A few weeks ago I traveled afar (well, went to London) to have a hands-on preview session with Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Read on to see what is new in the world of the psychopath criminals and to find out where you can find a demo of the game to see if you agree with my thoughts on the title.
The majority of the time, a sequel to a hit video game means more of the same but with better graphics, an if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it approach. However truly great sequels take a flawed first outing and build up to deliver on the promise of the original concept, like last year’s Assassin’s Creed 2 which took many by surprise for the leap in quality over the first iteration. IO Interactive have taken this approach with Kane & Lynch 2 and have totally changed the gameplay and look to deliver a sequel which could be one of the biggest surprises of the year, if not this console generation.
That action is now taking part in Shanghai, and you play as the deranged Lynch (who is attempting to make a huge deal with some rather nasty characters and it would not be a very long game if it was all to go to plan) instead of Kane – unless you buddy up in two player mode either split-screen or online. Squad controls are out and taking cover with a button press is in. Although the game controls like many other third person shooters, it has a very unique look and feel.
Instead of making the game extra shiny, IO have made it downright dirty. The developers were inspired by guerrilla film-making and YouTube videos and it shows from the get-go with a buffering screen replacing the standard loading message. The shooting and chasing kicks off and the camera is swinging about the place as if you are being tailed by an amateur Paul Greengrass. Your ears will also pick up another huge design change – there is no score. Fans of Jesper Kyd are probably horrified but it works brilliantly in the context of the game with music only coming from nearby clubs, radios or television sets. It does a great job in sucking you into the environments and making the action more intense.
You may want a handtowel nearby when playing the game as I found it very exciting and tense and may have got a little carried away trying to blast away the baddies leading to some very sweaty palms. Like the last game, it is very violent and sweary, but IO have made some fantastic little touches that while showing you nothing actually feel more horrific. When you blow someones head up the injuries are pixelated, fitting in with the YouTube style, making your imagination go into overload wondering what horrors are being concealed.
Shooting has been tightened up, and there a ton of enemies in your way so you will have to shoot in short sharp bursts before heading into cover and preparing your next shot. You won’t get far just running and gunning through the busy Shanghai streets so take a breath, survey the situation and let rip. At times you may get floored by the enemy gunfire, but hope is not lost as you can grab your gun and keep shooting while you are recovering down on the floor – you really feel like it is your last stand!
There also a whole host of multiplayer options that let you team up – then betray – your friends. The main mode is again Fragile Allaince which sees you and your human controlled team steal money and face off against AI controlled police officers, however at any point you or one of your team can betray the others to steal all the money. Undercover Cop follows the same basic principle, but one person in the team is randomly selected to be a cop and must stop the other players from escaping with the loot. Cops and Robbers sees the AI cop team replaced by human players. If you are on your own there is an Arcade mode to practice your skills so you are fully prepared when it is time to jump online.
Though I only played a few levels, Kane & Lynch 2 feels much improved from it’s flawed predecessor and already feels like one of the most exciting games of the summer. The graphic style feels unique and don’t worry if you have any motion sickness worries as the majority of the effects can be switched off. IO deserve much credit for listening and learning from criticisms of their previous effort to produce a title that looks set to satisfy anyone who wants to take part in an Eastern themed violent action blockbuster. I really disliked the first game – but I can not wait to play some more of this.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is rated 18 and is available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on August 20th. A demo is available on the Xbox Live Marketplace, PlayStation Network Store and Steam. The game was previewed on Xbox 360.
