Kane & Lynch: Dead Men First Look

It's the same thing every year. Following the usual build-up before the summer, all promised games are pushed back for a fall or winter release. In view of that annoying little detail, the scorching summer is quite frequently the most uneventful part of the year. So, by all means, forget the summer and focus on the fall, because that's when all of the good stuff is slated to appear. Amongst the wide choice of upcoming games scheduled for that particular period, we look on to Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, a co-project between Eidos Interactive and Io Interactive.

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Looks like another unsuccessful board meeting.

The fact that Io Interactive is handling the development should be enough to tickle your fancy. In case any of you forgot, these guys were responsible for excellent games such as Freedom Fighters and the highly successful Hitman series.

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men takes players through an intriguing plot; the whole thing kicks off with two men, sitting in the slammer, awaiting their execution. These fellas, Kane and Lynch, are busted out of jail to assist a few of Kane's mercenary chums as they attempt to steal some diamonds. Now for the twist. Turns out Kane's merc-friends aren't his friends at all. They actually see him as a traitor. However, that's not the real icing on the cake. To make matters even worse, Lynch is a schizophrenic, capable of freaking out at any moment if not on extensive medication. To help spice things up further, the developers fitted these two freaky characters with guns, which definitely makes for an interesting game setting and a rather exciting scenario altogether.

Several tasks may be put before the player throughout the game. In some situations, Kane and Lynch get into a building disguised as window cleaners. Their goal will be to reach a certain boardroom (through a window, naturally) and retrieve a briefcase. As simple as it sounds, the job requires skill since enemies are lurking every step of the way. AI behavior is essential in every situation. When trouble arises, one of the most useful strategies is to use your companions to distract enemies, which should give you a perfect opportunity to flank them. Hiding behind objects is very simple and straightforward, and can be pulled off simply by moving your character in a certain direction with your gamepad.

Much of your maneuvers and strategies in combat will depend greatly on your choice of weapons. Io Interactive is leaving this aspect of the game as open as possible. Players are welcome to begin armed with, say, a hand pistol, machine gun and a couple of smoke or incendiary grenades, while it's always possible to switch these during the game, just as long as you ask some of your colleagues... nicely. Just approach one of your teammates and ask them to give you a sniper, shotgun or whatever they are packing. Of course, grabbing your teammates' weapon means you have to relinquish the one you're currently wielding. Remember, these guys won't just hand over anything you ask them to. Each time, the AI considers the danger ahead, thus NPCs won't simply surrender their guns if they recognize the risk involved. Also, if you've somehow jeopardized the lives of your teammates at an earlier stage in the game, don't expect cooperation in return. In short, teamwork is a crucial point in the gameplay. Neglecting your squad could result in some rather unwanted difficulties, so it's important you make a good impression with all team members. When there's a man down, he'll usually need an adrenaline boost. The same thing goes for you, if you happen to be gunned down, but whether you are revived by teammates or not will depend entirely on their opinion of you.

Another thing to consider is the authentic behavior patterns of both of the main characters. Their personalities actually shape the gameplay mechanics. Lynch is, for the most part, a loose cannon, so when intense shootouts break out, you may find him a powerful, even if somewhat unstable, ally. However, many things are uncertain at this stage, since Io is still tossing around a bunch of ideas on how to take advantage of the psychological and emotional aspect of each character. Basically, most of that is pretty much work in progress.

The development team also took a few steps forward, drawing upon several advantages gained from earlier Hitman games. They demonstrated the game's potential through a level, where Kane and Lynch went into a crowded nightclub. This joint was packed with dancers, so they had to make their way through in order to reach their goal. Unlike particular scenes from Hitman: Blood Money, the crowds shown in this game acted more naturally and didn't just get out of your way so easily. This means you have to turn sideways and squeeze through the mass, very much like you would in real life. You must also remember that enemies can use crowds to conceal themselves, which, of course, is something you can do as well.

That's a nasty zit you got there. Hold still. I'll help you.

Runaway!!

Almost all eventualities were considered when it comes to clashes with enemies. So, should you find yourself too close to an opponent, it's possible to execute melee attacks rather than firing your weapon. Then again, performing these moves makes you an easy target for other enemies in the area, so it's best to use them at the appropriate time.

The game is still far away from release and many features are still being fine-tuned. Io Interactive is guaranteeing the game is to encompass a co-op multiplayer mode, most likely playable strictly off-line. The main attraction here will be the two completely diverse experiences, depending on which character you choose to play with - Kane or Lynch. Given the huge difference between their personalities, it should be interesting to see how this co-op works in practice. After all, these guys don't always have the same goals in mind. This particular portion of the game is being approached from many different angles, and we have yet to find out what the design team will go for.

Nothing was said about a specific release date. For now we know it may come out during late fall, but chances are the development process could stretch to the winter holidays. In any case, it's too early to say for sure, so sit tight as we get more info in the coming months.

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is making its way to the X360, PS3 and PC.