Kane & Lynch (Xbox 360)

Another happy couple courtesy of Match.com.
1/31/2008 12:00 AM | 1 Comments | Page 1 of 2

When was the last time a pair of videogame protagonists displayed such authentic examples of male-pattern baldness? In a medium that tends to star muscle-bound supermen with all their hair intact, spending 10 to 12 hours looking at Kane's yarmulke-sized bald spot and Lynch's mullet/receding hairline combo is a breath of fresh hair.

I meant "air." Whoops.

After an action-packed opening involving Lynch orchestrating a jail break -- he and Kane escape from a prison transport van -- we learn that Kane once double-crossed a syndicate of criminal masterminds called The7. These guys are apparently such no-nonsense hard-asses that they don't even need the space between "The" and "7."

Kane, wearing a nose bandage that's straight out of Roman Polanski's 'Chinatown,' apparently took something that belongs to The7. They've hired Lynch and his trusty mullet to make sure Kane gets it back. Just in case Kane doesn't want to cooperate, The7 is also holding Kane's estranged wife and daughter hostage to, you know, inspire him.

Lynch is supposed to be Kane's watchdog, but it's clear that Kane is the smarter, not to mention the more stable, of the pair.

Using a control scheme that's nearly identical to IO Interactive's grossly underrated Freedom Fighters (haven't played it? You should right that wrong ASAP), Kane can order/boss Lynch around. Point to an area up ahead with the aiming reticle, press and hold the B button for a beat, and Lynch will trot to that location and defend it.

You'll eventually pick up more squad members along the way, bringing your squad size up to four. Whereas Freedom Fighters used a Soviet-occupied Manhattan as its backdrop, Kane & Lynch offers grittier and more varied environs. From Tokyo nightclubs to Havana airstrips to sun-baked prison yards, you'll need to run-and-gun your way through hordes of anonymous henchmen in your quest to find The7 and rescue your daughter and wife.

The idea here, as it was in Freedom Fighters, is to let your squad do all the dirty work. See a dangerous-looking area up ahead? Send your squad in first and let them have a look around while you hang back. If your squad members get "killed," first-aid icons will appear above their heads. Hustle over to them, give them a quick shot of adrenaline, and they'll be back on their feet and fighting again.

By sheer luck your squad might take out the occasional enemy, but for the most part, they shoot about as well as half-drunk, eye-patch-wearing chimps. Since that's the case, your squad functions best as bait for sussing out the locations of enemies. While your squad draws the enemies' attention and gunfire, you can quietly find a safe vantage point and quickly and efficiently pick off enemy soldiers.

It's certainly not the most realistic gameplay mechanic in the history of squad-based videogames, but there's something about it that makes me feel both smart and heroic: smart because I've done some crude battlefield orchestrating; heroic because while my squad is off drawing enemy fire, I'm busy sneaking around behind the bad guys and doing the actual killing.

And yes, this mechanic is just as satisfying in Kane & Lynch as it was in Freedom Fighters. Naturally, Lynch isn't content with his newfound backseat status during missions. Whenever Kane gives him orders, Lynch spits back, "F&#% you" before carrying them out.