Completed Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (K&L) over the weekend. This is one of those games that defied expectations. Most reviews I had read panned this game, but apart from some quibbles about the cover system and narrative structure I found little to fault. The story is a little confusing as most is related via inter-mission loading screens, which if you do not sit through and listen to carefully will leave you wondering what's going on.
Regardless, there is action aplenty and most missions are challenging and ultimately enjoyable. The main characters, Kane and Lynch, probably won't make your Christmas dinner invitation list but grow on you. It's kind of strange being on the wrong side of the law and I think you end up shooting more virtual police in this game than any other I have played. The ending(s) of the game leave you, as Kane, feeling somewhat empty.
Anyway I posted my review today. Keen to hear what others may wish to relate about their K&L experience, good or bad. Also keen to hear thoughts about the sequal Dog Days, should I buy it?
Now heading back to the streets of Miami to continue (and hopefully finish) the saga of Tony Montana in Scarface. Probably restart and play Gun to its conclusion as well. So it's third person shooter month for me.
Hi mate. I started Kand & Lynch 2 : Dog Days last year and liked to gritty, grainy handycam behind your shoulder feel to it. But of course I didn't complete it! I also have Kane and Lynch (and have also played the first mission!) and the franchise is one of the games in my backlog that I intend to address at some point.....
Nice review.
When not playing Scarface, which requires lots of dedication/time, I've been playing the classic Sierra/Fox/Monolith AVP2, which I never completed previously, a damn fine and indeed scary FPS ... having only played as the marine character (so far). Looking forward to Colonial Marines as I never really enjoyed playing as the Alien or Predato in AVP (perhaps will change with AVP2?).
Still playing Scarface and really enjoying it ... now control all the South Beach fronts. The Chi Peso Trattoria is a way difficult mission and I eventually referred to the walkthrough by "MACHINA weapon" (available at GameSpot) and used the nifty "park the truck at the front door" trick to complete what otherwise seemed impossible with conventional play.
A great open world game ... where the side missions and other activities blend seamlessly into the main game. It's similar in that way to The Saboteur ... not sure at all how GameSpot ranks the PC version so low (albeit the unmappable keys are a pain but like all controls they do become second nature after a while).
Well, I'm heading back to Miami to grow the business!
Just updated/expanded my earlier Hell in Vietnam review. Admittedly my first pass was more a rant than a review, but I'm in a "happier place" now, so read it and see what you think.
Yup, perhaps 8.5 is a probably bit excessive and it won't be the first time I've thought about revisiting my scoring which is usually a "hot of the press" rating reflecting the euphoria of having completed a game shortly before! Perhaps an 8.0 on my totally arbitrary and subjective system is more apt? Anyway I found more good than bad in K&L.
True enough K&L does have a number of faults and being glued to the wall and not being able to pick up weapons is one of K&L's and I unfortuantely got "stuck" (pardon the pun) while battling the Hind helo, unable to pick up the RPGs, in Havana for that reason having to replay it a couple of times.
Freedom Fighters is by far the better game with similar squad control mechanics (but no latch-on cover system). Both games were quite immersive and action-packed however both left me feeling they ended too soon.
Anyway, tickled the ivories (well keyboard) last night to refresh my memory of the unmappable controls in Scarface ... so having 100% control of Little Havana and Downtown it's off to complete the dreaded Island missions, having disposed of "bad guy" Nacho Contreras at the end of the very difficult nightclub inside the freighter mission when I last played.
Quibbles about Scarface include the repetitiveness of some missions, the lack of save anywhere/anytime system and that one difficulty level must fit all ... and it is a very hard game in parts. Pluses are the business model, the free play opportunities and generally being a "good bad guy".
I haven't played Dead Men but I didn't think much of Dog Days. I guess I was turned off dead men because of the reviews.
Hiya mate.
I also read mixed feeling about that game as one of the major 'criticism' was the unlikeable main characters. Alan Wake cop a similar reception however I loved that game.
And I'm not a big fan of that cover system as I remember in Terminator Salvation, I couldn't pick up the rifle that was only 2 feet away from me because I was glued to the wall.
But you giving it a 8.5 paints hope for this game. You can pick up the sequel very cheaply in Steam when it goes on sale (as it often does).
I also read you review on Extraction Point - quite a short review coming from you and yeah, an odd conception of being a sequel when it's not.
