Kane and Lynch 2 review: ugly people doing terrible things
- Tuesday, 17 August 2010 10:56
Do games need to be fun to be successful? Think about it: we give films the freedom to depress us even though we still enjoy the movie on many levels. When it comes to games, I'm not sure we extend ourselves the same courtesy. Kane and Lynch 2 features unlikable men doing things I don't agree with, in a place I don't want to be. As I fought wave after wave of thugs and law enforcement, my main thought was simply that it would be better if both Kane and Lynch took bullets to the head. I didn't want them to win, and I certainly didn't want to be them.
It also doesn't help that the game's presentation rubs your nose in the ugliness of its world. That could have been on purpose, as some sort of statement, but the end result was a feeling of claustrophobia and discomfort. The game feels like it doesn't want to be played, and tests you by asking how long you'll endure it.
