All Style. No Substance.
Kane and Lynch tries really, really hard to be cool. From it's innovative docu-style camera, to it's gruff dialogue and story-telling, it all boils down to visual flash. Unfortunately there is precious little of anything below the stylish veneer.
The story is barked out with more grunts, groans, and erghs than a "Tool Time" soundboard. Remember that video of David Hasselhoff drunkenly eating the cheeseburger? Well that's how every line of dialogue is performed. It's obnoxious at first, then over time it became kind of funny, by the end I was looking forward to the grizzled quips. Anyways Kane and Lynch are in Shanghai to make some kind of deal. The deal falls through, resulting in a scene in which a fat guy strips off everyone's clothes and cuts them with razor blades. Then shit really gets crazy...
Gameplay boils down to a semi-competent Gears of War clone. Your partner (who is either Kane or Lynch. I didn't bother remembering) is incapable of firing his weapon. His main go-to move is to run in the middle of the room and then flop on the floor soaking up bullets. Luckily you don't have to revive his dumb ass, but you get the feeling you're going it alone. Gunplay works fairly well. It's responsive and the auto-aim seems to target well. One major flaw in the cover system is that enemies seemed to be able to shoot through any and all cover. If the game weren't so easy it would have been more frustrating.
The docu-style graphics and camera really worked for me. It added a layer of realism in that gameplay often looked like secruity cam footage. The mosaic-ed violence was also an effective touch. Unfortunately there are no pains to have this style woven into the narrative structure. Such a shame that they went to these lengths and didn't even attempt to tie it in.
Kane and Lynch 2 is inexcusably short for a full price game. Not just on a dollars per hour basis either, the game's only narrative seems to end just as it's picking up steam. Ultimately Kane and Lynch 2 is filled with interesting ideas that are only partially executed. Most gamers interested in seeing a unique graphical style will be best served with a rental.
