Kane and Lynch Review (PS3)

Just shut up and do what I say..

Writers comment: I can not promise that this review will be spoiler-
free so if you do not wish to have anything ruined before playing
this game please do not read on, otherwise enjoy having the game
spoiled!

10 Second Sniplet: Adult themes all throughout the game sub-par
shooting sub-par AI. SUB-PAR SUB-PAR SUB-PAR. Only buy this if you
really need a 2 player shooter. Or have some spare cash.

The Plot
You are Kane a convicted murderer mourning his past mistakes. Forced
to revisit his past by a group of his old friends called The7 who
Kane believed to be dead. Joined by a psychopathic senseless killer
called Lynch who helps Kane “escape” from a armoured prison van at the
start of the game.

Kane and Lynch are set off on a magical quest of killing and maiming
around the world looking for a package that The7 claim Kain stole
from them. Bringing together his own personal group of old friends
Kane sets off to redeem himself and above all save his captured wife
and daughter from the well-named evil super group, along with his off
the edge chauffeur partner.

As the story shifts throughout the game characters are betrayed
(typical eh?) and suddenly instead of trying to save your family you
end up hunting your former evil group of friends to the end of the
world, well Havana at least.

The Look
From the top of Tokyo skyscrapers to the heart of a civil war on the
other side of the world Kane and Lynch might contain the most
cultured of characters but at least the levels are varied. The
graphics on the game push a realistic-cartoon look with detailed and
original looking characters but lacking realistic facial emotions or
lip-syncing.

The environments are highly detailed and semi-
destrucable but lack the graphical “UMPF” to hold its own with the
big triple A boys of today’s next-gen gaming.
Although Kane and Lynch lags behind little in the looks area the
surroundings match the character design and style perfectly and are
complimented well. The game jaunts an adult feel all throughout with
aggressive close-combat kills and knocking out daughters of high-
ranking Japanese mobsters.

The Feel
How to describe the feel of Kane and Lynch… Have you ever sat down
on something large and odd shaped and had an uncomfortable feeling
shudder throughout your body? Kane and Lynch is like this but in HD
with a controller in your hand. The whole game feels kind of half-
assed and rushed as if it has 9 out of its 10 layers put on and
someone put little shoe-polish ontop to make it all nice and shiny,
except it was dragged through a pile of mud before it was published.

In the end you can’t help but feel cheated playing Kane and Lynch

Throughout the game everything seems very muffled nothing has any
real impact or stands out in anyway the only moments in the game
where the game hits home so to speak is when you are dying! During
this time Kane whispers or repeats previous lines in the game
including thoughts about his family which seems like the perfect time
to happen seeing as he is seemingly on his way out (until one of your
little buddies runs along and sticks you with a needle)

The Game
First off, the controls are terrible and almost unchangeable with the
option of changing to pre-set layouts, which also suck. The cover
system is “automatic” meaning when you push against objects, walls
etc the character SHOULD take cover, WRONG! The whole control scheme
feels horribly chunky which is only complimented by a even worse
gunplay system.

Aiming in a game should never be a problem in the day of sexy HD
visuals and Blue-Ray technology, yet… It is. Most games just have a
learning curve or a lack of player “skillz” but with Kane and Lynch,
its just badly made. Knife kills are fun though! Although rare, get
close when you can. Throughout the whole game you will be running around shooting bad-men and policemen alike, run, shoot, run, shoot annnnnd repeat. With the occasional car chase or bank robbery to mix things up alittle.

The System
Throughout the game you mainly control a 4 or 5 man team you have the
option of making them follow you, take guard at an appointed area of
shoot any target you want. Although the game offers the option of
controlling the other characters in your team its easy enough to go
through the game guns a blazing taking cover every so often and not
taking any sort of tactical approach in the slightest.

The game offers no extra options or customisation only the option of
playing through the story split screen co-op is appealing, with the
second character playing through as Lynch our little psychotic
friend.

The Final Words
In the end you can’t help but feel cheated playing Kane and Lynch, it
feels half-finished as if the corporate wagon dragged the title out
of the shop before it was complete. Although lacking in a lot of
places Kane and Lynch provides some fun and if your looking for a 2-
player co-op experience this one might be worth your money… In a
bargain bin.

2.5 / 5