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Kane and Lynch 2 demo for PS+ users on July 20
PlayStation Plus is set to bear some exclusive fruit next week, with the arrival of a demo for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days. The demo will be available exclusively to PlayStation Plus subscribers from July 20 until July 27, at which time it will be made available to all PSN users. The PlayStation Blog reminds PS+ users that the demo will be delivered automatically to those who have set up the automatic delivery function. Of course, if you'd rather just open up the PS Store and download the demo the old fashioned way, that's okay too. The demo itself will contain a portion of the single-player game as well as the "Fragile Alliance" online multiplayer mode.
Kane & Lynch 2's Dog Days starting a week earlier
Kane and Lynch like to keep it chaotic, and that chaos is manifesting even outside of their game. You may have thought Kane & Lynch 2 was being released on August 24 in North America and August 27 in Europe, but that would be too predictable for the volatile duo. Square Enix announced today that the release date has been bumped up a week, to August 17 in North America and August 20 in PAL territories. This works out in fans' favor, obviously, by letting them buy the game early -- but it also happens to move the game away from Mafia 2's release date. %Gallery-96734%
Preview: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Having spent a fair amount of time with the first Kane & Lynch game, I was intrigued by the "exclusive" Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days demo that showed up (albeit somewhat hidden) on Xbox Live Marketplace late last week. Weighing in at 1.6GB, the demo is pretty massive and includes a mixture of single-player campaign and multiplayer gameplay. Surprisingly, the demo shows signs of a game that looks to be not that bad! Check out my complete analysis, with video coverage, after the break. %Gallery-80516%
Xbox 360 Kane & Lynch 2 demo out today, requires code
An Xbox 360 demo for Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days should be available today in North America and the UK -- though access requires a code. Previously presented as a UK and Ireland promotion, there are apparently ways to obtain demo codes even if you live on the other side of the pond. Options include: Visiting KaneandLynch.com Checking the Xbox Live Dashboard "soon" for a chance to get an unlock code. Update: Text 725-79 with the words "dog days" Sending a message to the 1UP "KaneLynch2" profile Up-to-the-minute info is available at the "Exclusive Demo Forum" on the Kane & Lynch 2 site. Does this whole thing seem a bit chaotic to you, too? It's Kane and Lynch -- nothing ever seems to go according to the plan. %Gallery-96707%
Kane & Lynch 2 Xbox 360 demo for UK residents on July 1; PS3 and PC demo coming later
Ah, but there is a catch: in order to gain access to the Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days demo, you'll have to send a message to the Kane & Lynch YouTube channel before 11am GMT on June 30 -- and obviously you'll need a YouTube account to do this. Simply put "Token Request" in the subject field and include your date of birth (another catch: gotta be 18 years or older!) and Xbox Live Gamertag in the message body and you're good to go! This is open to residents of the UK and northern Ireland only -- sorry, everybody else! Come July 1, keep an eye on your YouTube inbox for your unlock code. Oh, and take note that those who are already "friends" of the YouTube channel will get first dibs on the demo codes. Don't have an Xbox 360? Don't fret, because Destructoid spoke with an Eidos rep who confirmed that a "consumer demo" would be available on the PS3 and PC sometime in the future. The Xbox 360 demo is only exclusive to that platform for a limited time. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days terrorizes Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on August 24 in North America and August 27 in Europe.
Kane & Lynch 2 trailer shows the softer side of Lynch
The latest trailer for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days displays a new facet of morally dubious protagonist James Seth Lynch -- a side who cares less about the theft of other people's fungible assets, and more about the protection of his special ladyfriend. We would almost call it heartwarming, if said protection didn't involve pan-frying a Shanghai police officer's face. Don't worry, you squeamish so-and-so -- that part gets censored in the trailer posted above. Check it out, provided you're not at work. This video is as profane as it is stylish, which is really saying something, because it's stylish as hell.
Kane & Lynch 2 multiplayer warns of an undercover cop
Following "Fragile Alliance" and "Cops and Robbers," Kane and Lynch 2's final multiplayer mode -- "Undercover Cop" -- is revealed in the trailer above. The new mode is a lot like the Cops and Robbers gametype -- with a twist, of course. In this case, the cop is an undercover player who must stop (with license to kill) the criminals and secure the stolen money while maintaining the guise of a criminal himself. So yeah, it's the video game equivalent of Donnie Brasco. %Gallery-80516%
Kane & Lynch 2 multiplayer pits cops against robbers
The multiplayer component of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days won't simply be a "Fragile Alliance." Oh no -- it'll be flat-out war between "Cops and Robbers," in this team-based mode where up to four heavily armed crooks attempt to make off with four million bucks -- in just four minutes. Yep, it's the video game equivalent of Heat. %Gallery-93743%
Kane & Lynch comics to terrorize newsstands this August
Are the Kane & Lynch video games simply not enough to satiate your homicidal duo needs? Then draw pleasure in a new partnership between IO Interactive and DC Comics, which will spawn a limited comic run telling the origin stories of this reluctant duo produced by DC Wildstorm. The series will be written by Ian Edginton, who has been in the biz for over two decades, working on comics for Marvel, Dark Horse, Heavy Metal, Top Cow and, of course, DC. Chris Mitten will handle illustration duties, while Ben Templesmith will do the covers. The first issue releases this August, just in time for the game's August 24 launch. Why, isn't that quite the coincidence?
Hands-on: Kane & Lynch 2 'Fragile Alliance' multiplayer
Whether or not it's Inspired by real-life heists -- that's according to its developer, IO Interactive -- the Fragile Alliance multiplayer mode in Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days definitely feels inspired. I recently played a few rounds of its increasingly difficult, single-player Arcade game type (shown in the above video) before working together with (and against) fellow journos online and came away pretty impressed. In fact, it seemed more fun and polished than what Joystiq's played so far of the game's single-player campaign. Here's the setup: Players start out on the same team -- the crooks -- and steal loot at the beginning of a round. Those who can make it past A.I. controlled cops in one piece (and get inside the getaway vehicle before it leaves) share a cut of the cash everyone's grabbed. But these aren't the most honest men you're playing as, so it's possible to turn traitor on your own gang -- even take other players as human shields -- and attempt to avoid death at their (and the cops') hands, in hopes of taking all the spoils for your own. For the first match or two I played, everyone worked together. After that, people started getting greedy. %Gallery-92331%
Square Enix 'Extreme Edges' is new label for publisher's violent games in Japan
As Square Enix continues to expand globablly, it's starting to publish titles in Japan that aren't traditionally "Square Enix," like Modern Warfare 2 and games from its newly acquired Eidos subsidiary. According to Famitsu (via Andriasang), president Yoichi Wada has announced a new box label to be used by the publisher that will differentiate its "mature" Western games from its usual slate of more innocent fantasy products: "Square Enix Extreme Edges." Wait -- didn't Wada say he wanted Japanese gamers not to discriminate against Western games? The "Extreme Edges" label will be used for Western-made games bearing CERO "D" (17+) or "Z" (18+) ratings, though Square Enix has yet to publish any CERO Z titles. The Z rating is legally age-restricted, and games bearing it are often not displayed in stores. Square Enix, however, will release Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days in Japan on August 26; a game that at least seems "edgy" and "extreme" enough for the new label and probably worthy of the CERO Z rating, as well.
Hands-on: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (single player)
There were a number of interesting features -- complex characters, a dark, mature story that explored the seedy lives of criminals -- in IO Interactive's original Kane & Lynch, provided you could look past the broken gameplay and the subsequent review scandal. While the franchise's name may be forever tarnished, that hasn't stopped IO from developing a sequel, one that expands upon the best aspects of the original. But does Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days fix the gameplay inherited from its predecessor? Sort of. As our previous impressions indicated, there's much to like about the game's presentation. Like Dead Men before it, Kane & Lynch is certainly not short on style. The "digital camera" effect makes this shooter look unlike any other game I've seen, offering the illusion of reality. Upon closer inspection, you can see the graphics tech is far from cutting-edge, but the clever filters and camera techniques make Dog Days feel far more authentic than the photo-realistic approach most other games attempt. %Gallery-91581%
Extended Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days trailer welcomes you to Shanghai (again)
Usually, an extended edition features a lot of the stuff that had to be left on the cutting room floor. In the case of this Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days trailer, however, it means "the extra violent stuff we couldn't show the first time around." Seriously, don't hit that play button unless you want to watch two cops unload on a guy that's laying on the ground, practically defenseless -- save for his ability to fire off grunts and groans with every piercing bullet, that is. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days wreaks havoc on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on August 24.
IO Interactive hit with layoffs
[Michael Heilemann] A Square Enix representative confirmed to Joystiq this morning that Hitman franchise / Kane & Lynch 2 developer IO Interactive has let go of an undisclosed number of staff members (reports claim as many as 35 out of approximately 200). In a statement from IO general manager Niels Jorgensen, the layoffs are explained as necessary to keep the business "operating effectively as projects start up and ramp down." Considering the studio's next game isn't set for release until late August, it's not clear if this decision will impact the game's final stages of development (if at all). Jorgensen goes on to say that he believes the "organizational changes" will help IO "continue to deliver great games," while he also regrets the loss of said personnel. "We would like to thank all employees affected for their contribution and efforts and wish them well in their future careers." We've posted the full response from Jorgensen after the break, and would like to extend our condolences to anyone who lost their job at IO.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days trailer welcomes you to Shanghai
Watch as the always unlikable duo of Kane and Lynch (that's Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx to you People magazine types) get reunited on the streets of Shanghai and, before catching up over a couple cold ones, find themselves caught up in a shootout and chasing a naked person through the streets. This is just how these guys get acquainted after "a while" apart! Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days welcomes you to Shanghai on August 24.
Impressions: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
IO Interactive is ditching many of the audio-visual bells and whistles of the modern third-person action game for its upcoming Kane & Lynch sequel, with the hopes of ultimately creating a more realistic, gritty experience. So far, we'd say the developer is doing a pretty good job. Set in a Shanghai that's a far cry from the brightly colored one found in Army of Two: The 40th Day, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is presented "documentary style" -- it looks like the game is being recorded on a handheld camera as you play, with all of the shaking and imperfections you'd expect from such a production. It's as if the action has been taped and uploaded to YouTube -- there's even an animated "Buffering..." message in place of a stock loading screen. The video pixelates when you're hit and loses sync when the camera's rocked by explosions. Particularly heinous headshots and other brutal injuries generate a mosaic effect as the camera moves past them, adding to the documentary feel. Oh, and there's no soundtrack -- the only time you'll hear music is if you happen to pass a radio or catch a shopping center's muzak over the gunfire. We're sold on the presentation, but the gameplay ... well, read on after the break for my thoughts on an in-progress build. %Gallery-83456%
Here are the first Kane & Lynch 2 screens
Yesterday's debut trailer for Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days may have been high on style, but it wasn't so big on substance. Thankfully, reader AlexLK12 was able to massage the game's official site and come up with four screenshots that are just a bit more informative. For instance, just look at the shot above. Why, already we know that the game has both Kane and Lynch in it. Also, there are guns. %Gallery-80516%
Kane & Lynch 2 debut trailer is totally 'raw' and 'brutal'
We really should keep a count of how many times "raw" and "brutal" show up in the Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days marketing materials. Anyway, above you'll find the debut trailer for IO Interactive's "raw and brutal crime shooter" – so says the email it came attached to – that shows Kane ... wait, Lynch longingly staring at a bottle of pills, while Lynch, er, Kane has apparently survived a big shootout and is coming to visit the other guy in Shanghai. Ah, yes. Kane and Lynch are the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for a new generation.
Rumor: Kane & Lynch 2 teaser has duo dodging dogs
MTV Germany has posted a video that could be construed as a viral teaser for Kane & Lynch 2. The clip is mock "surveillance video" of two naked men desperately barging into a Chinese restaurant. The streakers are apparently on the run -- there's some gun fire aimed in their direction -- until one (possibly Lynch by the looks of his hairstyle) trips and falls over a table, only to be attacked a few seconds later by a dog. The other gentleman, perhaps Kane, successfully beats the dog off of his partner with what appears to be a tray, and then the two presumably escape. Could this be be a viral ad for Kane and Lynch in "Dog Days?" Your call. [Via Kotaku]
