Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
| Kane & Lynch: Dead Men | |
|---|---|
| File:Kaneandlynchps3uncut.JPG | |
| Developer(s) | IO Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Engine | Glacier Engine (heavily modified) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows |
| Release | November 14, 2007  November 23, 2007  |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player, co-op, online multiplayer |
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a game in development by IO Interactive for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Games for Windows. It is described as "a co-op action game depicting a violent and chaotic journey of two men - a flawed mercenary and a medicated psychopath – and their brutal attitude towards right and wrong. Now, they must partner up as a mess of cash makes for hell on Earth." It has been confirmed that Lionsgate has bought the rights for the movie adaptation.[1]
Plot
IO Interactive has provided a background for the two main characters and how they came to be working together.
Kane
Real name Adam Marius. Originally worked as a consultant for large companies that outsource work to other countries. His relatively normal life takes a turn for the worse when his two-year-old son finds his gun, shoots himself with it and dies. Two weeks after, Kane is unable to cope and seeing the blame put squarely on him by his wife, he skips the country. He becomes a mercenary, and after six years of putting his acquired skills to good work, he is contacted by a mysterious group known only as The Seven. "A brotherhood of unlimited power", The Seven are looking to add Kane to their ranks. They promise him riches which also come with stringent rules. If those rules are ever broken, Kane is a dead man. He works for the mercenary organization for thirteen years. When their retirement job in the US goes horribly wrong, Kane's entire team ends up dead (or so he thinks). He manages to escape with a fortune in diamonds. He flees to Germany, but the authorities catch up to him and he is sentenced to death. It is unknown where or how Kane got the distinctive scar running from his forehead, across his right eye down to his right cheek. It should be noted that Kane cares a lot about his daughter, knowing that he'll die when he gets the money, but his daughter will be spared.
Lynch
Lynch is a paranoid schizophrenic who made a blue collar living in manual labor. He needs a large amount of prescription pills to keep his volatile nature under control. Lynch ends up on death row, after one of his 'blackouts' resulted in the brutal murder of his wife. Soon after his 911 call, he went on the run (believing someone else had killed her) but was finally caught and sentenced to death. It's never clear if he's the victim of a set-up or that he really has killed due to his delusions.
Initial encounter
The two men meet on a transport to death row. Lynch tells Kane to cover his head, the transport is violently ambushed and crashes. What at first seems like a rescue attempt is, in fact, a kidnapping. Apparently, four members of The Seven who survived the disastrous retirement job have come back to square things with Kane. They show Kane that he must listen to them by breaking his nose (hence the plaster-cast he sports) and then they offer him a deal: they'll only kill him and spare his wife and daughter if he returns the money. Kane accepts the deal. Lynch is tasked with watching over Kane by the mercenaries; They have to work together to regain the fortune, so that Kane's family may survive and Lynch takes Kane's place in the ranks of The Seven.
Gameplay
The player will take the role of Kane during the game (Lynch is controlled by the AI, or by a second player in co-op mode). There will be an online multi-player mode, however co-op is limited to offline-only. The plan is to incorporate Kane and Lynch's personalities into the game mechanics. Where Kane is more subtle and employs finesse, Lynch is a loose cannon, and may be liable to up the ante to full combat.
There will also be an element of squad-based combat. At times, Kane may control a squad which he can guide using simple instructions. Kane's personality will also play a part here, as he has a reputation for leaving his team behind. Initially he will only be able to hire low-life scum, who might not obey his commands. As the game progresses, more professional help will become available.
Development
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Trailers
Jenny Trailer
The first trailer for Kane & Lynch was shown at X06. It features a monologue from Kane's daughter, who is being held by unknown men (presumably mercenaries of The Seven who have kidnapped her along with her mother), while in-game scenes are shown.
"Lynch" Trailer
The second trailer released on the official website focuses on Lynch and what is apparently a schizophrenic black-out midway through a gunfight with a squad of police officers. Over distorted audio and visuals we are presented with a monologue, presumably taking place in Lynch's mind, in which he berates and mocks Kane, saying "I don't have to listen to your shit." elaborating upon the much publicized tension between the two men. Imitating Kane's words, he says, "Lynch, snap out of it; Lynch, don't kill the hostages." which not only demonstrates his contempt for his partner but also the conflict of morals between the two men.
Kane Trailer
The Third Trailer released focuses on Kane talking about himself. It contains a lot of new gameplay footage, most notably the first view of 'The 7'. Kane's former employers.
"Sissy" Trailer
The fourth Trailer mainly consists of a static shot outside a pair of elevator doors as Kane and Lynch strike up a conversation before reaching their floor. Lynch goes on about his love of an unnamed video game series with involves stealing cars (as he's played all three of the first ones, and lamenting that the new one has been delayed until next year, and that he'd love for there to be a game about him. (Hinting at the Grand Theft Auto series, and Grand Theft Auto IV as the delayed game) Kane then mentions that stealing cars sounds "a bit sissy", and that "No one would make a game about a slightly fat has-been like you or me." They then reach their stop with three other men. [1]
Viral Campaign
Eidos has begun a viral campaign to market Kane & Lynch. The website is http://www.peterstack7.com. This is a blog set up by a journalist named Peter Stack who is researching 'The 7'. It provides insight and back story to the events that lead up to the game.
Reception
OXM had an exclusive review of Kane & Lynch in Issue #77. They gave it an 8.0, stating, "Gripping, large-scale heists, and a genuinely absorbing story". Sadly, all games come with faults, and OXM stated, "What will trouble players, though, is how loose and erratic the aiming feels". They also stated that there should've been online co-op.
References to the Hitman Franchise
- In the IO video game Hitman: Blood Money, one of the after mission newspapers mentions Kane and Lynch, though their names are different.
- In the background of a promotional poster for the game, there is an insurance advertisement featuring Hitman's Agent 47 with the captioning "Is death sneaking up on you?"
- The game's Achievements in the Xbox 360 version contain two references to the Hitman franchise, the obvious one being that there are 47 achievements. There is also an achievement called "Headmaster", which requires the user to show his skill by scoring 47 headshots.