Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Review

Underdeveloped. Unresponsive. Unsatisfying. No, I'm not talking about my sex life, these were all words I used when reviewing the original Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. Thankfully, they'll all come in handy when describing the recently released sequel. Buckle up everyone: it's going to be a rough ride...

From the very go, Kane & Lynch: Dog Days sets out to be a "gritty and brutal" third-person shooter. The BBFC rating detailing "strong bloody violence, torture and frequent strong language" more accurately describes my experiences playing the title than the game itself. Having failed to properly address the numerous criticisms, Kane & Lynch: Dog Days still frustrates in virtually all the same areas as its predecessor and even manages to add new annoyances.

Two incredibly short paragraphs in the game's manual provides all the back-story you're going to get, with virtually no references made to Kane & Lynch: Dead Men and barely any explanation to what either of the protagonists are actually doing in Shanghai. As Kane and Lynch were already two of the most unlikeable characters we've ever encountered, having even less justification for their actions encourages you to hate them even more. With one being a deranged psychopath and the other a self-absorbed, greedy killer it's difficult to empathise with them. Especially considering they proceed to murder their way through what seems like most of the police force of China. However, before any pathetic moralists object it's all ok because they're on the payroll of a crime lord who is just a little bit more evil than our titular duo.

The plot then proceeds to blitz past at a lightning pace, which is fortunate as it leaves little time for it to crumble under the metric tonne of desperate adult bravado and macho testosterone-fuelled grimacing. Most obvious is the new visual style of Kane & Lynch: Dog Days which is clearly designed to reflect the gritty, life-like hand-camera footage of the internet. It's a unique visual style which sets it apart from the nearest genre rivals and does certainly build an intense atmosphere a lot more than the clichéd, expletive-laden storyline. However, chances are the shaky camera will have your stomach churning within the first few seconds of playing though thankfully this can be disabled in the options menu.

Whilst the gameplay remains a familiar blend of cover-based third-person action and occasional on-rails shooting sections, developers IO Interactive have thankfully implemented some changes. Having listened to the plethora of complaints against the first game's lack of a snap-to-cover button, there is now an easy-to-use system in place. At the tap of a button you can now enter and exit cover quickly and efficiently and with the press of a movement stick you can roll between available barricades at will. It's a system effectively borrowed entirely from Gears of War, Uncharted and virtually every other third-person game out there but it's a godsend when compared with Kane & Lynch: Dead Men.

Yet, despite this huge improvement the cover-system is somehow still horrendously broken, just in a brand new way. Some of the cover is destructible, meaning you'll soon get shot through it unless you keep on the move. This keeps things challenging, forcing you to change your hiding spot frequently. However, at times you'll be safely nestled behind a 6ft thick wall of concrete and somehow still keep getting shot. Now either the enemy can bend bullets, are using futuristic rail-guns or there is some huge unexplained problem with the cover, but at times it is controller-smashingly frustrating on the harder difficulties.

Other maddening problems include the weapons, which feel atrociously unbalanced between when the enemies use them and you get your hands on them. In a bid to increase the realism of the title, guns are generally inaccurate over medium-to-long range. However, when the enemy use them you'll be shot in the face from a metric distance of over 2km by someone who doesn't even have a direct line-of-sight. Yet, if you try and return the favour you'll use 3 entire clips of ammunition before you manage to put one bullet into their foot. At times the enemy AI is actually fairly impressive and they have the ability to group together and flank you. Yet, instead of being gracious in these defeats it is generally the source of frustration as you'll have spotted this but been powerless to stop them with a rifle that couldn't hit a barn door if you were sitting on it.

Perhaps most unbelievable is the length of the campaign, which simply ends after around 3 to 4 hours. It's barely signposted, hugely unsatisfying and insulting for a game with a retail price of £39.99. With levels lasting between 10 to 20 minutes on average, the only lifespan extender is playing on the hardest difficulty which will likely drive you levels of rage powerful enough to cause an aneurism. Playing with a human player rather than the computer AI is an essential skill here, as at times it feels like you're babysitting, a fact not helped when your partner starts whining that he is out of ammunition and needs to reload.

To bolster the brief single player campaign are a selection of offline and online multiplayer matches. The interesting and rather enjoyable Fragile Alliance mode returns, but is still riddled with all the faults of the third-person shooting mechanics. Expect the frustrating cover system and woefully inaccurate weapons to constantly rear their ugly head as you try and win. With perhaps the most promising and original idea in the game, Fragile Alliance sees you initially working together as a team of criminals pulling a heist. However, at any point your teammates could shoot you in the back, steal your cash and make a break for it. Most of the multiplayer modes are variations on this, with the Undercover Cop mode putting a police agent with the heist team, tasked with bringing the heist down from within.

Even here there are issues though, with games frequently taking time to find and people quitting before the match has ended due to its format. If someone is killed near a round's end there is no incentive for them to stay and watch people continue, as they'll be returned to the lobby at the finish. This means that most matches never see completion, as chances are the host will leave and the match will be abandoned. The offline multiplayer version of Fragile Alliance, Arcade Mode follows the same format but with computer AI instead. It's entertaining at first, but soon gets tiring without the benefit of the unpredictable human element. With only 6 maps included in the game the levels you are faced with soon become routine and tiresome.

Kane & Lynch: Dog Days obviously tries hard to address the problems criticised in the original title. However, the sheer number and range of frustrations present makes it incredibly hard to enjoy the game. With unsatisfying and below-average third-person shooting mechanics, a clichéd and fairly abhorrent story, a campaign lasting less than 5 hours and an exasperating multiplayer mode, this is a game that's very difficult to recommend at any price. Like Kane and Lynch, this is a game which should be approached with extreme caution.