Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

"Read This Review!!"

*Note*-I took the concept, graphics, sound, playability, entertainment, and replay value from Game Informer magazine.

Kane and Lynch are definitely characters you would not want to get involved with. Kane, an ex-mercenary, has his family held hostage while he goes and tries to collect money for The7, the group of mercenaries Kane used to be with, so they won't kill his family. Lynch, who has a bad tendency to black out sometimes, can go on uncontrollable rampages killing innocent civilians. These players are definitely the most unique and intriguing duet I've ever seen in a video game. Throughout the storyline, the characters backgrounds slowly get unwound and you begin to know more about them. Something is definitely lacking though, and when you play the game you will begin to see what I mean, as in all questions you might have won't get answered, and this is not the kind of cliffhanger that leads to a sequel.

A good game that fails to deliver a story is a huge disappointment. If the developers might have took another month or two on this one, it could have a hit. Anyway, like in a lot of other games out there now there is a cover system. Unlike in a lot of games out there now this cover system is trash. If your trying to get behind a wall, you have to just keep pushing the analog stick up until you get it. Then sometimes you can be walking normal, but if you get to close it will pull you in automatically. I can say that this was the biggest downfall in my opinion. There are not many other flaws in this game except these two, and if you play it right, you might not encounter these problems at all.

The enemy AI and your teammates both have the same idea. If you go out in the middle of the battlefield and fire away, you're bound to hit someone and kill them. While some people might consider this to be another downfall, I see it as another hilarious moment in video game history. Watching five morons waste their bullets while your player calmly walks through each mission is a quick and easy way to beat the game. Of course if you wanted a little challenge, crank up the difficulty and head to one of the harder stages in the game. This is a game where if you ever wanted to explore being a criminal without dying or going to jail, I definitely recommend giving this one a shot.

Co-op mode is a pretty cool addition, as you get to see Lynch's side of the story too, and that reveals some more playable missions, adding to the replay value. While it still does not fill those empty gaps in the story you might be looking for, it is now harder for the enemy AI to comprehend both of your locations and get an accurate shot off. The good thing is that you have your buddy right beside you acting like an actual teammate instead of a blood-thirsty maniac. This mode is only available in split screen, but is still funner than going through the game by yourself.

Multiplayer is where this game shines the greatest. This is hands-down one of the best online modes I have played ever. You start out in an alliance of anywhere from 4 to 8 people on a map. The objective is to kill the agents guarding the money, take it, and head to the evacuation point where the van will be waiting for you. It's a basic and simple mission. The only thing that distinguishes this game's online from other games is that you can be a traitor. A traitor is someone who is greedy and kills one of his own teammates to take his money. He now tries to do everything solo, and take the loot for himself. If a player happens to kill this traitor, they would get an instant reward, money they can take with them even if they die. Once a player dies they become an agent, and their mission is to stop the heist from happening. If they die again, they are dead for that round and follow other people for the remaining time limit. Once you kill so many people and escape with so much money, you will move up a rank. The higher the rank, the more people recognize you and want to work with you. Your outfit changes each rank you go up, so if you don't want to be looking like a drugged-up crook, you better start escaping with loot, killing cops, and occasionally turn on your teammates once in a while.

>Concept
A dark tale of two criminals soiled by lack luster gunplay and a plot riddled with holes.

>Graphics
The character animations are stiff and unnatural, but the environment destruction will remind you of the lobby scene from The Matrix.

>Sound
The character voices are well-established, and it is cool how Kane and Lynch constantly bicker during gameplay.

>Playability
The mechanics are decent and the guns feel great, but the enemy AI rarely shows any sign of intelligence. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

>Entertainment
Single player is a major letdown, but the originality and execution of multiplayer is deserving of a look.

>Replay Value
Moderate.

This is the opinion of some people who review video games for a living.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/03/08

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