Dialogue between guards reveal a history of dark spirits, and the fruitless attempt to quell them by lighting the neighboring forest on fire. The narrative is peppered throughout the campaign's fifteen chapters. It can take some getting used to, as I had not mastered the grapple until a few chapters into the game, when I stopped trying to be in continuous motion and instead let go of the analog stick to stop time and aim for the next anchor point. With it you can hook onto and swing from various wooden platforms, reel yourself up to high perches, or grab crates and barrels to distract or crush guards. Traps and distractions aren't your only tool, as Shadwen gains the grappling hook, a most invaluable asset, upon her introduction to the game. These crafted objects have to be placed, so no dropping explosives from on high, and the limited placement radius means you will oftentimes be spotted when trying to set it in just the right spot. Each blueprint requires you to slot the correct material, or you can press triangle when the necessary materials are present in your inventory to quickly create the item. Even the crafting system leans more towards destructive than amicable means.Ĭhests hidden throughout the game's chapters have materials that, when used in conjunction with blueprints, can create mines, explosives, dart traps, or distractions. The game is much easier should you choose to shove a knife between every guard's rib cage, and no clear benefit comes if you choose not to. However, there is no real reward for sparing guards besides her affection. Kill everyone in the way and she will grow to hate you spare them and she won't think you're all bad. The choice to use lethal force or other means to progress is a major part of Shadwen, as Lily will react accordingly in scenes in between chapters. While it is nice that Lily is never actually seen or captured, it can be a bit immersion breaking and simply highlight the less than perfect AI working her. Not that Lily is ever caught, even if she happens to be standing in plain view of a guard. You must guide Lily through each level, as she will make her way from hiding place to hiding place, relying on the player to either kill or distract the guards around her. Yes, save for the first two levels, Shadwen is an elongated escort mission, and works as well as you would expect. You can also hold R1 in order to keep time moving at a steady pace, good for when you need a guard to move along his patrol, or when waiting for your unwilling companion Lily to catch up. You can be mid-leap and release the analog stick to readjust, aim your grappling hook at a perch above, or look around and change your mind, rewinding to the moment before you jumped. This isn't the only time mechanic at Shadwen's disposal, as time only moves when you do. The transition is seamless, and you are given control of the camera as everything moves backwards. This means when you are spotted, or leave a body in the open, you can rewind to the moment you committed the mistake and fix it. Shadwen, instead of checkpointing your progression, has a time mechanic that allows you to simply hold L1 and rewind to your mistake at any point. Even if the game checkpoints progress, players often feel compelled to restart the entire section afresh, at the cost of time and mounting annoyance at repeating the level. Too often are you spotted and forced to restart a level. The greatest achievement Shadwen accomplishes is eliminating the frustration that comes with fail states in stealth games.
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