The stealth genre has always been a bit of a love-hate affair. Some people relish the thought of sneaking past oblivious guards and knocking on walls, whereas others find the very concept of keeping schtum completely repellant. There’s rarely an in-between, but Sombr Studio has crafted an experience with Invisigun Reloaded that actively encourages stealth and patience, but manages to feel thrilling and chaotic at the same time. It really is the best of both worlds.

A multiplayer game at heart, Invisigun Reloaded pits up to four combatants against each other within a confined arena. The twist? Every player is completely invisible for the majority of the match. You’ll only ever reveal yourself by shooting your weapon or activating your character’s unique ability. What this means is that for long stretches of time, you and your opponents will be carefully navigating the arena, moving in short bursts whilst actively avoiding walls and puddles that may give your position away.

It’s a tense experience, and you’ll always need to consider not only where your opponents may be, but where your own character is as well. With time and practice, you’ll even start counting steps to ensure you’re always approaching the situation in the best possible way. Eventually, someone has to fire their gun, and this almost always causes a brief moment of utter chaos as all players either frantically try and take one another down, or scramble behind cover and the safety of invisibility. It’s like a futuristic Western duel – your thumb is constantly hovering over the fire button, but it’s a simple matter of waiting for the opportune moment.

There’s also a fairly comprehensive single-player campaign to tackle, too. Here, you can choose between the game’s various heroes and take on their own unique puzzle rooms, all of which take advantage of your chosen character’s unique ability. This ranges from a simple jump to the ability to conjure boxes and deflect laser beams. Again, the focus here is on the fact that you're invisible, so you’ll need to consider how many steps you're taking in relation to where the hazards lie within the environment. It can be difficult at times, and it’s nowhere near as engaging as the arena battles, but it’s a fantastic way to hone your skills before you take on the world in the online multiplayer.

It genuinely feels like there's something for everyone here, whether you prefer to go it alone with the puzzle rooms in single-player or take on your friends in the superb multiplayer. Heck, even if you're a bit averse to playing online, you can create your own matches with bots to get a little flavour of what the main mode would be like.