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Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

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2.8 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 30 critic reviews
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Based on 77 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Io Interactive

Genre(s): Third-Person Shooter, Action

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 13, 2007

Summary

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a dark and gritty drama featuring two men, one is a flawed mercenary and the other a medicated psychopath. Forced together on a violent and chaotic path of redemption and revenge, no action is considered too harsh as this volatile partnership is pushed beyond reason in this brutally realistic, character-driven third person action shooter. [Eidos Interactive]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

GameTrailers

The right combination of gameplay elements and design decisions make Kane and Lynch easy to recommend to crime junkies and anyone who enjoys a little therapeutic videogame violence. A well-executed plot really makes the game, while the multiplayer additions add replay value and variety.

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PSW Magazine UK

Rough edges aside, Kane & Lynch is still a solid squad-based shooter with plenty of action, great characters, tight story and a slew of cinematic influences so brazenly clear you can't help but smirk at them.

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GamingExcellence

Like the protagonist Kane, it’s decent but has too many flaws for comfort.

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Play UK

Kane & Lynch probably has the most mature application of cinematic conventions in an action game yet, and it brims with original ideas. However, it's let down by dodgy AI, a poor cover system and a variety of glitches. [Issue#160, p.84]

PSX Extreme

The mediocre control, erratic cover system, and strange stealth sequences (we don't have a stealth mechanic, Io!) pull the game down. In short- the story is the crux but the gameplay is the crutch.

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Eurogamer

Factor in an exceptionally short single-player campaign, an undercooked tactical squad element and a distinct lack of gameplay variety and it's impossible not to see this as a very big missed opportunity.

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IGN

Frustration should never enter into a game because of the mechanics, but with Kane & Lynch it does. Loose gameplay, a brief campaign, and a single (albeit good) online mode with four maps hurt this title that could have been so much more.

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VideoGamer

If you enjoy games with decent plots, developed characters and brilliant dialogue, this violent, offensive and witty action game is probably worth your attention, and if you're a shooting game purist, try not to expect too much and you'll still have plenty to enjoy.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

Kane & Lynch is more "Freedom Fighters" than "Hitman", so it should appeal to action junkies looking for their next fix. [Dec 2007, p.67]

Game Informer

There’s certainly a lot here to love, and a lot more that you want to love, but most of your time in Kane & Lynch is spent shaking or scratching your head. The problems are just too visible for it to be taken seriously as a gritty thriller.

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Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

Only die hard action fans will find reasons to be interested, and only if they can get over the terrible plot structure and some of its gameplay problems. It had a lot more to offer, but leaves a bitter taste of disappointment. Not Io’s greatest moment, a company that’s really capable of so much better. [Dec 2007]

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

Kane & Lynch, like its characters, has issues. Most apparent are the graphics that range from good to near-PS2 quality. [Jan 2008, p.80]

Cheat Code Central

Kane and Lynch reeks of an undercooked effort that should've baked a few more months in the development oven. If the care and polish that went into the wonderfully cinematic level presentation had also been applied to the writing and gameplay, it could've been a bar-raising effort for the third-person shooter genre.

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Game Over Online

In a season of really great shooters, Kane & Lynch is pretty much a dud. It’s sort of a style over substance kind of game, except the style isn’t even terribly impressive. The substance, what there is of it, amounts to a fairly so-so action game that’s kind of short.

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ZTGameDomain

The fact of the matter is the scenarios in the game make it worth playing through alone and the addition of a new type of online play solidify a weekend full of good times. While it won’t wind up on any award lists or personal top ten games of 2007 Kane and Lynch has a certain charm that will entertain fans of the genre long enough to make it a Blockbuster night.

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IGN AU

Sadly, the positives don’t outweigh the negatives, with the clunky gameplay, poorly structured missions and woeful AI making this game more of a chore to play than a joy.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

Kane & Lynch is very much a case of what could have been. With a little more time for polish and tweaking Eidos could have had a game worthy of the hype and its British Academy Video Games Award nomination (which was somehow secured before the game’s release).

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Worth Playing

With frustrating, glitchy gameplay, lackluster and boring graphics, and perhaps the least likable cast in video game history, it's difficult to recommend Kane & Lynch over the many similar, but better titles currently on the market. Even a unique multiplayer mode does little to salvage the title, and the lack of online co-op shoots its biggest feature in the foot.

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GameSpot

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men has a lot of promise, but nothing in this game works out nearly as well as you'd hope.

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Play Magazine

There's an inconsistency to the overall design quality that really kept me at a distance while playing Kane & Lynch. [Dec 2007, p.75]

PTGamers

Sadly, IO Interactive wasn’t up to their standards in this production, and we can say that we stand before one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

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G4 TV

Overall Kane & Lynch is an interesting -- if overly violent -- take on the “buddy” game. The tag-team setup adds something to what would already be a solid action game and makes it that much better.

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GameTap

IO's next big thing is a mish-mash of a few phenomenally great moments hidden inside a clusterf--- of nearly unplayable controls, bad level progression, unpredictable AI, and some seriously broken gameplay scenarios.

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Gamer 2.0

So if you have some extra time on your hands, Kane & Lynch is just barely worth a rental. Were it not for its story, we would undoubtedly give it a “Skip It” recommendation. However, it should be able to tide you over for a small while. Don’t expect anything great out of it though.

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Game Revolution

Like the two aging men at its center, Kane & Lynch is a game full of regrets and missed opportunities. But also like those two men, it’s still got plenty of bullets left in the clip.

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PSM3 Magazine UK

Bland characters, action-by-numbers. Easily the most disappointing game of 2007. [Christmas 2007, p.76]

GameZone

Uninspired shooting elements, horrible AI, poor controls and a host of bugs basically line this one out.

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Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

An unrelenting ugly parade of death and loss and regret. With bad controls. [Christmas 2007, p.119]

Playstation Official Magazine UK

There's simply no warmth here, just an unrelenting parade of death and loss and regret. With bad controls. [Christmas 2007, p.98]

Gaming Age

If it had been given the proper treatment, budget, and amount of time, Kane & Lynch would have easily been an A-/90% game. As it was released, it feels like a preview build that somehow hit retail shelves.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 2.8 (out of 10) based on 77 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ian R. gave it a4:
Got this game free with my PS3 and frankly couldn't see a visual difference to the game I'd been playing before (Scarface on original XBOX). So my first taste of "next gen" graphics were some what disappointing. I completed it then swiftly traded it, not completely crap but not far off!

Mas J. gave it an8:
Not a bad game, it has some memorable and fun moments. Definitely worth a rental.

Mike B. gave it a7:
Decent action game with a strong character led story. The tone of the game is definitely adult, not in a gratuitous sense, but the gritty reality of it really would not appeal to the teenage fantasists. If only they had spent a few more months polishing up the gameplay (cover mechanics are a bit iffy), they'd have been onto a winner.

Ryan B. gave it a3:
One word: broken. This game just dosen't feel like a fully polished game. Sounds die out randomly, animations skip about, the AI walks around like chickens with their heads cut off. The only thing this game has going for it is a semi-intreging story and co-op mode. Other wise, do not ever put your hard earned money into this game!

Chris H. gave it an8:
Although the single player campaign is horribly short and easy, even on the hardest setting, the multiplayer mode more than makes up for the single players shortcomings. Every match is different, despite their only being 4 different maps, and everyone you play with has different habits - letting the rest of the team taking out the police, then coming in from the back and betraying everyone, then running with the cash, or being and the front and taking out the cops, allowing everyone else to easily grab the money and then sharing it out. Your always on edge as you play, and endlessly spinning the camera around to watch your back.

Matthew R. gave it a7:
This is a very fun "action movie" game experience....story is above average...the main characters are not your typical "hero" types....i was excited when i saw the trailer for this game and i wasn't let down....this game would score higher except ,of course, the aiming could use some refining but i strongly urge you not to pass on this game because the controls aren't polished to halo3 or rainbow six vegas level...can't finish this review without mentioning co-op play....the game doesn't offer online co-op but if you like to have a friend or brother or girlfriend,etc...over to play splitscreen with you then you can bump the rating up another point because playing thru this game as both kain and lynch together makes this great expericence even better.....and ,last but not least, the online multiplayer portion is a very original idea ....nice to see something fresh.

TRUTH Hurts gave it a0:
An aborration of a game. So horrible that it may make you never wat to play games again. A complete fail on every level. Compared to some of the pure artistry coming out at the moment this game SUCKS.

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Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

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What The Critics Said

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