Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Xbox 360
IO Interactive/ Eidos


There's a lot that could be said about 'Kane & Lynch' that is completely unrelated to the game, and has more to do with its reputation within the field of games journalism. However, while it seems important to acknowledge all that, it's definitely best left out of any review, despite the fact that it's all rather interesting and filled with intrigue. Because, the thing is, taken on its own 'Kane & Lynch' is a pretty unremarkable game, in a lot of ways.

The third person shooter genre has seen some high-points lately, but 'Kane & Lynch' is not one of them, despite its attempts to include the current standard features - a cover system, zoomed in aiming, and so on. The cover system is overtly flawed, with players sticking to any wall or object near them, giving the game an imprecise feeling far removed from the tight systems of games like 'Gears Of War'. The aiming system is similarly sub-par, placing the aiming receptacle to the right of the player, which leads to ever-present sensation of being off-balance.

The squad elements of the game are also disappointing, simply because the AI is so basic as to make it almost pointless to even concentrate on where your team-mates are. Unfortunately, the same criticisms can also be applied to enemy AI - they'll take cover, but they'll pop up constantly, and even move directly towards you in the open, meaning that it's generally just a case of waiting until you can pick them off easily. It's all terribly unsatisfying.

It's a pity, especially considering that the story is actually pretty compelling: two escaped criminals, the titular Adam 'Kane' Marcus and James Lynch, on the run from the law and a mysterious crime syndicate called The7. Players control Kane, but it's Lynch's character that really impresses: he's an unpredictable schizophrenic given to messing up situations due to paranoid delusions and an itchy trigger finger. It's over the top, of course, but gloriously so.

Whether or not the game was actually pushed to shelves before it was ready, it certainly feels that way. The shooting and cover mechanics appear rushed, and it's hard not to imagine that - given the effectiveness of the storyline - the game could have been something very different had it been playtested a little more thoroughly. Given recent news of a film adaptation in the works, the conclusion seems obvious: give the game a miss and catch it in the cinema.

Alistair Wallis