Stranglehold is a third-person action shooter developed by Midway Games, serving as a direct sequel to the 1993 John Woo film Hard Boiled, starring Chow Yun-fat. It places players in the shoes of Inspector Tequila where he embarks on a mission to rescue his wife and daughter while uncovering a larger conspiracy. With fast combat and destructible environments, Stranglehold offers an action-packed experience similar to classic action films and games such as Max Payne and F.E.A.R. The game’s strength is the action focused gameplay. Players can use the environment to their advantage, sliding across counters and diving over obstacles while obtaining style points which can be helps the game's replayablity. The "Tequila Time" mechanic lets players slow down time and perform special moves, such as taking a small amount of health or taking down multiple enemies in one go. However, the boss fights are underwhelming, as many can be easily defeated by spamming special abilities. The story of Stranglehold is straightforward: Tequila must rescue his kidnapped partner and daughter while facing off against gangsters and powerful criminals. While the plot isn't particularly deep, it serves as a simple backdrop to the action, with Tequila’s charm adding some flavor. While Stranglehold isn't perfect, it serves as a great tribute to fans of John Woo’s films and action games. The gunplay is engaging, and the Tequila Time/Bomb mechanic adds an extra layer of satisfaction. The story is straightforward, and while some aspect of their game have their flaws, it still offers plenty of thrilling, explosive fun.
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is a third-person action shooter developed by IO Interactive, serving as a sequel to Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. The game follows the two antiheroes, Kane and Lynch, as they navigate a violent descent into Shanghai’s criminal underworld after a simple job goes awry, drawing the attention of a corrupt politician. One of the standout features of the game is its early 2000s handheld camera and grainy CCTV-style aesthetic. The visuals are intentionally gritty, raw, and sometimes disorienting, perfectly capturing the chaotic, dangerous world the characters inhabit. The soundtrack complements this with a mix of eerie ambient sounds and jarring, upbeat Chinese tunes, almost mocking the brutality of the events unfolding. The gameplay has seen notable improvements from its predecessor, with smoother controls that allow for seamless cover mechanics and less frustration when dealing with your AI partner since you no longer manage a squad. The shooting mechanics are more satisfying, especially with the slight variety of weapons throughout levels and impact against enemies. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is undeniably a flawed yet ambitious game. It's not a masterpiece, but it doesn't aim to be. The game’s intentionally ugly visuals, including its rough characters, may not be to everyone’s taste but for this particular narrative, it feels right, and in a way, adds to the grim authenticity of the experience.
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.
