Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Review

Developer: IO Interactive / Publisher: Eidos Interactive / ESRB: Mature (Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language) / Played on: Xbox 360 / Price: $39.99

Although the gameplay of the 2007 release, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men left something to be desired, it was wrapped in a story of two broken men forced to put morals aside to save the ones they love. It certainly wasn’t Oscar-worthy but it laid the groundwork for a potentially interesting sequel. Less than three years later and Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Day is upon us. How does it compare to its predecessor? Let’s find out.

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Story

This time around you play as Lynch. Now living in Shanghai, he’s seemingly found peace in his life after the events of the first game. That is until he meets up with his old pal Kane for one last hurrah: a major arms deal that will net them enough money to be set for life. Needless to say, shit hits the fan soon after the two reunite. They end up crossing a powerful mob boss and the rest of the game is spent trying to get the F out of Shanghai. For the most part, there is very little story to speak of aside from one or two seriously shocking moments. At one point Kane and Lynch are shooting their way through the streets of Shanghai completely naked and covered in brutal scars. No, really. That happens. It’s kind of weird.

There are no relatable or even likable characters in this game, including Kane and Lynch themselves. Throughout the first game, I felt at least a sense of remorse for the characters. As if they had been screwed over and forced into their positions. This time around it’s hard to feel sympathy for them. In fact, I can’t think of two less charismatic protagonists. I understand that’s probably the point. Kane and Lynch are assholes. I get it. But when your main characters are that unlikeable, lacking any character development, it’s a really great way to alienate your audience.

It’s worth noting that Kane & Lynch 2 is a surprisingly brief experience. I completed my first playthrough of the single-player in about five hours, which may be a little too short for your taste.

Gameplay

Kane & Lynch 2 is about as standard a cover-based, third-person shooter as they come. Each section of the game consists of taking cover and shooting…and shooting…and shooting. The lack of variety in Kane and Lynch 2 is surprising. Aside from the occasional exploding gas tank, the combat is rather repetitive.

Kane & Lynch 2 introduces a “a down but not out” mechanic to the series. Sometimes, getting shot will knock you down. While on the ground, you’ll have the option to get back up in cover. One too many times, I found myself trying this and sticking to the wrong side of cover…where I was promptly filled with bullets. Lot and lots of bullets.

One of the staples of the Kane & Lynch franchise is co-op. Kane and Lynch 2 has both local and online co-op with Player 2 taking control of Kane. The bummer here is that online co-op is NOT drop-in, drop-out. This means that if one of the players quits or drops out then the game is over. It’s 2010 and too many games have got this right for it to be excusable. Shame on you Kane and Lynch 2.

Graphics

If Kane & Lynch 2 has one thing going for it, it’s the visual style. The entire games looks like it’s being shot by a drunken hobo using a cell phone camera. The deliberately crappy video pixelation and blown-out lighting actually looks awesome. It creates a gritty, raw feel that really compliments the tone of the game. The problem is that the game ends up sacrificing function for form. I often found myself confused and lost in a sea of intentionally bad frame rates and blurred vision. I also found the shaky camera effect a bit nauseating after playing the game for a few hours. However, this effect is easily turned off in the game’s settings.

Multiplayer

Returning from Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is the Fragile Alliance mode. The basic concept here is that you are part of a team of eight criminals performing a heist. Your objective is to get in, steal some cash, and get out as quick as possible. The catch is that you can turn traitor on your teammates at any moment and take the money for yourself. It’s a really neat concept that unfortunately falls victim to the same problems that plague the rest of the game.

Bottom line

Kane & Lynch 2 is one I wish I could recommend. The game has a great visual style that I fully expect to see other games start ripping off. However, there just isn’t enough variety and content to set it apart from any other third-person shooter. Controversies aside, the first Kane & Lynch may not have resonated with lot of gamers but I saw some potential in the game’s story and characters. Unfortunately Kane & Lynch 2 does very little to live up to this potential.

5/10

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