Shadowbane" is still very early in its life cycle. The launch was bumpier than expected, and there are still a few technical hurdles to overcome. Not the least of which is the general ugliness of the visuals. The game looks and feels dated. The colors are drab, and the world lacks character. Nothing here looks state of the art, yet the system requirements are quite high.

The city building and siege elements appear to be in place and functioning, but only a few player-run cities exist in the game, and the skill to use siege weapons is still underutilized. No doubt these aspects of the game will mature in the coming months, but it remains to be seen if the players embrace it. So far, all signs point to yes. But until "Shadowbane" gets a little older, we can't fairly review this portion of the game. At this point, "Shadowbane" is a functioning, feature-filled title with some very promising activities for high-level characters. We'll be taking another look at the game in the coming months, but for now, "Shadowbane" gets a solid 3 out of 5.