Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

"Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, the only thing dead after playing this will be you"

Introduction: From the people who brought you the Hitman series come Kane & Lynch...not much to say about it, developers are planning to make this game a base for future sequels.

Story 9/10: I'll give the game this, the story is very good. Breaking the bounds of a typical shooting game storyline, Kane & Lynch follows a more complex path. The main protagonist (or antagonist, which ever way you want to look at it) and the person you control is Kane, a convict. The first mission will set you in a prison breakout with dynamic firefights with prison guards, After escaping prison, it's off to make things right again, but, how could you do that without a partner? Initially assigned to look after you, Lynch will be your buddy in crime throughout the game. In single player mode, Lynch will be controlled by the A.I. and in co-op mode, he will be controlled by player 2. Both you and Lynch (and more men you'll meet later) are out to take revenge on the organization who ruined your life.

Gameplay 5/10: You will be playing in a third person view (over the shoulder), but other than that, controls in the game are completely awkward to most. You will find yourself mixed up with half the buttons used just to switch your primary firearm. Using the controls will take a lot of getting used to. The game is divided into three modes of difficulty with each rising level increasing the game's level of difficulty. It's a typical shooter: kill everyone shooting at you, so it should suffice to the fans of the genre.

Graphics & Sound 9/10: The graphics in the game are balanced enough so it doesn't look like a late former-gen title but still not the overdone or excessively shiny modern-gen graphics. You will be immersed in different enviorments around the world and in each setting you will feel the accuracy of its portrayal. With each gun firing, you know the sounds are accurate. Character dialogue is also well brought out. You and Lynch will converse with each other (occasionally dropping the F-Bomb) in sometimes humorous fashions. Voice acting in the game really captures the correct emotions at the right times.

Playtime/Replayability 5/10: Players who can overcome the difficulty of the controls can find themselves cruising through the story in a matter of hours in one session of gameplay. Of course, players can also team up with a buddy to play a split-screen co-op campaign to share the destruction. The game also provides an online (adverserial modes only) but most players will find it dried out quickly, the online community also suffers from very few players.

Final Reccomendations: Definitely rent this game if you feel the need to break the monotony of the typical shooters. The storyline is definitely deep enough to keep playing the game, but do hesitate to buy if you do not have online capability or no one to share the co-op campaign with.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/19/08

Game Release: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (US, 11/13/07)