Kane and Lynch: Dead Men is one of my most anticipated games in these crowded upcoming months. The simple fact is that we have a lot of good-looking video games on the way, A LOT, so many more than we can actually play and beat without giving up our lives and starting to resemble a World of Warcraft loser. But there are a few games I know I’m going to jump into feet first and not come up for air before beating.
Kane and Lynch is one of those. In it you can play as either titular character. Kane is a mercenary who’s about to be snuffed because of a couple of business deals gone wrong, while Lynch is a madman who recently broke out of prison. They both team up to help each other out, hating the other as they go.
Of course, as the game is about two characters, the game is playable in co-op. Anyone who’s played through Halo or Gears of War knows it’s really the way to go. Playing through the campaign with a friend watching your back is an incredible experience, and adds a helluva lot more to the experience as you figure out different ways through each level. Add in the fact that the game is made by the guys behind the incredible Hitman series (and Jesper Kid, the guy behind the music!) and you’ve got a must-buy.
But what’s better than that? Eidos just unveiled a new multiplayer game mode called Fragile Alliance. In it, online gamers play together in a team of up to 8 people to pull off a heist. During it they fight the police and try to get out of there unscathed But that’s not all there is to it- the person who gets the most loot and makes it to the getaway point wins. Which means that if you backstab your teammates, you’ll win.
“We wanted to make a multiplayer experience using the theme, dynamics and atmosphere of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men” said Kim Krogh, Lead Game Designer, IO Interactive. “Fragile Alliance is a new way to use co-op in multiplayer. Play it like a soldier and you’ll lose, play it like a criminal and you’ll win”.
“Kane & Lynch multiplayer opens up Pandora’s gun cabinet in terms of gameplay possibilities,” said Fabien Rossini, Brand Controller, Eidos. “The options available to players are mouth-watering; are you a team player, a traitor, a bounty hunter, a cop – the decision is yours. You may start as part of a team but then it’s up to the player what they want to do.”
As with most online games, I can only see this being fun with friends. The random masses of Xbox Live douchebags love a chance to betray you no matter what game you’re playing, and since you can be rewarded for it here it sounds like it might be a trying experience. But with friends… this could be something special.
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men hits Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 20th. Pre-order it through CHUD here and check the official site for more details.