In a very special ShackBlog post, professional game developer Steve Gaynor joins to tell you why one of the most controversial games in recent memory is also one of the most unjustly panned:
"As someone with whom the title did connect, and strongly, I feel the need to defend the game from its much-maligned image. From my standpoint it is worth your attention, and I believe that negative associations may be driving away players who otherwise would have found much to love beneath Kane & Lynch's unvarnished surface. The game is a unique experience, one which presents intense and satisfying core gameplay in believable locales, propped up by genuinely interesting, human characters who live out an emotionally compelling, personal story.
Kane & Lynch is antithetical to the epic scale and self-congratulatory empowerment provided by other big-name action games, a game that absolutely should not be passed over by shooter fans looking for a game that says something different from the titles they normally invest themselves in."
Zach writes: 'IO Interactive have developed a number of highly regarded titles during their two-decade long run. The Hitman games have always been huge commercial and critical successes, and even lesser-known titles like Freedom Fighters ended up as a cult classic.'.
Alex S. from Link-Cable writes: "The video game industry is a pretty cutthroat place. More often than not the cycle of a game’s life is pretty set in stone – a title is announced, hyped ,released and hopefully it’s a hit. However sometimes things don’t go as planned and a game doesn’t hit home with gamers. Not that’s it a bad game per say but due to a myriad of issues or the general mood of the world at the time the game isn’t remembered so fondly as its contemporaries. So for this week’s Top 10 we’re listing off ten titles that you should probably give a second chance to because they really are decent titles and deserve more love than they ever got."
I enjoyed Kane and Lynch. I would love to see a PS All-Stars 2 or a non-Smash take on a PlayStation fighter. Maybe a Marvel v Campcom style but with larger levels.
I’d rather Nintendo give Star Fox Assault a second chance and make another new game in that style. I like that game way better than Star Fox Adventures
I heartily agree.
Maybe even a sequel with that new walker from Star Fox Zero.[yes I know it's originally from Star Fox 2, but most of us know it from Zero because we didn't get to play SF2.]
More people played SF2 than SFZ thanks to SNES Mini, and emulation. Also, Star Fox Adventure > Star Fox Assault.
The Conduit.
Just, give us a reboot of that for Switch and make it bigger and better than the original, which had potential but never got off the ground due to being on the Wii.
Castlevania 64 was an amazing game for its time and I'd LOVE to see it get a proper remake or reboot.
In addition to retaining Hitman, IO kept ownership of Freedom Fighters, a 2003 third-person shooter that appeared on sixth gen consoles and received high praise.
I played Freedom Fighter on PC when I was a kid. Damn, the game was so freaking good.
I can live with this IO. So how about that sequel, so I can forgive you already?
WOW!!!!!! I would be so hyped if Freedom Fighters returned but it's very disappointing that Kane and Lynch is still on ice because the story has so much potential. Both games also features Jesper Kyd's best work.
This should have been brought up in the other reviews including GameSpot.
Too bad I don't game much on my PC anymore.
I got the Ps3 version and have found the game enjoyable, even challenging on some parts.
shallow and petantic
j/k I found this game great. There were some really sweet sequences that happen during gameplay too that just flavoured the story and the characters so uniquely and well.
I went into playing K&L without having read all the negative reviews and articles that followed it's release and I was actually supprised on how immersive and gritty the story is.
Yeah the gameplay isn't the best we've seen, and no the graphics aren't going to make you forget Gears anytime soon but it has a certain intangible quality that I really enjoyed.
I say that if you were even remotely interested in this game at some point, then at the very least give it a rent and I guarantee if you go into it without all the biased opinions you've heard and have become conditioned to believe, you'll walk away pleasantly supprised.
Very good article and the most in-depth, fair review this game has received.
I haven't read any review for that game. I download and played the demo... It was horrible! Specially if you have previously played COD4 then you can't even see that sh!t...