Dead men walking

Take a walk on the wild side with Kane and Lynch: Dead Men on PlayStation 3.

Most games cast you as the hero, tasked with saving the girl and the day while battling for the forces of good. Things aren't so clear cut however in Eidos' new third person action adventure Kane and Lynch: Dead Men on PlayStation 3.

The Kane mutiny

Being shown to an expectant crowd at Games Convention in Leipzig, Kane and Lynch is already looking extremely impressive. Players control Kane, a former mercenary sentenced to death for his part in a massive heist. On his way to be executed Kane and the other occupant of the prison transport, a medicated psychopath known as Lynch, are freed from captivity by Kane's former comrades who have kidnapped his daughter and are looking to settle the score over the money he stole. Now Kane and Lynch must recover the money so that Kane's daughter can go free.

The first thing you notice about the gameplay in Kane and Lynch is just how fluid and fast-paced everything is. There are no menus between levels, no health bar or ammo gauges on screen and everything is kept as much in the game as possible, never taking you out of the action, even for a second. The core of the gameplay revolves around running and shooting, but there is a tactical element as well with the introduction of group commands. Kane can issue orders to other members of his team to flank or engage enemies, or to provide cover, and members of your team can also be used to hold weapons for you and replenish your ammo when you run low.

The graphics are extremely well polished, and cut scenes drive the story along with a movie-like intensity. There's also a range of nice extra touches that bring the game world to life including fully destructible environments, an amazing crowd system that allows up to 3000 people in a single location, and an interesting game-over mechanic, whereby Kane's life flashes before his eyes when he dies, revealing more about the back story of the character that you don't find out in the course of the normal game.

You don't have to go it alone either if you don't want to, thanks to the addition of co-operative play. Co-operative mode allows a second player to play as Lynch, which offers a completely different playing experience as well as access to a selection of different attacks that stem from Lynch's psychotic nature.

A dark, compelling story, with levels as diverse as nightclubs, skyscrapers and grimy back alleys and a sense of style that recalls the films of Michael Mann, such as Heat or Collateral.  Kane and Lynch: Dead Men is shaping up to be a standout action game for PlayStation 3 come its release this winter. Keep an eye on eu.playstation.com for more news on this and lots of other PlayStation 3 games, coming soon.