Edited on: October 17, 2025
Posted on: October 16, 2025

KnoqKnock
Verified ownerGames: 3 Reviews: 3
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men - 3/10 Subpar
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a third person action shooter developed by IO Interactive, the same people who created the popular Hitman franchise. The game follows a story of two antiheros, Kane, a former mercenary, and Lynch, a mentally unstable psychopath. The duo is reluctantly bound together when they’re forced into working for Kane’s former employer, The7, a notorious mercenary group. Falsely accused of betraying them by stealing a large sum of money and going on the run. The narrative is probably the strongest point of the game, the main protagonists Kane and Lynch aren't supposed to be likable people, especially the side characters as it becomes increasingly clear that everyone involved is acting in their own self interest. It does feel a bit underdeveloped as the game doesn't fully explore their backstories, Kane's story feels like we needed a lot of context and Lynch's story is hinted on and not really brought up again. In terms of gameplay, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is a third-person shooter that uses cover based mechanics with some emphasis on using a squad, the shooting mechanics are somewhat functional, but not particularly satisfying with very little impact, the controls are a bit clunky as you snap onto cover without a prompt and reload automatically. The AI, however, is a major issue. Enemy NPCs often behave erratically, and your teammates, including Lynch, can sometimes be annoyingly unhelpful. This can lead to allies requiring a revive or at worst, neglecting to revive you which results in a game over. It's get incredibly frustrating near the end of the game which most of my deaths came from, it no longer felt enjoyable but a chore to play through. Kane & Lynch: Dead Men has its moments, my favorite being the bank heist and the level in Japan but it fails to deliver on its full potential. The narrative isn't bad but gameplay lacks depth, and the AI frustrations drag down the experience. It's a mixed bag, not a terrible game but certaintly not any good.
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