Review by Jon Donnis
I was looking forward to getting my hands on Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, more so because the first game never really lived up to expectations, so I hoped that the second game would be what I was looking for, and I wasn't disappointed.
There are two modes of play, Arcade and Story, Arcade is more your pick up and play blast where you have a variety of short missions to complete. But it is storyline mode that will keep you coming back.
The game is quite linear in one respect, there is a set route to do, and as you complete levels you progress in the game.
The graphics are stunning, the sounds are spot on. The game play is addictive.
The game does have a few bugs, I found myself stuck a few times behind another character unable to move, which meant I couldn't progress through the level, so a "return to last checkpoint" was needed, but this was rare and is my only gripe with an otherwise excellent game.
Multiplayer options are decent with online and co-op modes.
All in all a good game, well presented and will keep you coming back.
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INFO
Established graffiti artist and drum and bass icon, Goldie, has pushed his maverick creative style to deadly new levels by creating a unique piece of art combining traditional street techniques with live ammunition.
Commissioned to create a special piece of billboard artwork to mark the launch of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, a raw and brutal new crime shooter, Goldie utilised spray cans, 12 bore shotguns and a rifle range to bring his extraordinary vision to life.
Goldie States, “I’m a real keen gamer and I love my shoot ‘em ups. This was a killer opportunity to mesh street art and the gaming world - creating something original, edgy and high impact. It also gave me a chance to blow the crap out of something.”
The process was complex. First Goldie re-imagined the game visuals using colour separation from the safety of his studio, and then transported his ‘undercoat’ to a remote shooting range and pasted it onto a 10ft by 15ft billboard canvas. He then set about the canvas using a series of graffiti art techniques including spray cans, stencils, free-hand, chalk, sponging and even hand-throwing paint directly onto the piece.
To finish off his creation Goldie then directed trained marksmen armed with a selection of lethal rifles and shotguns to blast away sections of the piece, which he had carefully marked with targets.
The finished artwork is now on show at The Old Truman Brewery, East London’s revolutionary arts and media quarter on Brick Lane. It is then due to tour in exhibitions of Goldie’s artwork around the world, later this year.
Jon Brooke, UK Marketing Director at Square Enix, said “We really wanted to create a cool piece of art that represented the explosive experience of Kane & Lynch 2 so we’re really pleased that Goldie totally cut loose and made something so unique. We are very excited to be displaying this one off piece of art for a limited time at the Truman Brewery near Brick Lane so make sure you head over and see it up close.
Goldie earned his name as a graffiti artist in the West Midlands in the early eighties and has produced artistic works with 3D (Massive Attack) and Sarah Gregory, whilst being commissioned to produce pieces for Noel Gallagher, Bjork, The Sex Pistols, Snow Patrol, Pete Tong, Jason Statham and Sir Paul McCartney, to name but a few.
As a recording artist Goldie has sold more than 2.5 million records worldwide and has also had a successful acting career appearing in movies such as The World is Not Enough (1999), The Ninth Gate (1999) and Snatch (2000). He also appeared on EastEnders and entered Celebrity Big Brother during 2001 and 2002. In 2008 he starred in the BBC Two reality show Maestro.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days follows two disturbed criminals, Lynch – an impulsive and reckless self-medicated psychopath and Kane – a tactical but disillusioned and desperate ex-mercenary, through 48 hours of hell.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows® and will be released under the EIDOS brand portfolio. All formats will release in-stores on August 20th, 2010 in Europe and other PAL territories.
In anticipation for this summer’s most talked about sequel, pre-order campaigns for Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Limited Edition have hit retailers across Europe. To help prepare gamers for the experience of being an inside man on a $4 million heist, Square Enix Europe has collected some “tools of the trade” to give those who pre-order the game an added edge to ensuring a successful getaway.
Consumers that pre-order Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will receive...
Exclusive Multiplayer Map – The Radio Tower
Glazer, the Expats crime boss, has been hired to collect dirty cash from an abandoned factory in the run down area of Shanghai where old communist monuments are soon to be demolished. It is the perfect location for a deal to go down and everyone will need to be ready to work together and be prepared to get in & out quickly with the $4 Million.
Seven new weapons, including:
TQR ELITE (Police reg.: 9791A242) Highly advanced US Assault rifle.
TQR SBR (Police reg.: 8593-A503) custom-made submachine gun. Found in the aftermath of the Shuang Xi Restaurant massacre.
STEELE 870 (Police reg.: 2610-G991) US standard shotgun. Found on the Suzhou river bank.
KALININGRAD 47 (Police reg.: 1574-A087) Customized MG. Found in Bus Terminal near Nanjing Lu.
PAC 10 SILENCED (Police reg.: 4838-A854) Small low-grade MG w/silencer. Retrieved from the Golden Flower Apartment Complex gang incident.
DORETTA SILENCED (Police reg.: 9551-D854) Hand Gun w/ silencer. Found in a public toilet off Mali Lu.
N77P SILENCED (Police reg.: 2317-A746) Standard issue Police Revolver w/Silencer. Found by the Pu Dong Docks.
Eight Chinese costume masks - The last thing any would-be criminal wants is for someone to identify them. Use one of the eight stolen masks to ensure you remain unidentified.
