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Kane & Lynch excited for GTAIV
Never once have we thought to use the word "cute" to describe Kane & Lynch -- a game about robbing banks at gunpoint, among other things -- but it really seems the best word to describe the video embedded above. Most of the video is simply listening to Lynch talk about how much he likes the Grand Theft Auto series, and how excited he is to play GTAIV. Of course, we all know it's been delayed until next year, so it looks like he'll have to wait. As we said, it's a cute video (it's also got some salty language, so watch at your own discretion). Give it a watch and give the folks at Eidos some props for their cleverness.[Via Joystiq]
Kane & Lynch insider vid talks story development
The first in what a appears to be a series of video diaries, the Kane & Lynch Insider #1 has been released. The video focuses on the story development of the upcoming crime action game from IO Interactive. Jens Peter Kurup, the game's director, discusses how the story has developed over time. Interestingly, the game was originally based solely around Kane, with Lynch playing only a background role. As development progressed, Lynch became more central to the story, until the developers decided to essentially turn the game into "a buddy movie." Also, Kurup stresses that players may not necessarily like Kane and Lynch, but that players should still care about them at least a little bit. In this he compares Kane and Lynch to characters like Scarface. He's a horrible human being, but you still manage to care about him. Basically, that's the goal for Kane & Lynch. Here's hoping IO Interactive manages to pull it off.Warning: Video possibly NSFW thanks to violence and one instance of profanity.
Kane and Lynch has bank heist multiplayer, offline co-op
Alright, we've got good news and bad news about Kane and Lynch. Pick a hand. You sure you want that one? Alright, bad news first then. The bad news is that the game will not feature online co-op. Yeah, a game that centers around two characters working together doesn't have online co-op. The news was confirmed by Eurogamer in an interview with the game's director Jens Peter Kurup. From what we can gather of Kurup's circuitous answers, online co-op was scrapped in order to deliver the game on time.In happier news, the multiplayer mode for Kane and Lynch has been revealed and it sounds like a lot of fun. Described by the developers at IO Interactive as such a good idea that they were surprised no one thought of it before, the multiplayer mode has players performing a bank heist. Titled Fragile Alliance, the mode has players attempt to rob a bank within a certain time limit while avoiding police fire. The twist is that players can turn on each other in order to get more loot. However, killing teammates immediately flags you as a traitor, so one has to pick the right moment to betray. Make it back to the getaway car with extra cash and you can purchase better weapons the following round. As a bonus, betrayed teammates are resurrected as police officers so they can exact their bittersweet revenge. In short, it sounds like a great idea. Here's hoping it makes us forget about online co-op.[Via Joystiq. Thanks, THA1icarus]Read -- CVG multiplayer previewRead -- Eurogamer multiplayer interview
Kane & Lynch: admittedly not delivering 'the whole online package'
While Kane & Lynch's bank heist multiplayer had us intrigued, we were quite disappointed to learn that the eponymous duo's criminal cooperation wouldn't extend beyond an offline split-screen mode. Eurogamer politely asked game director Jens Peter Kurup to explain the omission, to which he responded, "It's a matter of focus, choosing what you want to deliver at what time. We looked at it and decided it was too much of a risk to change our code to be very very good at that, and we're not going to be very very good at other elements." He noted that he'd miss the feature, "but not terribly."As that's not a sentiment likely to be shared by those enjoying the online co-op of a little game called Halo 3, Kurup places a divide between the two titles. "They are not only selling Halo," he said, "they are selling technology, they are selling consoles, they are selling Microsoft, the whole online package. That's not what we're doing." He's right on two counts! They are selling (by the boatloads) and IO Interactive isn't selling the whole online package. Instead of applause, let's offer some commentary. Regardless of Microsoft's intentions for its platform, Halo 3 is still a video game competing for the time and attention of gamers, as is EA's cooperatively themed Army of Two. With Gears of War well behind us and Perfect Dark Zero (thankfully) even further back, we're of the belief that online co-op is (or should be), where appropriate, a standard "next-gen" offering by now. Kurup made a valid point about increased development time when he said gamers "also want the game at some point," but when some point happens to be November, you'd best give your game a full pair of water wings before tossing it into that shark-infested maelstrom.
Joystiq hands-on: Kane & Lynch
"Get down!" That's the last thing you're told before your vision fades away. You hear what's going on: somehow, Lynch, the psychopath partner of yours, has managed to bust you out of a prison van. Your vision returns, blurry, as you limp away, following his directives.So begins Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. It's clear why the game is already optioned for a movie -- it's intense, visceral, in your face. Dazed and confused, you follow Lynch's directives and join your fellow inmates in a mad escape. The cops are on hot pursuit, and bullets fly in every direction. You're not just seeing a massive gunfight unfold before your eyes -- you're a vital part of it. The cons ahead of you are also fighting for their lives. You realize you have no choice but to follow, for the sake of your own survival. As your vision slowly returns and you're able to start walking normally, you see that the world developer IO Interactive has created is a very real one. Don't expect the gritty browns and grays that are so typical of modern action games. Instead, the colors are refreshingly un-stylized. As your progress through the first chapter of the game, you end up in a rather un-spectacular backdrop: a local diner, taking cover from an increasing barrage of bullets. This is where you fight back.
Kane and Lynch wreak havoc November 20th
So far we've been pretty impressed with what we've seen of Kane & Lynch. The blackguards at Joystiq seemed to enjoy their time with the game at E3 as well. Thus it's with both a little joy and trepidation that we report the game is scheduled to hit store shelves on November 20th. We are happy that we'll finally be able to give the game a proper once over, but also a little worried that November is fast becoming the most densely packed month we've seen all year. Mass Effect, Rock Band (presumably), Call of Duty 4, Blacksite, Army of Two, and now Kane & Lynch. Of course, we're probably forgetting some, too.Sorry kids, looks like we're eating hot dogs this Thanksgiving. Turkey's expensive, and these games won't buy themselves.[Via Evil Avatar]
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men trailer shows bank heist bloodbath
A new trailer for IO Interactive's Kane & Lynch: Dead Men has hit the internet, showing off the latest violent and visceral game play. For you PSP owners, take a crack at the website to download this trailer in delicious PSP widescreen format. The video is quite impressive, although we wish we stayed more awake during German language classes in college. The character models appear very well detailed and the animations ultra-smooth and realistic. Well, as realistic as a bank heist shoot-up of this magnitude would be, supposedly. We imagine we'll be seeing a lot more from this game in the next few months as it gears up for its fall release. It's on our wish list. How about yours?
Kane and Lynch on PSP?
Future Gamez is reporting that Atari Australia's release schedule listed Kane & Lynch: Dead Men as not just a PC and Xbox 360 game, but also for PS3, PS2 and most importantly, PSP. The game is due out June 2007 and features (at least on home consoles) co-op play with two characters. One is a morally challenged mercenary and the other is a pill popping psychopath. If this listing is more than just a mistake, it could mean great things for PSP fans. The game is developed by Io Interactive, creators of Freedom Fighters and the Hitman franchise. This game was a must buy for me on the Xbox 360 and if it comes out for the PSP as well, I'm such an Io Interactive fan that I'll likely buy both. [Via DCEmu]
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (with guns)
The cover story on this month's Game Informer breaks the news on a new 3rd person action game entitled Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. The game -- developed for 360 and PC -- is from IO Interactive, the blokes behind the Hitman series. As you can see, it looks to be a little on the violent side, and is set to feature co-op and online play. Could my dreams of a buddy cop game finally be realized?Xboxygen has posted some scans from the magazine. Hit the read link to check 'em out.
Hitman: Blood Money demo hits XBL
Set to ship next week, the demo for Eidos' latest Hitman title, Blood Money, has hit the Xbox Live Marketplace. Stop everything you're doing on your 360 and give it some time to download the 783Mb demo. Can't wait until that active downloads functionality starts working fo' real. Our sources are whispering any day now.
Hitman: Blood Money gets a ship date
Xbox 360 owners got a real treat not too long ago when we found out Hitman: Blood Money will not only be making it to the current-gen consoles but the 360 as well. Today Eidos has come out and said that May 26th is the day in which our infamous cleaner makes his debut on next-gen territory. So with this title coming out on PC, PS2 and Xbox, most gamers want to know whether or not the 360 version will be just a fancy port or provide a little something more. We know how some ported titles don't exactly live up to the next-gen hype (*cough* GUN *cough*). It'd be a crying shame to see this happen to the Hitman series. Here's hoping we don't see an easy cop-out from IO Interactive.
