Kane and Lynch 2 review
| Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Eidos |
| Publisher | Square Enix |
| Price | $59.99 |
| Platform | 360, PS3, PC |
Do video games these days need to be enjoyable to gain their success? Sit down and contemplate about it for a few seconds: we give movies the imaginative freedom to bring us down into points of depression even though we still favor the movie on different kinds of levels. When it comes to a similar yet different platform video games, I am not quite sure if we empathize ever so dearly. For people who have never been introduced to the Kane and Lynch franchise let me just break down the sequel in it's own slate. Eidos's intense third-person crime game Kane and Lynch 2 features unlikable men doing things I don't agree with, in a location I don't want to be. As I fought waves of thugs and police men, swat teams and army men. My main idea was that it would be great if both Kane and Lynch just went ahead and took bullets to the head. They are the bad guys...I didn't want them to win, and of course, I certainly did not want to be them.
Also, it does not help that the presentation of the game shoves your face up front in the ugliness of its world. In which could have provided a purpose, as some sort of statement, but the end result was a feeling of schizophrenia, dizziness, disgust and discomfort. The game feels like it doesn't want to be enjoyed, and puts you in a hell breaking obstacle course which makes you ask yourself, "How long do I have to play this game."
Kane and Lynch introduces the game in Shanghai trying to "scare" down a thug, and things quickly go...obviously sh*tastic. Before you know it, the whole city including their grandma's are trying to kill you. It's almost a little "extreme" to take in—is Shanghai really hiding 100 gun-toting gang bangers around every corner? Streams of enemies come at you non-stop and when I say non-stop I mean non-stop, and from what feels like every direction. Everywhere and anywhere you go, it's a mother f*cking war zone.
This leads to a huge problem that I have, the game has one mechanic and only one: you shoot everyone you see, move to the next bit of cover, and then shoot and kill more people. The End. Every set is the same thing, gun fire exchanges using whatever cover is available. Over and over and over and over and over again. You can play the game with another player in co-op (online or offline), so you can both shred down wave after wave of people as you hide behind cars, tables, concrete slabs, etc. It's repetitive and mind numbing; the game throws a bucket of blood at you constantly while everyone curses at everyone else.
The game is presented to look like you're observing the action through a amateur camera man or a cellphone camera of some kind, even though the disgruntled view follows the main player. Just think and imagine someone with a grainy low quality video camera running behind you at all times: the colors are washed out, quality is not even worth sh*t, you'll get varying levels of static and lens flaring, and the "camera" bobs around whenever you move (Cloverfield effect). If you hate shaky-cam in movies, this is going to make you sick. Of course, you can turn on a alternative "steadycam" effect in the options to alleviate this, but the camera still sadly moves way too much when you sprint. Why, Yes it gives the visuals a very rough edge, but if you're trying to keep an eye on the action (in which this game has very limited), it's all just a little too discouraging.
When someone gets incapacitated, or when a character is showing nude lascivious, parts of their body are replaced with large pixels obscuring the details. This is supposed to make things look like "video" with identifying features removed but ironically the effect is nearly pornographic and just in bad taste. If you just showed a breast it would be matter-of-fact, underlining the world these men live in. Blurring them out makes the images feel grotesque and full of sin.
Now, don't be surprised when the game ends rather abruptly, as there is less than 6-7 hours of single-player content here. The multiplayer modes include a game where you take part in a heist, steal money, and then escape with your gang-mates unless of course (because you are a greedy bastard) you decide to murder them and take their share. Also, in this mode, killing cops nets you $5,000 or more in bonus money. As Sean and Jacob would say FANTASTIC! There is also a variant in which a player is an undercover cop, along with a standard cops-and-robbers mode. Online play is more fun than the joyless single-player, but it's not enough to salvage the experience plus online just gets you in a whole other category of rage.
Just in case this isn't enough to sour you on the game, there are ALREADY slots for content you can't play because you don't own the DLC. There is nothing quite like getting a brand-new game fresh from the expensive glass case of Gamestop or wherever you buy your games, installing a patch, and being told you have to pay for content that is listed in the options.
This is a short and unsweetened game that rubs your innocent little faces in violence and bad language without using the imagery for a strong purpose. There are certain scenes where things are stolen from the characters, but are we really supposed to feel miserable for these men after watching them kill each and every single person to get out of a situation they themselves created? Different Games like the original Manhunt or Condemned plunged you into a world of hate and violence, but the game made some strong points about voyeurism, fright and our love of turning death "for your entertainment" (As Adam Lambert would sing.) Kane and Lynch 2 is not aware of itself enough to rise above a few interesting—but ultimately hollow decisions. I had high hopes for this game, but sadly hope is not what this game needs.
HOW DOES IT LOOK? Kane and Lynch 2 didn't make it in the looks department. I think it spoils the game whole, and sadly the camera look as refreshing and new as it is does not fit the game all to well. Featuring the "steady cam" option is a plus but even that doesn't solve the problem.
HOW DOES IT SOUND? Voice acting is up to par, and top notch as it was on the first game. The sound of gun-fire is what it is and explosions sounds like what it's supposed to be.
HOW DOES IT PLAY? Sadly, controls does not make up for the down fall of this game. Sometimes the controls can get clunky and just plain silly. Run and gun that's the whole point, run and gun.
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Sadly, it only lasted 7 hours single player. Dissapointed? Yes. Surprised? No.
HOW IS IT PRESENTED? If you want a bad gang style shoot out, maybe wait for Mafia II to come out because in my honest opinion the developers focused more on Multi than Single.
Sh*ts about to go down!
This leads to a huge problem that I have, the game has one mechanic and only one: you shoot everyone you see, move to the next bit of cover, and then shoot and kill more people. The End. Every set is the same thing, gun fire exchanges using whatever cover is available. Over and over and over and over and over again. You can play the game with another player in co-op (online or offline), so you can both shred down wave after wave of people as you hide behind cars, tables, concrete slabs, etc. It's repetitive and mind numbing; the game throws a bucket of blood at you constantly while everyone curses at everyone else.
Now, don't be surprised when the game ends rather abruptly, as there is less than 6-7 hours of single-player content here. The multiplayer modes include a game where you take part in a heist, steal money, and then escape with your gang-mates unless of course (because you are a greedy bastard) you decide to murder them and take their share. Also, in this mode, killing cops nets you $5,000 or more in bonus money. As Sean and Jacob would say FANTASTIC! There is also a variant in which a player is an undercover cop, along with a standard cops-and-robbers mode. Online play is more fun than the joyless single-player, but it's not enough to salvage the experience plus online just gets you in a whole other category of rage.Just in case this isn't enough to sour you on the game, there are ALREADY slots for content you can't play because you don't own the DLC. There is nothing quite like getting a brand-new game fresh from the expensive glass case of Gamestop or wherever you buy your games, installing a patch, and being told you have to pay for content that is listed in the options.
This is a short and unsweetened game that rubs your innocent little faces in violence and bad language without using the imagery for a strong purpose. There are certain scenes where things are stolen from the characters, but are we really supposed to feel miserable for these men after watching them kill each and every single person to get out of a situation they themselves created? Different Games like the original Manhunt or Condemned plunged you into a world of hate and violence, but the game made some strong points about voyeurism, fright and our love of turning death "for your entertainment" (As Adam Lambert would sing.) Kane and Lynch 2 is not aware of itself enough to rise above a few interesting—but ultimately hollow decisions. I had high hopes for this game, but sadly hope is not what this game needs.
HOW DOES IT LOOK? Kane and Lynch 2 didn't make it in the looks department. I think it spoils the game whole, and sadly the camera look as refreshing and new as it is does not fit the game all to well. Featuring the "steady cam" option is a plus but even that doesn't solve the problem.
HOW DOES IT SOUND? Voice acting is up to par, and top notch as it was on the first game. The sound of gun-fire is what it is and explosions sounds like what it's supposed to be.
HOW DOES IT PLAY? Sadly, controls does not make up for the down fall of this game. Sometimes the controls can get clunky and just plain silly. Run and gun that's the whole point, run and gun.
HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Sadly, it only lasted 7 hours single player. Dissapointed? Yes. Surprised? No.
HOW IS IT PRESENTED? If you want a bad gang style shoot out, maybe wait for Mafia II to come out because in my honest opinion the developers focused more on Multi than Single.
Final Verdict:
Rent/Pre-Owned/Price Drop
Rating: 2 out of 5
SH*TASTIC.
So this is a drive-by? thanks for the review, I saw this on steam and they was pawning it bad. glad I stayed away.
Very Biased Review,I just think sometimes you do let your personal feelings on a particular subject blur the actual factual. The camera and "Youtube feel" are intentional and are supposed to add grit which I think they do, its ironic you mention movies in the title of your piece as this is supposed to be like Michael Mann films (Heat, Collateral etc) and represent a rugged aesthetic trying to represent a seedy city full of bad types.
Admittedly I haven't played the game so you have me there and I am not that interested in it but not for the reasons listed here.
Six hours of single player? How can they justify that and still charge full price? You get more playtime from an XBLA title for a fraction of the cost. Was hoping there would be some fun combat mechanics or even some redeeming co-op action from this title, but it doesn't sound like it.
Thanks again for helping us steer safely through the hype-and-gimmick-filled, murky and often bloody waters of sub-par titles out there.
Is there no hope for the discriminating gamer?
@DVSDEVISE
some reviewers are saying they got through with it in 4 hours.
I played the demo on Xbox. I think the character is described as a crazy person but that didn't come across in the game play. It's just a regular shooter. Some attempt to simulate the psychological condition of the player (though perception, or by attack method) would have been appreciated. And in general it would be nice to have the option to switch between 3rd and 1st person.
Nice review.
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Do Kane and Lynch run into the guys from Army of Two in alternate reality co-op Shanghai or am I linking two generic buddy-cop/gangster current generation shooters too hard?
Anyone want to make a Jeff Gerstmann joke?
What a bad review, the game is only about a meager 4 hours long, and gets repetitive after 20 minutes. It's just enter an open space, take cover, shoot everyone, move on. Repeat. They don't add anything else through the whole ridiculous story. In a sense you'd be glad it's only 4 hours long. There are even no rocket launchers, grenades and such. What a waste of money. I would give it a 4/10 maybe. Stay away from it!
I can't tell you how much I've tried to get Lynch into cover and he just DURR DURR'd around getting shot. If they wanted to implement a good cover system, they should've taken a page out of the Gears of War playbook.
The rating was justly deserved. The game isn't very good.
i was hoping the full game would be better than the demo feels like they've not even tried to make up for the mistakes in the first the only thing better is the graphics and there still not all that and the camera effects annoy me more than entice me was gonna get this on friday but i think its a rent or a pre-owned job now
LOL, THIS GAME IS SH*TASTIC.
eh...not my thing.