The game emphasizes stealth in the extreme...if you're spotted, the gang members will seriously hunt you down like the dog you are. The interface centers largely on the audio meter in the lower left hand corner of the screen, which shows both the amount of noise you're making and acts as a radar for bad guys (assuming they're making any noise, that is - if they're silent, they're invisible to your radar). As for the shadows, when you walk into one, the graphic of your character in the lower right hand corner turns blue, and assuming you were't spotted ducking into the shadows, you are effectively invisible. But that's a big if, and I can say it's no easy thing to avoid detection in some of these levels, especially early on when you'll be hunting around for weapons. Needless to say, this game simply doesn't allow you to run into a room and blow everyone away Max Payne style. Instead you're much better off waiting for someone to walk by and then sneaking up behind them and doing them in.