Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days Review (XB360)

  Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is an homage to an era that never existed. You can pick out well known cinematic styles and trappings that are part of it's overall aesthetic: a little grindhouse, some Pulp Fiction here, it's kind of a revenge tale, that famous shootout from Heat, Dog Bites Man, found footage films, snuff films, torture porn... and it's absolutely committed to the early days of YouTube with it's “buffering” wheel during loads and pixelated artifacts. The game even self-censors itself by blurring out full frontal nudity and headshots. Dog Days is derivative of so many small scenes that it becomes a wholly unique sub-genre all it's own.

  The narrative is the strongest piece of Kane and Lynch 2, and it's an odd beast to explain. It tells a simple story of Lynch arriving in Shanghai to help Kane with a nebulous “job”. Kane seems quite settled in China, with a steady girlfriend and obvious mob connections. From the setup things just go South, and you're observing a steady downward spiral of these two characters through the eyes of a shaky amateur cameraman. This fourth wall trick isn't alluded to by the main characters, of course, though there is a cutscene that makes use of the convention. The tone starts off pretty bleak and gets darker and grittier as the game progresses. You're not in control of a pair of heroes, or even anti-heroes. There's no joy to be had gunning down police officers, gangsters, or civilians that inevitably get caught in the crossfire. These are middle-aged men; out of shape, beat down, they have family issues to deal with... they're just trying to do a job that happens to be bloody and violent. Kane suffers from mental instability, and the real price for getting involved in violent acts is shown or alluded to during the course of the game. There is no glory in Kane and Lynch 2.

  This is gray and amoral to the point of being outright Nihilistic. There is no real beginning, middle, or end to speak of; you start the game and shit happens until the credits role. Key plot points are intentionally left out, and cinemas will just skip ahead to other scenes with abandon. The ending is abrupt to the point of being humorous. Bad/non-endings are usually a pet peeve of mine, but here the quick cut feels perfect, like it couldn't end any other way. There's not much backstory to explain the relationship between Kane and Lynch, but there doesn't need to be. In this super hostile world they inhabit, they are unquestionably loyal to each other which makes that one steady truth all the more poignant. You don't have to play the first game to understand the bromance here. In fact, I'd advise against it.

  I can't praise the aesthetic and narrative choices enough, but seeing as this is a video game you must control it. Dog Days is a serviceable third person, cover-based shooter. Nothing more or less, really. It's a bit sloppier and tougher than most of the era (and I recommend playing on at least “Hard” mode since the added difficulty helps cement the hopelessness), and there's an emphasis on flanking to work with the co-op nature of the two main characters. It boils down to a stop-and-pop shooting gallery, but it's simple and unoffensive to play. You don't even have to worry about grenades, because there are none; just straight up shooting. Ammo scarcity can play a role, requiring some scrambles from cover. Other than that there are a couple set piece moments like a helicopter minigun level and some optional stealth sections. It's a mindless, sort of fun exercise that adds to the story and overall feel.

  As strange as it to say: Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is a work of art. It's grimy, unpleasant art, but art nonetheless. The six to eight hour run time is perfect to experience in one long sitting to absorb it as a dark journey of two helpless, hopeless, deeply flawed characters. It's a great example of how to have tons of style, but not fall victim to style over substance or story over gameplay. There has never been a game quite like Dog Days before and there probably never will be one again, so you should probably experience it for yourself.