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{{Short description|2007 video game}}
{{Infobox VG
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
|title = Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
{{Infobox video game
|image = [[Image:dead_men.jpg|256px]]
| title = Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
|developer = [[IO Interactive]]
| image = Kane and Lynch cover art.jpg
|publisher = [[Eidos Interactive]]
| developer = [[IO Interactive]]
|engine = [[Glacier Engine]] (heavily modified) with [[Havok (software)|Havok physics]]
| publisher = [[Eidos Interactive]]
|released = [[November 14]], [[2007]] {{flagicon|US}} </br>[[November 23]], [[2007]] {{flagicon|Europe}} </br>[[December 6]], [[2007]] {{flagicon|Australia}}
| director = Jens Peter Kurup
|genre = Action
| producer = Hugh Grimley
|modes = Single player, [[Cooperative_gameplay|co-op]], online multiplayer
| artist = Martin Kramme Guldbæk
|platforms = [[PlayStation 3]],</br>[[Xbox 360]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]}}
| writer = Jens Peter Kurup<br />Martin Vestergaard Madsen<br />Oliver Winding
| composer = [[Jesper Kyd]]<br/>[[Peter Peter (Danish musician)|Peter Peter]]<br/>Peter Kyed
| series =
| engine =
| platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Xbox 360]]
| released = {{Video game release|NA|November 13, 2007|EU|November 23, 2007|AU|December 6, 2007}}
| genre = [[Third-person shooter]]
| modes = [[Single player video game|Single]], [[Cooperative video game|Co-op]] and [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
}}


'''''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men''''' is a 2007 [[third-person shooter]] video game developed by [[IO Interactive]] and published by [[Eidos Interactive]] in North America and [[PAL region|PAL]] regions, and [[Spike (company)|Spike]] in Japan, for [[Microsoft Windows]], [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]]. The mobile phone version was developed by [[Kiloo]] and published by Eidos Mobile.
'''''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men''''' is a game developed by [[IO Interactive]] for the [[Xbox 360]], [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Games for Windows]]. It is described as "a [[Cooperative_gameplay|cooperative]] action game depicting a violent and chaotic journey of two men — a flawed [[mercenary]] and a medicated [[psychopath]] — and their brutal attitude towards right and wrong. Now, they must partner up as a mess of cash makes for hell on Earth." It has been confirmed that [[Lionsgate]] has bought the rights for the movie adaptation.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/news/6165857.html Confirmation of the movie rights]</ref>


The game was received with mixed to average reviews, and spawned a sequel, ''[[Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days]]''. As of January 11, 2008, the game has sold over 1 million copies.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sliwinski |first=Alexander |date=January 11, 2008 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/01/11/kane-and-lynch-sells-a-million-copies-obligatory-reviewer-firing/ |title=Kane & Lynch sells a million copies; [obligatory reviewer firing joke goes here] |publisher=[[Engadget]] ([[Joystiq]]) |access-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-date=February 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220231924/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/11/kane-and-lynch-sells-a-million-copies-obligatory-reviewer-firing/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Characters==
===Kane===
Real name Adam Marcus <ref name="Name">Based on FBI files on official site.</ref>. Originally worked as a consultant for large companies that outsource work to other countries. His relatively normal life takes a turn for the worse when his two-year-old son Stephen finds his gun, shoots himself with it and dies. Two weeks after, Kane is unable to cope and seeing the blame put squarely on him by his wife, he skips the country. He becomes a mercenary, and after six years of putting his acquired skills to good work, he is contacted by a mysterious group known only as The 7. "A brotherhood of unlimited power," The 7 are looking to add Kane to their ranks. They promise him riches which also come with stringent rules. If those rules are ever broken, Kane is a dead man. He works for the mercenary organization for thirteen years. When their retirement job in [[Venezuela]] goes horribly wrong, Kane's entire team ends up dead (or so he thinks). He manages to escape with a fortune in diamonds. He flees, but the authorities catch up to him and he is sentenced to death. It is unknown where or how Kane got the distinctive scar running from his forehead, across his right eye down to his right cheek (Though it's possible that it had something to do with previous dealings with the Yakuza crimelord, Retomoto, because when Retomoto is killed, Kane makes the same cut across Retomoto's eye). It should be noted that Kane cares a lot about his daughter Jenny, knowing that he will die when he gets the money, but his daughter will be spared (see below). He has a good friendship with The 7 member, Carlos, since Carlos tried to have Kane's family saved.


===Lynch===
==Gameplay==
In campaign mode the player controls Kane. The player is accompanied by Lynch, and sometimes other hired mercenaries. Co-op mode is available, in which the second player controls Lynch. Though almost identical to Kane's style of gameplay, Lynch has short bursts of aggression in which he hallucinates nearly all AI characters are police, some sporting an animal's head. Lynch carries a shotgun and a revolver as side arm, while Kane carries an assault rifle and standard pistol, though it is possible to swap weapons. Additional weapons such as grenades, sniper rifles and carbines can be picked up, which can be swapped between allies. The player can take cover by standing next to a wall, and can blindfire. While having hired mercenaries, the player can issue orders such as follow, move to a specific position, or attack.<ref name="based" />
Real name James Seth Lynch (see game manual). A paranoid [[schizophrenic]] who made a blue collar living in a meat packing plant. He needs a large amount of prescription pills to keep his volatile nature under control. Lynch ends up on death row, after one of his 'blackouts' resulted in the brutal murder of his wife Anna. Soon after his 911 call, he went on the run (believing someone else had killed her) but was finally caught and sentenced to death. It is never clear if he is the victim of a set-up or that he really has killed due to his delusions.


===Fragile Alliance===
==Development==
Fragile Alliance is the game's online [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] mode, which consists of four maps: Hot Coffee, Late Night Opening, Withdrawal and A Walk In The Park. A free-to-download map pack released on [[PlayStation Network]] and [[Xbox Live]] provides four additional maps. The goal is to finish a several round match with the most money. Each round begins with all of the players as armed, [[balaclava (clothing)|balaclava]]-clad robbers. Money can be used to buy better firearms and armor. Resistance is met in the form of armed [[AI]] controlled security guards and/or police officers. A player's money acts as a shield, but will quickly be dropped on the ground as the player is injured. To escape the level, a player must survive to meet a [[getaway car|getaway vehicle]]. All players who survive without turning on their allies will split stolen money evenly.
For the development of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, [[Jesper Kyd]] was brought in to write the musical score for the game, having already written score for the [[Hitman (series)|''Hitman'' series]] and ''[[Freedom Fighters]]''. The single player was originally going to have online co-op, but was dropped at the last minute and limited to offline due to time restrictions and difficulty.
{{section-stub}}


On the Xbox 360 and PC versions, a player's appearance in the game is influenced by their [[TrueSkill]] rank. Players who have reached TrueSkill rank #1 and #2 will play as Kane and Lynch, respectively. Unlike Kane and Lynch's campaign mode, players cannot sprint. If a player feels they have taken enough money to become a target for potential traitors, they can drop some of their money, becoming less of a scoring threat.
==Gameplay==
===Campaign===
The player will take the role of Kane during the game (Lynch is controlled by the AI, or by a second player in co-op mode). The game includes a [[split screen]] co-op mode. Gameplay uses the element of squad-based combat; squad members can be told to follow the player, move to and defend a position, and to attack specific targets.


==Plot==
Gameplay is largely based around armed combat. Players can swap weapons (pistols, shotguns, SMGs, and rifles) with allies and fallen enemies. Cover is used by approaching the corner of a wall or large object, and once in cover, players can step out and aim at opponents or fire blindly while only minimally exposing themselves to damage.
The game opens with a [[voiceover]] of ex-mercenary Adam 'Kane' Marcus (voiced by [[Brian Bloom]]), reading a letter addressed to his daughter Jenny. Kane is traveling to death row after being convicted of manslaughter. Another death row inmate, James Seth Lynch (voiced by Jarion Monroe), lets on there will be a breakout. Their truck is involved in a head-on collision by a group of mercenaries. The two are taken to a construction site, where they are confronted by four members of a gang of criminals called The7, led by The Brothers and their henchmen Carlos (a close friend of Kane) and Mute. They accuse Kane of stealing money from them, and reveal that they have taken his wife and daughter hostage. Kane is given three weeks to retrieve the money or his wife and daughter will be killed.


Kane and Lynch are dropped off at an abandoned mall, where they are given supplies and a vehicle. However, police officers arrive and the two are forced to shoot their way out. Later, Kane explains that he did not steal from The7, but knows who did, and where they hid it. Kane and Lynch rob a local bank where the money is being kept. Only half of the money is in the bank's safe, but Kane believes he knows where the other half is. Meanwhile, Lynch, who is revealed to suffer from mental illness and periodic episodes of violent psychosis, blacks out and kills all of the hostages after his medication wears off, forcing Kane and Lynch to shoot their way out and flee in a van. Losing the police in the subway after the van crashes, Kane informs Lynch that they need to go to Tokyo to retrieve the other half of the money.
In addition to firearms, the game contains fragmentation, incendiary and smoke grenades.


In [[Tokyo]], the pair go after Retomoto, a Japanese crime lord, by kidnapping his daughter Yoko as ransom. While Kane is negotiating with Retomoto over the phone and despite Retomoto even initially offering an uneasy alliance against The7, Lynch accidentally shoots and kills Yoko while trying to stop her from escaping. Kane, Lynch, and The7's hired guns then proceed to escape from Retomoto's hitmen. Kane is furious with Lynch, but he realizes that they are out of time and must return to The7 with only half of the money.
===Fragile Alliance===


Lynch reveals to Kane that he made a deal with The7 to betray Kane in order to ensure his survival as well as a position within The7, but he is also betrayed and knocked unconscious at the construction site where Kane and his family are to be executed. The leaders of The7 deny Kane's plea for additional time, after which The Brothers and Carlos depart for Havana, leaving Mute to carry out the executions. After being brought to the construction site along with her daughter, Kane's wife expresses her disgust with Kane, but Mute executes her before he has a chance to answer her, even though The7 promised to let Kane speak with her. Regaining consciousness, Lynch attacks his kidnappers while an enraged Kane beats Mute to death. Kane and Lynch then protect Kane's daughter Jenny from The7's reinforcements as she cries over her mother's body.
Fragile Alliance is the game's only online [[multiplayer]] mode, in which the goal is to finish a several round match with the most money. Each round begins with all of the players as armed, [[balaclava]]-clad robbers (the top two highest-ranked players in the world will play as Kane and Lynch themselves) on one team with the goal of [[looting]] as much money or as many valuables as possible. Money can be picked up by standing near a white dollar symbol; the symbol will change to a gray color as that source of money gradually empties. Resistance is met in the form of armed [[AI]] controlled security guards and/or police officers. A player's money acts as a shield, but will quickly be dropped on the ground as the player is injured. To escape the level, a player must survive to meet a [[getaway car|getaway vehicle]]. All players who survive without turning on their allies will split stolen money evenly.


Kane buries his wife and decides to finish off The7 to ensure his daughter's safety. Kane and Lynch free a group of "Dead Men" from prison: Rific, Thapa, and Shelly. These men had been wronged by The7 and join the duo to get revenge, although Shelly expresses resentment at working with Lynch, who he recognizes; he reveals that Lynch may have killed his own wife. Before flying to [[Havana]], they return to Tokyo and kill Retomoto, reclaiming the rest of the money to finance their war with The7. In Havana, Kane keeps everyone motivated with promises of payment as they track down The Brothers and Carlos. Kane informs Lynch that The7 profit from assisting factions in civil wars, with Havana supposedly the last job needed for their retirement. They find themselves caught up in an ongoing civil war, joining the [[Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces]] and battling The7's forces that are attempting to stage a coup d'état. They find Carlos, abandoned by The Brothers. Kane recruits him, but Thapa abandons the mission as a result.
If a player is killed, they will [[respawn]] as a police officer with the goal of stopping their former allies from escaping. Any loot that the robbers drop can be picked up by a police officer for a 10% [[finder's fee]]. If a player who has become a police officer is killed, they do not respawn and will only be able to observe for the rest of that round. Police officers do not split their loot with other players.


The Dead Men fight their way through the Venezuelan jungle, and locate The Brothers at their compound. Shelly demands the payment that Kane claimed he would get for helping him. Carlos tells Shelly and Rific that there is plenty of heroin in the village that they can take as a compensation. Carlos then volunteers to go on ahead and open the gates with an explosive, but vanishes once inside, making Lynch think that Carlos lured them into a trap. However, Kane and Lynch discover over Carlos's radio that The7 have captured Jenny again. They discover Jenny unharmed, along with Carlos's corpse. They suddenly get ambushed by The Brothers and their mercenaries, but manage to kill The Elder Brother. The Younger Brother, however, manages to escape with Jenny and attempts to take off in an airplane.
However, players are able to kill one or more of their allies, and in doing so will be labeled as a [[traitor]]. Traitors do not get a share of the rest of the team's loot but get to keep all of the money that they stole themselves; this enables players who have taken a large amount of money to score more points. Their normally white player name will turn orange, and they can not conceal their name as usual by crouching. Traitors can be killed by their betrayed allies for a reward which is not split with the rest of the team. When a player who is killed by a traitor becomes a police officer, they will be able to earn a revenge bonus for killing that traitor. When the round ends, a traitor becomes a normal member of the team again, though they will appear in a black shirt for the immediately following round.


Kane and Lynch follow in a car and disable the plane's engines before killing the Younger Brother. Jenny then pulls a gun on Kane and blames him for her mother's death. Kane tells her that whether she hates him or not, he will get her to safety. Kane is then given the choice of rescuing Rific and Shelly from the village church, where they are pinned down by The7's mercenaries, or escaping with Jenny and leaving them to die.
A player's appearance in the game is influenced by their [[trueskill]] rank. Unlike Kane and Lynch's campaign mode, players can not sprint by clicking the left thumb stick. If a player feels they have taken enough money to become a target for potential traitors, they can drop some of their money by pressing a button (thus becoming less of a scoring threat.)


If Kane boards the helicopter with Jenny and leaves Rific and Shelly to die, Jenny will resent her father for leaving his men and tell him that she hates him. They escape in the helicopter, leaving Lynch.
==Critical reception==
Reception to the game was mixed. As of November 30, 2007 on the review aggregator [[Game Rankings]], the Xbox 360 version of the game had an average score of 70% based on 26 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/934403.asp |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Reviews (Xbox 360) |accessdate=2007-11-30 |publisher=[[Game Rankings]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the Xbox 360 version had an average score of 68 out of 100, based on 30 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/kaneandlynchdeadmen |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (xbox360: 2007): Reviews |accessdate=2007-11-30 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> On [[Game Rankings]], the PS3 version had a score of 67% based on 13 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/939210.asp |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Reviews (PS3) |accessdate=2007-11-30 |publisher=[[Game Rankings]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the PS3 version had an average score of 65 out of 100, based on 14 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/kaneandlynchdeadmen |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (ps3: 2007): Reviews |accessdate=2007-11-30 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> One reason cited for giving the PlayStation 3 version of the game a lower score is the lack of voice chat during the online mode, which the Xbox 360 version fully supports.


In the other ending, Kane chooses to rescue Rific and Shelly, who are trapped in a burning church towering over a village. Kane and Lynch are too late to save Rific, but Shelly is still alive. As they escape to the pier, Jenny is shot, and Kane carries her body along. Shelly loses his patience and attempts to escape on a boat alone but appears to be killed by an explosion, although his boat is seen leaving the pier. Lynch is shot as he escapes on an undamaged boat with Kane, while Jenny's status is unknown. The boat drifts slowly with the river, while Kane holds Jenny and whispers to her about the letter he tried to send her.
[[Game Trailers]] awarded the game an overall score of 8.0/10,<ref>Game Trailers Review [http://www.gametrailers.com/game/3206.html]</ref> stating that although there are a few flaws in the game, the presentation as a whole made it "easy to recommend". It gave the story a 9.0, the design an 8.0, the gameplay an 8.1, and the Presentation a 7.9.


==Development==
The Holiday 2007 issue of [[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] magazine gave the game an average of 7.2/10 rating. It was deemed good for its "great story, pacing, and variety" and was considered bad for absence of online co-op and poor aiming.
For the development of ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men'', [[Jesper Kyd]] was brought in to write the musical score for the game, having written scores for the [[Hitman (franchise)|''Hitman'' series]] and ''[[Freedom Fighters (video game)|Freedom Fighters]]''. IO Interactive also brought local musicians [[Peter Peter (Danish musician)|Peter Peter]], and Peter Kyed to do additional work on the score. The two were known in the Danish film industry for their work on [[Nicolas Winding Refn]]'s [[Pusher (film series)|Pusher Trilogy]] and [[Valhalla Rising (film)|Valhalla Rising.]] Kyd arranged the soundtrack and handled the main theme and recurring pieces for the game, while the Peters worked on the music for each mission.

The game was originally going to revolve around Kane, with Lynch acting as a sidekick. But as the development went on, they decided to include Lynch in the story.<ref>Information retrieved from ''Kane & Lynch Inside Video #1'' - This can be viewed via the Xbox Live Marketplace</ref> Martin Guldbaek, the art director for the game, said that for creating each of the locations, the team went to Los Angeles for photographs. They combined this with concept artwork to create "locations that matched the character's mood and perspective".<ref name="ReferenceA">Information from Kane & Lynch Insider Video #2 - This can be viewed via the Xbox Live Marketplace.</ref> Anders Poulsen was the lead character artist. According to him, he wanted to make characters "like no other". Kane was the first character to be designed, but was very different from his final appearance. When Lynch was brought in, it added more "life" to Kane's character.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

The game went gold on October 31, 2007, making the release date a full 10 days earlier.<ref>{{cite web |author=Karl B. |date=October 31, 2007 |url=http://xbox360.qj.net/Kane-and-Lynch-Dead-Men-goes-gold-release-moved-up-to-November-13/pg/49/aid/106518 |title=Kane and Lynch: Dead Men goes gold, release moved up to November 13 |publisher=Quick Jump Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101145849/http://xbox360.qj.net/Kane-and-Lynch-Dead-Men-goes-gold-release-moved-up-to-November-13/pg/49/aid/106518 |archive-date=November 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref>

Kane is voiced by [[Brian Bloom]] and Lynch is voiced by Jarion Monroe.

===Downloadable content===
Downloadable content was made available for ''Kane & Lynch'' on April 17, 2008, entitled "The Dope Bag". This contained four new maps: Clean Cut, Hooker's Trail, Flying High, and Hasta La Vista, plus adding 250 Gamerscore for the Xbox 360 version bringing the total to 1250.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xbox360.qj.net/Kane-Lynch-free-DLC-The-Dope-Bag-coming-on-April-17-to-XBL-PSN/pg/49/aid/117682 |access-date=May 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829165817/http://xbox360.qj.net/Kane-Lynch-free-DLC-The-Dope-Bag-coming-on-April-17-to-XBL-PSN/pg/49/aid/117682 |archive-date=August 29, 2008 |title=Article Detail - Xbox 360 News - QJ.NET }}</ref>

===Audio===
The ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Original Soundtrack'' was composed, arranged, and produced by [[Jesper Kyd]]. Danish musicians, [[Peter Peter (Danish musician)|Peter Peter]] and Peter Kyed, who are most known for their work with [[Nicolas Winding Refn]]'s earlier films, including his [[Pusher (film series)|Pusher trilogy]], and his Netflix series; [[Copenhagen Cowboy]]. While the soundtrack was never released physically or digitally, certain pieces of music can be found on YouTube. The special edition of ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men'' contains a bonus disc with six tracks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.game.co.uk/en/kane-lynch-dead-men-game-exclusive-special-edition-28647 |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men GAME Exclusive Special Edition (PlayStation 3) |publisher=[[Game (retailer)|Game]] |access-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-date=April 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416110617/http://www.game.co.uk/en/kane-lynch-dead-men-game-exclusive-special-edition-28647 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Mobile phone adaptation===
The mobile shooter runs players through 38 levels across five different scenarios, such as a bank or nightclub mission. Players control one of the men while the other follows, offering cover and support.<ref>{{cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Levi |date=September 14, 2007 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/09/14/kane-lynch-dead-men-preview |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Preview (Cell) |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-date=February 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218212628/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/09/14/kane-lynch-dead-men-preview |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| PC = true
| PS3 = true
| X360 = true
| na = true
| Destruct_X360 = 3/10<ref name = "based">{{cite web |last=Burch |first=Anthony |date=November 19, 2007 |url=https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-kane-and-lynch-dead-men/ |title=Destructoid Review: Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (X360) |website=[[Destructoid]] |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=September 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912124226/http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-kane-and-lynch-dead-men-54787.phtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
| EGM_X360 = 7.17/10<ref>{{cite magazine |author=EGM staff |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360) |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |date=December 25, 2007 |page=75}}</ref>
| EuroG_X360 = 7/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Reed |first=Kristan |date=November 23, 2007 |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/kane-and-lynch-dead-men-review |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (Xbox 360) |website=[[Eurogamer]] |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=January 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105140141/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/kane-and-lynch-dead-men-review |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GI_PS3 = 7/10<ref name="GI">{{cite web |last=Reiner |first=Andrew |url=http://gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/9752CDA2-9325-4968-B283-21450565AD79.htm |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (PS3, X360) |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |issue=177 |date=January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080126110734/http://gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/9752CDA2-9325-4968-B283-21450565AD79.htm |archive-date=January 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>
| GI_X360 = 7/10<ref name="GI" />
| GamePro_X360 = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lewis |first=Cameron |url=http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/reviews/150348.shtml |title=Review: Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (X360) |magazine=[[GamePro]] |date=December 2007 |page=121 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102134018/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/games/reviews/150348.shtml |archive-date=January 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>
| GameRev_PS3 = C+<ref>{{cite web |last=Costantino |first=Jesse |date=November 27, 2007 |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/kane-and-lynch |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PS3) |publisher=[[Game Revolution]] |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=September 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910085655/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/kane-and-lynch |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GSpot_PS3 = 6/10<ref name="GSRev">{{cite web |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |date=November 13, 2007 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kane-and-lynch-dead-men-review/1900-6182881/ |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PS3, X360) |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-date=October 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005234604/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kane-and-lynch-dead-men-review/1900-6182881/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GSpot_X360 = 6/10<ref name="GSRev" />
| GSpy_X360 = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last=McGarvey |first=Sterling |date=November 14, 2007 |url=http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/kane-lynch-dead-men/835256p1.html |title=GameSpy: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360) |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007222012/http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/kane-lynch-dead-men/835256p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GT_PC = 8/10<ref name="GT">{{cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=3206 |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review |work=[[GameTrailers]] |publisher=MTV Networks |date=November 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117201214/http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=3206 |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref>
| GT_PS3 = 8/10<ref name="GT" />
| GT_X360 = 8/10<ref name="GT" />
| GameZone_PS3 = 5.5/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Hopper |first=Steven |date=December 13, 2007 |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/kane_lynch_dead_men_ps3_review |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men - PS3 - Review |publisher=GameZone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004040006/http://ps3.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r30335.htm |archive-date=October 4, 2008 |url-status=live |access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>
| GameZone_X360 = 7/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Valentino |first=Nick |date=November 25, 2007 |url=http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/kane_lynch_dead_men_360_review |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men - 360 - Review |publisher=GameZone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006074922/http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r30335.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2008 |url-status=live |access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>
| IGN_PC = 7/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Brudvig |first=Erik |date=November 26, 2007 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/27/kane-lynch-dead-men-review |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PC) |website=IGN |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612151702/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/27/kane-lynch-dead-men-review |url-status=live }}</ref>
| IGN_PS3 = (US) 7/10<ref name="IGNRev">{{cite web |last=Brudvig |first=Erik |date=November 13, 2007 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/14/kane-lynch-dead-men-review-2 |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PS3, X360) |website=IGN |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=February 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218212628/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/14/kane-lynch-dead-men-review-2 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />(AU) 6.5/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Shea |first=Cam |date=December 5, 2007 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/06/kane-lynch-dead-men-au-ps3-review |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men AU PS3 Review |website=IGN |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519173643/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/06/kane-lynch-dead-men-au-ps3-review |url-status=live }}</ref>
| IGN_X360 = 7/10<ref name="IGNRev" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Simmons |first=Alex |date=November 23, 2007 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/23/kane-lynch-uk-review |title=Kane & Lynch UK Review (X360) |website=IGN |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=October 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010122956/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/11/23/kane-lynch-uk-review |url-status=live }}</ref>
| OXM_X360 = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Curthoys |first=Paul |url=http://oxmonline.com/article/xbox-soapbox/kane-lynch-dead-men |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men |magazine=[[Official Xbox Magazine]] |date=December 2007 |page=68 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214035214/http://oxmonline.com/article/xbox-soapbox/kane-lynch-dead-men |archive-date=December 14, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>
| PCGUS_PC = 58%<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |date=February 2008 |page=70}}</ref>
| PSM_PS3 = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dun |first=Teresa |title=Review: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future US]] |issue=2 |date=January 2008 |page=80}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''[[The A.V. Club]]''
| rev1_X360 = C−<ref>{{cite news |last=Mastrapa |first=Gus |date=January 14, 2008 |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/kane-lynch-dead-men-7333 |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360) |newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117145735/http://www.avclub.com/content/games/kane_lynch_dead_men |archive-date=January 17, 2008 |url-status=live |access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>
| MC_PC = 67/100<ref name=MCPC>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/kane-and-lynch-dead-men/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=December 14, 2007 |archive-date=June 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625173201/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/kane-lynch-dead-men |url-status=live }}</ref>
| MC_PS3 = 64/100<ref name=MCPS3>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/kane-and-lynch-dead-men/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men for PlayStation 3 Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=December 14, 2007 |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026055130/http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/kane-lynch-dead-men |url-status=live }}</ref>
| MC_X360 = 65/100<ref name=MCX360>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/kane-and-lynch-dead-men/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men for Xbox 360 Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=December 14, 2007 |archive-date=April 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429194813/http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/kane-lynch-dead-men |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men'' received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to video game [[review aggregator]] [[Metacritic]].<ref name=MCPC /><ref name=MCPS3 /><ref name=MCX360 />

[[GameTrailers]] stated that although there are some flaws, the package as a whole made it "easy to recommend".<ref name="GT"/> On the other end of the scale, NTSC-uk called the game "a sickly mess of a game with the multitude of negatives undermining every positive".<ref name="NTSC">{{cite web |url=http://www.ntsc-uk.com/review.php?platform=360&game=KaneLynchDeadMen |title=NTSC-uk review > Microsoft Xbox 360 > Kane and Lynch: Dead Men |access-date=March 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080330163014/http://www.ntsc-uk.com/review.php?platform=360&game=KaneLynchDeadMen |archive-date=March 30, 2008 }}</ref>

The Australian magazine ''[[PC PowerPlay]]'' cited "great dialogue", "impressive locations" and "satisfying action" as highlights, while criticising its length and the final act of the game, suggesting it "loses ambition" compared to the earlier parts of the game which "[took] some pages out of [[Michael Mann (director)|Mann]]'s notebook".<ref name="PC">{{cite journal |author=D. Wells |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men |journal=[[PC Powerplay]] |date=January 2008 |page=55}}</ref> ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' gave the Xbox 360 version a score of six out of ten, stating that "its scenarios are striking in scope, but its gunplay can't quite keep pace. It features some moments of truly cinematic vision, but the technology and framework can't quite do them full justice".<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Edge staff |title=Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360) |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |issue=183 |date=December 25, 2007 |page=90}}</ref> In Japan, ''[[Famitsu]]'' gave the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions a score of one eight and three sevens, for a total of 29 out of 40.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11796899#post11796899 |title=The official first week of July Japanese Magazine news thread |publisher=[[NeoGAF]] |date=July 2, 2008 |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=February 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218212629/http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11796899#post11796899 |url-status=live }}</ref>


===GameSpot controversy===
===GameSpot controversy===
{{See also|GameSpot#Gerstmann dismissal}}
After ''[[GameSpot]]'' editor [[Jeff Gerstmann]] gave the game a 6/10 review, pressure from Eidos Interactive, a major advertiser for the site, caused GameSpot's upper management to fire him.<ref name="kotakuGameSpot" /><ref>{{cite journal|first1=Peter|last1=Szuban|title=Reconstituting Vocabularies: User Generated Databases, Social Tagging, and Folksonomies in Giantbomb's Videogame Wiki Database|url=https://theijournal.ca/index.php/ijournal/article/view/32139|journal=The IJournal: Student Journal of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information|date=2018|issn=2561-7397|pages=41–49|volume=4|issue=1}}</ref> Initially, ''GameSpot'' responded to the resulting controversy by denying that Eidos influenced the firing.<ref name="kotakuGameSpot" /><ref name="cnetofficial">{{cite web |last=Faylor |first=Chris |date=November 30, 2007 |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/50157/cnet-denies-external-pressure-caused |title=CNET Denies 'External Pressure' Caused Gerstmann Termination |publisher=[[Shacknews]] |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=May 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523172431/http://www.shacknews.com/article/50157/cnet-denies-external-pressure-caused |url-status=live }}</ref> However, as of March 2012, the non-disclosure agreement that forced Gerstmann to withhold the details of his termination was nullified. Not long after, ''[[Giant Bomb]]'' (a site Gerstmann founded after leaving ''GameSpot'') was being purchased by the same parent company as ''GameSpot'', and that they moved their headquarters into the same building. As part of this announcement, Gerstmann revealed that the firing was indeed related to threats of Eidos pulling advertising revenue away from ''GameSpot'' as a result of Gerstmann's poor review score, which was confirmed by ''GameSpot's'' Jon Davison.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |date=March 15, 2012 |url=https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/exciting-news-from-your-friends-at-giant-bomb/1100-4035/ |title=Exciting News From Your Friends At Giant Bomb |publisher=[[Giant Bomb]] |access-date=April 9, 2022 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720165520/https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/exciting-news-from-your-friends-at-giant-bomb/1100-4035/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="kotakuGameSpot">{{cite web |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |date=March 15, 2012 |url=https://kotaku.com/yes-a-games-writer-was-fired-over-review-scores-5893785 |title=Yes, a Games Writer was Fired Over Review Scores |publisher=[[Kotaku]] |access-date=April 9, 2022 |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409220352/https://kotaku.com/yes-a-games-writer-was-fired-over-review-scores-5893785 |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Sequel==
Video game review website [[GameSpot]] gave ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men'' a 6/10 rating.<ref>GameSpot Review [http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/kanelynchdeadmen/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs&tag=tabs;reviews gamespot.com]</ref> Reviewer [[Jeff Gerstmann]] praised the interesting multiplayer mode and the variety of scenery, while criticizing the poor AI, poor aiming and no online co-op. He was also one of the game's only raters to criticize the game's storyline and voice acting, which is widely considered to be the game's strongest points. He ended the review stating that he wouldn't recommend that people purchased this game. Though the actual reason of Gertsmann's departure was not officially stated, it is rumored that his negative review of ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men'' led publisher Eidos to pressure Gamespot into firing him.<ref>Kotaku[http://kotaku.com/gaming/rumor/gamespot-editor-fired-over-kane--lynch-review-328244.php]</ref>
Eidos announced a sequel,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Parfitt |first=Ben |date=October 4, 2007 |url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/eidos-prepares-for-biggest-ever-spend |title=Eidos prepares for biggest ever spend |magazine=[[MCV (magazine)|MCV]] |access-date=June 30, 2012 |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729064135/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/eidos-prepares-for-biggest-ever-spend |url-status=live }}</ref> titled ''[[Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days]]''. It was released in August 2010 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 to middling reviews, though it generally scored higher than the original ''Kane & Lynch''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gamings-two-most-notorious-criminals-reunited-in-kane--lynch-2-dog-days-70362152.html |title=Gaming's Two Most Notorious Criminals Reunited in ''Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days'' |publisher=[[PR Newswire]] |date=November 18, 2009 |access-date=November 20, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104044112/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gamings-two-most-notorious-criminals-reunited-in-kane--lynch-2-dog-days-70362152.html |archive-date=November 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Dog Days'' opted for a guerilla style, [[Camcorder|handheld camcorder]] instead of the traditional, static third-person camera. The visual style also included a mid-1990's VHS tracking effect, along with a washed out color palette that gave the game a found footage look.


A [[PlayStation Portable]] and [[Nintendo DS]] versions of ''Kane & Lynch'' title was in development during 2007, called ''Kane and Lynch Tactics''. The game was never officially announced and it was cancelled for unknown reasons.<ref>{{cite web |last=Scammell |first=David |date=May 29, 2013 |url=http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/hitman_absolution/news/io_was_developing_a_hitman_game_for_psp_and_ds.html |title=IO was developing a Hitman game for game for PSP & DS |publisher=VideoGamer.com |access-date=May 30, 2013 |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021020803/http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/hitman_absolution/news/io_was_developing_a_hitman_game_for_psp_and_ds.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==References to other io interactive games==

*In the IO video game ''[[Hitman: Blood Money]]'', one of the after mission newspapers mentions Kane & Lynch, however the news article uses their real names, rather than their alias.
==Other media==
*In the background of a promotional poster for the game, there is an insurance advertisement featuring Hitman's [[Agent 47]] with the captioning "Is death sneaking up on you?"
A film adaptation was in the works from [[Lionsgate]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |date=February 13, 2007 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/kane-and-lynch-headed-to-hollywood/1100-6165857/ |title=Kane & Lynch headed to Hollywood |work=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks, Inc. |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=February 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218212628/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/kane-and-lynch-headed-to-hollywood/1100-6165857/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The script was written by Kyle Ward. [[Bruce Willis]] and [[Jamie Foxx]] had signed on for the role of Kane and Lynch respectively.<ref>{{cite web |last=Connelly |first=Brendon |date=October 21, 2009 |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/bruce-willis-confirmed-to-star-in-kane-and-lynch-film-hitman-2-and-just-cause-movies-shaping-up-too/ |title=Bruce Willis Confirmed To Star In Kane and Lynch Film, Hitman 2 and Just Cause Movies Shaping Up Too |publisher=SlashFilm |access-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305013527/http://www.slashfilm.com/bruce-willis-confirmed-to-star-in-kane-and-lynch-film-hitman-2-and-just-cause-movies-shaping-up-too/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=ComingSoon staff |date=March 19, 2010 |url=http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/64366-jamie-foxx-to-star-in-kane-lynch |title=Jamie Foxx to Star in Kane & Lynch |publisher=ComingSoon |access-date=January 29, 2016 |archive-date=February 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218212629/http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/64366-jamie-foxx-to-star-in-kane-lynch |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was to be directed by [[F. Gary Gray]] and originally slated for a release in 2011 but delayed to 2013.
*The game's Achievements in the [[Xbox 360]] version contain two references to the ''[[Hitman (series)|Hitman]]'' franchise, the obvious one being that there are ''47'' achievements. There is also an achievement called "Headmaster", which requires the user to show his skill by scoring 47 headshots.

*Narrating one of the TV spots for the game is David Bateson, the [[voice actor]] who played Agent 47 in the Hitman series.
A script sent to the game site [[Kotaku]] was reviewed, although it was a rough draft, and revealed that the character of Lynch was changed to a man with eloquent vocabulary with no psychotic tendencies. Since then it has been changed for rewrites and different directors. In November 2013, other actors [[Gerard Butler]] and [[Vin Diesel]] were in talks for the title roles with a script by [[Skip Woods]] and Kyle Ward and produced by Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.videogamefilms.com/gerard-butler-circling-lead-role-kane-lynch-movie/ |title=Gerard Butler circling lead role in Kane & Lynch movie] |publisher=Video Game Films |date=November 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110045947/http://www.videogamefilms.com/gerard-butler-circling-lead-role-kane-lynch-movie/ |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref>
*In the multiplayer mode "Fragile Alliance," there is a level called "Late Night Opening." One of the stores in this level is "Mr. 47's Menswear."

*One of the levels set in Havana is called "[[Freedom Fighters (video game)|Freedom Fighters]]", a homage to the multiplatform game of the same name
In May 2010, [[IO Interactive]] announced a deal that would see a comic version of ''Kane & Lynch'' published under the [[DC Comics]] imprint [[WildStorm]]. The storyline is "not for the faint-hearted" and explores the duo's criminal past, written by [[Ian Edginton]] and illustrated by Chris Mitten, with cover art by [[Ben Templesmith]].
*Check the rooftops of one of the levels for a fox statue. This represents IO's next game, a kid-friendly title.

==See also==
* [[List of Square Enix video game franchises]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|30em}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{moby game|id=/kane-lynch-dead-men}}
* [http://www.kaneandlynch.com/ Official website]
* {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20080729224724/http://www.kaneandlynch.com/}} via [[Internet Archive]]
* [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=67337 Preview at Eurogamer] 2006-09-05
* [http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/kanelynchdeadmen/media.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs Videos at GameSpot UK]
* [http://files.filefront.com/Kane+Lynch+Dead+Men+Sissy+Trailer/;8972588;/fileinfo.html ''Kane & Lynch: Dead Men'' 'Sissy' Trailer]
* [http://files.filefront.com/Kane+and+Lynch+Insider+Video+3/;9030332;/fileinfo.html ''Kane and Lynch: Dead Men'' Insider Video #3]


{{Square Enix franchises}}
{{IO Interactive}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kane and Lynch 01}}
[[Category:2007 video games]]
[[Category:2007 video games]]
[[Category:Cooperative video games]]
[[Category:Cooperative video games]]
[[Category:Games for Windows]]
[[Category:IO Interactive games]]
[[Category:Kiloo games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Organized crime video games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 3 games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 3 games]]
[[Category:Steam (content delivery) products]]
[[Category:Square Enix franchises]]
[[Category:Third-person shooters]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Denmark]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Jesper Kyd]]
[[Category:Video games set in Cuba]]
[[Category:Video games set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Video games set in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Video games using Havok]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360 games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360 games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Games for Windows certified games]]

[[ru:Kane & Lynch: Dead Men]]

Latest revision as of 14:48, 17 November 2024

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
Developer(s)IO Interactive
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Director(s)Jens Peter Kurup
Producer(s)Hugh Grimley
Artist(s)Martin Kramme Guldbæk
Writer(s)Jens Peter Kurup
Martin Vestergaard Madsen
Oliver Winding
Composer(s)Jesper Kyd
Peter Peter
Peter Kyed
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release
  • NA: November 13, 2007
  • EU: November 23, 2007
  • AU: December 6, 2007
Genre(s)Third-person shooter
Mode(s)Single, Co-op and multiplayer

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a 2007 third-person shooter video game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive in North America and PAL regions, and Spike in Japan, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The mobile phone version was developed by Kiloo and published by Eidos Mobile.

The game was received with mixed to average reviews, and spawned a sequel, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. As of January 11, 2008, the game has sold over 1 million copies.[1]

Gameplay

[edit]

In campaign mode the player controls Kane. The player is accompanied by Lynch, and sometimes other hired mercenaries. Co-op mode is available, in which the second player controls Lynch. Though almost identical to Kane's style of gameplay, Lynch has short bursts of aggression in which he hallucinates nearly all AI characters are police, some sporting an animal's head. Lynch carries a shotgun and a revolver as side arm, while Kane carries an assault rifle and standard pistol, though it is possible to swap weapons. Additional weapons such as grenades, sniper rifles and carbines can be picked up, which can be swapped between allies. The player can take cover by standing next to a wall, and can blindfire. While having hired mercenaries, the player can issue orders such as follow, move to a specific position, or attack.[2]

Fragile Alliance

[edit]

Fragile Alliance is the game's online multiplayer mode, which consists of four maps: Hot Coffee, Late Night Opening, Withdrawal and A Walk In The Park. A free-to-download map pack released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live provides four additional maps. The goal is to finish a several round match with the most money. Each round begins with all of the players as armed, balaclava-clad robbers. Money can be used to buy better firearms and armor. Resistance is met in the form of armed AI controlled security guards and/or police officers. A player's money acts as a shield, but will quickly be dropped on the ground as the player is injured. To escape the level, a player must survive to meet a getaway vehicle. All players who survive without turning on their allies will split stolen money evenly.

On the Xbox 360 and PC versions, a player's appearance in the game is influenced by their TrueSkill rank. Players who have reached TrueSkill rank #1 and #2 will play as Kane and Lynch, respectively. Unlike Kane and Lynch's campaign mode, players cannot sprint. If a player feels they have taken enough money to become a target for potential traitors, they can drop some of their money, becoming less of a scoring threat.

Plot

[edit]

The game opens with a voiceover of ex-mercenary Adam 'Kane' Marcus (voiced by Brian Bloom), reading a letter addressed to his daughter Jenny. Kane is traveling to death row after being convicted of manslaughter. Another death row inmate, James Seth Lynch (voiced by Jarion Monroe), lets on there will be a breakout. Their truck is involved in a head-on collision by a group of mercenaries. The two are taken to a construction site, where they are confronted by four members of a gang of criminals called The7, led by The Brothers and their henchmen Carlos (a close friend of Kane) and Mute. They accuse Kane of stealing money from them, and reveal that they have taken his wife and daughter hostage. Kane is given three weeks to retrieve the money or his wife and daughter will be killed.

Kane and Lynch are dropped off at an abandoned mall, where they are given supplies and a vehicle. However, police officers arrive and the two are forced to shoot their way out. Later, Kane explains that he did not steal from The7, but knows who did, and where they hid it. Kane and Lynch rob a local bank where the money is being kept. Only half of the money is in the bank's safe, but Kane believes he knows where the other half is. Meanwhile, Lynch, who is revealed to suffer from mental illness and periodic episodes of violent psychosis, blacks out and kills all of the hostages after his medication wears off, forcing Kane and Lynch to shoot their way out and flee in a van. Losing the police in the subway after the van crashes, Kane informs Lynch that they need to go to Tokyo to retrieve the other half of the money.

In Tokyo, the pair go after Retomoto, a Japanese crime lord, by kidnapping his daughter Yoko as ransom. While Kane is negotiating with Retomoto over the phone and despite Retomoto even initially offering an uneasy alliance against The7, Lynch accidentally shoots and kills Yoko while trying to stop her from escaping. Kane, Lynch, and The7's hired guns then proceed to escape from Retomoto's hitmen. Kane is furious with Lynch, but he realizes that they are out of time and must return to The7 with only half of the money.

Lynch reveals to Kane that he made a deal with The7 to betray Kane in order to ensure his survival as well as a position within The7, but he is also betrayed and knocked unconscious at the construction site where Kane and his family are to be executed. The leaders of The7 deny Kane's plea for additional time, after which The Brothers and Carlos depart for Havana, leaving Mute to carry out the executions. After being brought to the construction site along with her daughter, Kane's wife expresses her disgust with Kane, but Mute executes her before he has a chance to answer her, even though The7 promised to let Kane speak with her. Regaining consciousness, Lynch attacks his kidnappers while an enraged Kane beats Mute to death. Kane and Lynch then protect Kane's daughter Jenny from The7's reinforcements as she cries over her mother's body.

Kane buries his wife and decides to finish off The7 to ensure his daughter's safety. Kane and Lynch free a group of "Dead Men" from prison: Rific, Thapa, and Shelly. These men had been wronged by The7 and join the duo to get revenge, although Shelly expresses resentment at working with Lynch, who he recognizes; he reveals that Lynch may have killed his own wife. Before flying to Havana, they return to Tokyo and kill Retomoto, reclaiming the rest of the money to finance their war with The7. In Havana, Kane keeps everyone motivated with promises of payment as they track down The Brothers and Carlos. Kane informs Lynch that The7 profit from assisting factions in civil wars, with Havana supposedly the last job needed for their retirement. They find themselves caught up in an ongoing civil war, joining the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and battling The7's forces that are attempting to stage a coup d'état. They find Carlos, abandoned by The Brothers. Kane recruits him, but Thapa abandons the mission as a result.

The Dead Men fight their way through the Venezuelan jungle, and locate The Brothers at their compound. Shelly demands the payment that Kane claimed he would get for helping him. Carlos tells Shelly and Rific that there is plenty of heroin in the village that they can take as a compensation. Carlos then volunteers to go on ahead and open the gates with an explosive, but vanishes once inside, making Lynch think that Carlos lured them into a trap. However, Kane and Lynch discover over Carlos's radio that The7 have captured Jenny again. They discover Jenny unharmed, along with Carlos's corpse. They suddenly get ambushed by The Brothers and their mercenaries, but manage to kill The Elder Brother. The Younger Brother, however, manages to escape with Jenny and attempts to take off in an airplane.

Kane and Lynch follow in a car and disable the plane's engines before killing the Younger Brother. Jenny then pulls a gun on Kane and blames him for her mother's death. Kane tells her that whether she hates him or not, he will get her to safety. Kane is then given the choice of rescuing Rific and Shelly from the village church, where they are pinned down by The7's mercenaries, or escaping with Jenny and leaving them to die.

If Kane boards the helicopter with Jenny and leaves Rific and Shelly to die, Jenny will resent her father for leaving his men and tell him that she hates him. They escape in the helicopter, leaving Lynch.

In the other ending, Kane chooses to rescue Rific and Shelly, who are trapped in a burning church towering over a village. Kane and Lynch are too late to save Rific, but Shelly is still alive. As they escape to the pier, Jenny is shot, and Kane carries her body along. Shelly loses his patience and attempts to escape on a boat alone but appears to be killed by an explosion, although his boat is seen leaving the pier. Lynch is shot as he escapes on an undamaged boat with Kane, while Jenny's status is unknown. The boat drifts slowly with the river, while Kane holds Jenny and whispers to her about the letter he tried to send her.

Development

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For the development of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Jesper Kyd was brought in to write the musical score for the game, having written scores for the Hitman series and Freedom Fighters. IO Interactive also brought local musicians Peter Peter, and Peter Kyed to do additional work on the score. The two were known in the Danish film industry for their work on Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher Trilogy and Valhalla Rising. Kyd arranged the soundtrack and handled the main theme and recurring pieces for the game, while the Peters worked on the music for each mission.

The game was originally going to revolve around Kane, with Lynch acting as a sidekick. But as the development went on, they decided to include Lynch in the story.[3] Martin Guldbaek, the art director for the game, said that for creating each of the locations, the team went to Los Angeles for photographs. They combined this with concept artwork to create "locations that matched the character's mood and perspective".[4] Anders Poulsen was the lead character artist. According to him, he wanted to make characters "like no other". Kane was the first character to be designed, but was very different from his final appearance. When Lynch was brought in, it added more "life" to Kane's character.[4]

The game went gold on October 31, 2007, making the release date a full 10 days earlier.[5]

Kane is voiced by Brian Bloom and Lynch is voiced by Jarion Monroe.

Downloadable content

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Downloadable content was made available for Kane & Lynch on April 17, 2008, entitled "The Dope Bag". This contained four new maps: Clean Cut, Hooker's Trail, Flying High, and Hasta La Vista, plus adding 250 Gamerscore for the Xbox 360 version bringing the total to 1250.[6]

Audio

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The Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Original Soundtrack was composed, arranged, and produced by Jesper Kyd. Danish musicians, Peter Peter and Peter Kyed, who are most known for their work with Nicolas Winding Refn's earlier films, including his Pusher trilogy, and his Netflix series; Copenhagen Cowboy. While the soundtrack was never released physically or digitally, certain pieces of music can be found on YouTube. The special edition of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men contains a bonus disc with six tracks.[7]

Mobile phone adaptation

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The mobile shooter runs players through 38 levels across five different scenarios, such as a bank or nightclub mission. Players control one of the men while the other follows, offering cover and support.[8]

Reception

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Kane & Lynch: Dead Men received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[27][28][29]

GameTrailers stated that although there are some flaws, the package as a whole made it "easy to recommend".[16] On the other end of the scale, NTSC-uk called the game "a sickly mess of a game with the multitude of negatives undermining every positive".[30]

The Australian magazine PC PowerPlay cited "great dialogue", "impressive locations" and "satisfying action" as highlights, while criticising its length and the final act of the game, suggesting it "loses ambition" compared to the earlier parts of the game which "[took] some pages out of Mann's notebook".[31] Edge gave the Xbox 360 version a score of six out of ten, stating that "its scenarios are striking in scope, but its gunplay can't quite keep pace. It features some moments of truly cinematic vision, but the technology and framework can't quite do them full justice".[32] In Japan, Famitsu gave the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions a score of one eight and three sevens, for a total of 29 out of 40.[33]

GameSpot controversy

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See also: GameSpot § Gerstmann dismissal

After GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann gave the game a 6/10 review, pressure from Eidos Interactive, a major advertiser for the site, caused GameSpot's upper management to fire him.[34][35] Initially, GameSpot responded to the resulting controversy by denying that Eidos influenced the firing.[34][36] However, as of March 2012, the non-disclosure agreement that forced Gerstmann to withhold the details of his termination was nullified. Not long after, Giant Bomb (a site Gerstmann founded after leaving GameSpot) was being purchased by the same parent company as GameSpot, and that they moved their headquarters into the same building. As part of this announcement, Gerstmann revealed that the firing was indeed related to threats of Eidos pulling advertising revenue away from GameSpot as a result of Gerstmann's poor review score, which was confirmed by GameSpot's Jon Davison.[37][34]

Sequel

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Eidos announced a sequel,[38] titled Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. It was released in August 2010 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 to middling reviews, though it generally scored higher than the original Kane & Lynch.[39] Dog Days opted for a guerilla style, handheld camcorder instead of the traditional, static third-person camera. The visual style also included a mid-1990's VHS tracking effect, along with a washed out color palette that gave the game a found footage look.

A PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS versions of Kane & Lynch title was in development during 2007, called Kane and Lynch Tactics. The game was never officially announced and it was cancelled for unknown reasons.[40]

Other media

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A film adaptation was in the works from Lionsgate.[41] The script was written by Kyle Ward. Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx had signed on for the role of Kane and Lynch respectively.[42][43] The film was to be directed by F. Gary Gray and originally slated for a release in 2011 but delayed to 2013.

A script sent to the game site Kotaku was reviewed, although it was a rough draft, and revealed that the character of Lynch was changed to a man with eloquent vocabulary with no psychotic tendencies. Since then it has been changed for rewrites and different directors. In November 2013, other actors Gerard Butler and Vin Diesel were in talks for the title roles with a script by Skip Woods and Kyle Ward and produced by Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter.[44]

In May 2010, IO Interactive announced a deal that would see a comic version of Kane & Lynch published under the DC Comics imprint WildStorm. The storyline is "not for the faint-hearted" and explores the duo's criminal past, written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Chris Mitten, with cover art by Ben Templesmith.

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sliwinski, Alexander (January 11, 2008). "Kane & Lynch sells a million copies; [obligatory reviewer firing joke goes here]". Engadget (Joystiq). Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Burch, Anthony (November 19, 2007). "Destructoid Review: Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (X360)". Destructoid. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  3. ^ Information retrieved from Kane & Lynch Inside Video #1 - This can be viewed via the Xbox Live Marketplace
  4. ^ a b Information from Kane & Lynch Insider Video #2 - This can be viewed via the Xbox Live Marketplace.
  5. ^ Karl B. (October 31, 2007). "Kane and Lynch: Dead Men goes gold, release moved up to November 13". Quick Jump Network. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  6. ^ "Article Detail - Xbox 360 News - QJ.NET". Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
  7. ^ "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men GAME Exclusive Special Edition (PlayStation 3)". Game. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  8. ^ Buchanan, Levi (September 14, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Preview (Cell)". IGN. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  9. ^ EGM staff (December 25, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. p. 75.
  10. ^ Reed, Kristan (November 23, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (Xbox 360)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Reiner, Andrew (January 2008). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (PS3, X360)". Game Informer. Archived from the original on January 26, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  12. ^ Lewis, Cameron (December 2007). "Review: Kane and Lynch: Dead Men (X360)". GamePro. p. 121. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  13. ^ Costantino, Jesse (November 27, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PS3)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Gerstmann, Jeff (November 13, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PS3, X360)". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  15. ^ McGarvey, Sterling (November 14, 2007). "GameSpy: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  16. ^ a b c d "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review". GameTrailers. MTV Networks. November 13, 2007. Archived from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  17. ^ Hopper, Steven (December 13, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men - PS3 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
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  19. ^ Brudvig, Erik (November 26, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PC)". IGN. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Brudvig, Erik (November 13, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Review (PS3, X360)". IGN. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  21. ^ Shea, Cam (December 5, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men AU PS3 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  22. ^ Simmons, Alex (November 23, 2007). "Kane & Lynch UK Review (X360)". IGN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  23. ^ Curthoys, Paul (December 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men". Official Xbox Magazine. p. 68. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  24. ^ "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men". PC Gamer. February 2008. p. 70.
  25. ^ Dun, Teresa (January 2008). "Review: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men". PlayStation: The Official Magazine. No. 2. Future US. p. 80.
  26. ^ Mastrapa, Gus (January 14, 2008). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  27. ^ a b "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2007.
  28. ^ a b "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2007.
  29. ^ a b "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 29, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2007.
  30. ^ "NTSC-uk review > Microsoft Xbox 360 > Kane and Lynch: Dead Men". Archived from the original on March 30, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
  31. ^ D. Wells (January 2008). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men". PC Powerplay: 55.
  32. ^ Edge staff (December 25, 2007). "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (X360)". Edge. No. 183. p. 90.
  33. ^ "The official first week of July Japanese Magazine news thread". NeoGAF. July 2, 2008. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  34. ^ a b c Plunkett, Luke (March 15, 2012). "Yes, a Games Writer was Fired Over Review Scores". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  35. ^ Szuban, Peter (2018). "Reconstituting Vocabularies: User Generated Databases, Social Tagging, and Folksonomies in Giantbomb's Videogame Wiki Database". The IJournal: Student Journal of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information. 4 (1): 41–49. ISSN 2561-7397.
  36. ^ Faylor, Chris (November 30, 2007). "CNET Denies 'External Pressure' Caused Gerstmann Termination". Shacknews. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  37. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (March 15, 2012). "Exciting News From Your Friends At Giant Bomb". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  38. ^ Parfitt, Ben (October 4, 2007). "Eidos prepares for biggest ever spend". MCV. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  39. ^ "Gaming's Two Most Notorious Criminals Reunited in Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days". PR Newswire. November 18, 2009. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  40. ^ Scammell, David (May 29, 2013). "IO was developing a Hitman game for game for PSP & DS". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  41. ^ Thorsen, Tor (February 13, 2007). "Kane & Lynch headed to Hollywood". GameSpot. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  42. ^ Connelly, Brendon (October 21, 2009). "Bruce Willis Confirmed To Star In Kane and Lynch Film, Hitman 2 and Just Cause Movies Shaping Up Too". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  43. ^ ComingSoon staff (March 19, 2010). "Jamie Foxx to Star in Kane & Lynch". ComingSoon. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  44. ^ "Gerard Butler circling lead role in Kane & Lynch movie]". Video Game Films. November 4, 2013. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
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