Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days
It is a tough job to take a game that was not so well received and be brave enough to make the decision to try a sequel. The original Kane and Lynch: Dead Men was plagued with issues, everything from control problems to bad aiming and cover mechanics. I must say after picking up Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days on release day I am pleasantly surprised. The game still does have its share of issues but it is nowhere near a “pain to play” like the original. The story is a big part especially if you made it through the original. The surprises continue upon starting the game. There are many ideas that although could use a bit more polishing are a welcome change.
One of these mechanics is the camera. It is really set up to make it feel like Kane and Lynch are being followed around by a personal camera man. As you begin to sprint the camera starts to shake just a bit to make it seem like the camera man is trying to keep up. Its a really cool idea but personally I had to go into the options and turn it off. The camera itself would begin auto focusing, which although it added to the realism of what they were looking for it just ended up giving me a bit of a headache. Thankfully they allow you to play without it.
Story:
The story is set in the Chinese underworld. You follow Kane and Lynch through the streets and back alleys of Shanghai as they run for their lives from both Chinese gangsters and the police. After a job gone bad you are hunted by members of the Chinese mob. Much blood and many bullets later, your goal is just to survive long enough to get out. The story is by far the best part of the experience. I must warn that the game definitely earns its mature rating. A single player campaign filled with adult themed language and content set a tone of the story line. It all fits together very well and has a nice flow. There was never really a point where I felt there was a breakdown of any kind. The only downfall of the story is the length. At five hours the campaign is definitely to short.
Graphics:
Graphics wise the game looked very good. As mentioned earlier the “Blair Witch” style camera usage was a welcome change and with a bit of tweaking could have added to the overall feel of the game. The game had no really noticeable frame drops or rate issues but did not really do anything amazing. It all fit well for the game being a dark over the shoulder shooter but in order to be named with some of the better games of the day you have to take that extra step. Unfortunately Dog Days just seems like another third person shooter.
Game Play:
The game play is much tighter than the original. I am glad we actually have a cover system that works and the combat is much faster paced and more enjoyable. Considering I finished the game in two sittings really speaks well for the flow of the game. The controls felt good which is a big part of a game. If the controls are hard to use it takes away from the immersion of the game. Unfortunately, as of writing this I have yet to be able to play the multi player. Upon logging into Xbox live and trying to join a lobby a connection screen appears. After twenty to thirty minuets watching the game trying to connect to a game I gave up. The game also does not allow for a party system in ranked matches. If you want to play with your friends you must create a private match. Unfortunately the one time I was able to join a multi-player lobby I spend a good while as the only person in the room. Considering the single player campaign was so short these multi-player problems are unacceptable.
Final Thoughts:
Overall I enjoyed Kane and Lynch 2. The game was exponentially better than the original. Personally, I want a longer single player campaign and multi-player that actually works especially for the cost of games these days. I do recommend it for the story but beware if you are sensitive to certain content. It should be a game for dark, gritty action fans to try at least once.
Respawn Rundown 8/13/10
Welcome to Respawn Rundown. Your one stop shop for all things multi-player shooter. In this series we will cover everything from releases to multi-player updates to help you, the shooter, stay in the know. So lets just jump right in.
Gearbox Software
It has recently been rumored Gearbox, the makers of Borderlands, have picked up the rights to make Duke Nukem Forever. Fans of the series are frothing at the mouth at the prospect of a rebirth of the Duke Nukem franchise. Gearbox on the other hand is staying closed mouth on the subject and given the history of Duke Nukem Forever I cannot blame them.
Borderlands is all set for their new DLC to be released in September, Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution. In the new expansion players will receive twenty new levels and ten skill points all while fighting off claptrap robot followers and bot ninja assassins.
Treyarch
Treyarch recently released the multi-player teaser for Call of Duty: Black Ops, which can be found here. The trailer itself looks amazing and leaves many of us with itchy trigger fingers, but it also shows some long awaited additions to the Call of Duty franchise. One of which is the “theatre mode” much like what can be found in Halo 3. It opens the door for players to share clips with friends as well as adding major possibilities for game play directors. We all impatiently await the November 9Th release date.
Dice | Danger Close Games
It was recently stated that the Medal of Honor Limited Edition would include a beta code for Battlefield 3. The beta could be released within twelve months of Medal of Honors release according to EA’ s beta website.
EA L. A. announces new studio working on the Medal of Honor single player:
“Today, EA Los Angeles announced the creation of a new studio, Danger Close; a name inspired by real world military terminology that initiates a call for fire to indicate that friendly forces are within close proximity of the target (usually 600 meters). It’s the decision to take a chance directly with an enemy, rather than sit back and call in the air strikes/artillery from a safe distance.
“Medal of Honor is the first game to fall under the Danger Close studio. And because the term “Danger Close” is all about is about pushing the boundaries, it’s the perfect fit for Medal of Honor given the team’s decision to take on a story that is both controversial and one that needs to be told.”
Battlefield Bad Company 2 recently released their VIP map pack #5. The preview can be seen here. The Map pack will add conquest mode on Nelson Bay and rush mode on White Pass. They are scheduled to release map pack #6 nest week.
EA also recently announced the first expansion pack for Battlefield Bad Company 2 and will be called Vietnam. The teaser trailer can be found here.