Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Preview
Can you stop them from becoming Dead Men?
by Spoondan
previewed on PC
A Tale of Two Strangers
One of the most highly anticipated games of the fourth quarter of this year is Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, but what is it about this game that makes it so darn interesting? Being published by Eidos Interactive and developed by Io Interactive, fans of older great games by these two companies, such as Hitman and Freedom Fighters, have a lot to be excited about. The game stars two men, dead men as it were, who are awaiting their execution in jail. Though the story has not fully been revealed for us, we do know that both Kane and Lynch are busted out of jail to help some of Kane's old mercenary buddies steal some diamonds, intriguing to say the least. However, we are then thrown the old curve ball, when we discover that Kane's 'buddies' who busted him out of jail, really view him as a traitor. And to top it all off, Lynch is a schizophrenic, who may go off the wall at any time. Then they give these two guys guns. The resulting chaos is what is shaping up to be a potentially great and interesting game.
Keeping Your Team Happy
The gameplay will focus around squad maneuvers and teamwork. From what we have seen, Kane and Lynch will not be working alone; several other men will join in the fight that must be controlled by the two main men. This feature will allow you to execute flanking of enemies, have others give you cover in tight situations and keep you on your toes in the ever changing environments of a gun fight. Adding to the strategy of these fights is the fact that you may only carry two guns and two explosives at any one time, but you are given the ability to swap guns with your fellow men during breaks in the action. For example, if you select to start the level with a semi automatic machine gun, hand pistol and two smoke bombs, you can later find a buddy of yours who is carrying a shot gun or sniper rifle and use those, however you will have to trade your current guns with him once you make your decision. But, not so fast, based on the decisions you have made with your teammates up to that point, they may or may not let you have their guns if they feel you are putting them into harms way. Your teammate's opinion of you matters very much, so no sending in three of your guys to take on twenty enemies. These features add a realism to Kane and Lynch that can sometimes be absent in action games.
Just Like the Movies
One aspect of the game that looks great is the destructible environments. What has been shown of the game up to this point has featured your character taking cover behind pillars or walls and the enemy fire coming in your direction begins to chip away at your cover. Watching the gameplay of these moments will give players flashbacks to the wonderfully entertaining scene from the first Matrix movie when Neo and Trinity enter into a gun fight in a building to save Morpheus (one of the best scenes in movie history I might add). In fact, one of the levels that has been shown in action is indeed a high-rise building in Tokyo. In the level, Kane and Lynch and their teammates are disguised as window washers, which in itself had me reminded of the movie Inside Man, another great one.
