky day.
02:07It looks like it's Discard's lucky day.
02:14Ah, spoiled by our charitability.
02:27The darkness eludes, but the light beyond is a problem.
02:33Dowsing the torch will alert the guard, either opening an opportunity to pickpocket him and steal any flasks around him,
02:39or making our presence known depending on how we approach it.
02:45Spooked but not suspicious, we'll leave him to investigate for now. Sticks can hide in and crawl under many of
02:51the world's objects.
02:56We've to bide our time before we can slip past. He may not be as well armed as his comrades,
03:01but a single bellow will bring everyone close to his defence, including the guard we philanthropically left to live.
03:10Stuck to the corners amidst the shadows, let's creep along the crevices as the cogs of the tower grind below
03:15and finally begin our descent.
03:40Perchance to plan, a moment to decide the fate of the foe ahead.
03:43Unfortunately, a silent kill, it may take longer, but it smothers the cries.
03:48The product of a silent kill is, rather problematically, a human corpse, and we can't leave those around. They tend
03:55to arouse suspicion.
03:59Two guards and that's quite a drop. Thankfully Sticks is as stylish as he is subtle.
04:03So let's take advantage from a distance as one's helmet will protect him from throwing knives.
04:10Unfortunately, only one human-sized crate around. We'll have to do something more... sadistic to rid ourselves of this burden.
04:20We briefly apply one of four skills from the agility tree to scout and then hide.
04:26There are seven trees, each with four skills, fuelled by the ambush Sticks so desires.
04:31These supplementary skills are designed to enrich Sticks' strategic and stealth mechanics, not to offer an escape to those unable
04:38to hone their skill.
04:41As the guards go about their daily routines of eating, drinking, sleeping, chatting and of course relieving themselves,
04:47Sticks is able to manipulate any of these life actions in his favour.
04:52By throwing up in this communal water tank, any unsuspecting guard who takes a sip will soon meet his end.
05:01The route taken is entirely up to you, the player, and there are many paths designed to be taken throughout
05:07each part of the Tower of Akinash,
05:09as well as vast open areas to weave around.
05:13Keeping quiet and sticking to the shadows is only a portion of things to consider in Sticks, Master of Shadows.
05:19When not alerted, guards will go about their daily routines.
05:22Careful observation will illuminate times at which this routine can be exploited,
05:27and the considerable vastness of the Tower's levels are designed to offer organic paths across the map,
05:32offering plenty of opportunity to eke out secrets, loot and potions.
05:57The communal well we poisoned earlier has served its purpose.
06:00A few heavy steps later, Sticks's putrid acid has felled the enemy.
06:20Ahead, a rather dangerous looking foe sleepily guards will have to call out an ally.
06:25Sticks's wretched clone is useful for activating switches, distracting guards, trapping or dispensing smoke bombs,
06:33and even turning invisible.
06:34Pretty useful for a wretched hunk of flesh.
06:39Not so much in this case.
06:52Humbled by our defeat, let's assume we can't tackle our large friend alone,
06:56and look for an alternative route, a second chance for our wretched clone.
07:05We've to wait until separated in order to avoid drawing attention to both.
07:20Now distracted, silently I am able to sneak attack our daydreaming guard here,
07:24as the first guard is brawling with my wretched clone, he dissipates and I take over to finish him off.
07:41Let's bring him back, we're not quite done with him yet.
07:55Using the clone to scout around the environment and shut off some of the torches for me,
08:00I am able to prepare for my own foray into the courtyard.
08:03But there are too many enemies to risk heading down right now,
08:06and I'll need to distract and dispatch each one of them.
08:11Perhaps there's something around here that I can use to my advantage.
08:20A final lure to add the finishing touches to my plan.
08:31Using the environment I am able to plan for and carry out a surprise attack,
08:35without aid of glowing indicators or a narrative setup.
08:38It's up to you to use what you want, when and how you want it.
08:45Let's pack away our friend for now, and with a keen eye,
08:48head through one of the many tunnels carved throughout the great tower.
09:04And as the light shafts are sliced in two by the tail end of the blimp,
09:08take a moment to enjoy some of the advanced ambient effects developed to flesh out the lighting and mood of
09:13Styx, Master of Shadows.
09:14Atop the atrium later in the game, the sun floods the rafters and the shadows are diminished.
09:19What better way to appreciate light than to let it pass to our anti-hero,
09:23using invisibility powered by amber.
09:26An expensive skill to use, it doesn't last very long,
09:28but it'll sure get you out of a sticky situation such as this one, surrounded by guards.
09:35There's no chance we'll make it out of this one alive if we exit now,
09:39so best to let our seemingly paranoid companions finish nattering about their tentatively fleeting freedom before we move on.
09:46Never mention it to me again.
10:00Away they go, and away we go, precariously pouncing into the sunlight, aware of everything around us.
10:05So let's quickly head down this darker, lower level before we're seen.
10:13Offering nothing fancy for this guy I'm afraid, bringing new meaning to the term legend.
10:24And speaking of the ends of ledges, let's grab a hold of this one and get to grips with what
10:28lies ahead.
10:47Aha, it seems one of the guards ahead has been foiled by every human's requirement to go to the bathroom.
10:53Let's see how this one plays out.
10:55Thankfully before he got started, we seize the opportunity and reunite him with his fallen colleague.
11:10Using a flask of amber, we can replenish our magical power meter.
11:14But don't use too many, these are hard to come by and often guarded.
11:17So let's take the opportunity to scout and look for a few more items here and there,
11:22using our honed skills in stealth to avoid detection.
11:25But how to cross this courtyard?
11:27Let's bring our wretched clone out and cook up a little plan.
11:31Someone's bound to cross the courtyard eventually.
11:53Ah-ha, as deduced, we can now move on.
11:56A quick flash of amber vision should give us some idea of where to go, so let's make an ascent
12:01for the rafters.
12:02There are often multiple layers to each part of the Tower of Achenash, so don't be afraid to explore.
12:31As we ascend even higher, let's take a look below to get a sense of the scale and size of
12:36the zones in Stick's Master of Shadows.
12:39You've seen only half of one of the four areas this mission takes place in.
12:45Leaping from the rafters, you should get a sense of the freedom of movement instilled to fulfill an open world
12:50feeling in a more truncated setting,
12:52where the freedom to roam is designed to be unrestrictive and equally vertical as it is horizontal.
12:59A more active descent is the best plan of action, so let's head even higher opting to stay onto the
13:04rooftops rather than enter the gut of the Tower.
13:09A mere 17 metres from our desired location, a quick sip of amber to replenish our power.
13:28We enter a heavily guarded keep and with no time for subtlety, let's smoke out our opponents and head to
13:33the safety of the shadows heading higher still.
13:35Thank you for watching. Your journey with sticks begins late summer 2014 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
13:53What?
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