Shadwen is not a AAA diamond, polished to a shine, and I am not going to tell you that it does not ache for some better coding in places. For a game released in 2016 it feels more like the early Thief games. The models and textures have been updated; the animations, maybe not. But its engine is serviceable, and used to create a fun twist on the stealth genre.

I see some reviewers referring to this game as one big escort mission, and it isn't fair. The little girl, Lily, can't die. She can't even alert the guards. She follows a more or less predetermined path through the levels and it is your job to clear the way for her, not because if she's seen you will lose, but because she won't allow herself to be seen -- if a guard is watching her path, she will run back to cover.

Now, that said, Lily is elite. She plays the game like a stealth veteran, walking right up behind guards and waiting for them to turn so she can slip past them. She runs along lines of peripheral vision like she's the assassin, not you. Her pathing might be the best bit of coding in the game. That's not to say she never glitches, but when she does, it is generally in your favor.

If you're really into stealth games like I am, you might actually find yourself wishing she was less good, because at times it doesn't feel ilke she is adding the challenge to the game you were expecting.

Shadwen is reasonably priced and worth a purchase for stealth fans, if only because more indie developers need to be encouraged to move into this space. With Assassin's Creed moving further and further from traditional stealth and the future of Metal Gear Solid in question, there is a void to fill, and Frozenbyte has made a good faith effort.