Kane and Lynch: Dead Men for Windows

Cinema based detective action thriller

Kane and Lynch: Dead Men is one of those games you keep on hearing stuff about for months, so when you finally get your hands on the demo you can't wait to play it.

The new adventure from the creators of Hitman is certainly very original: it could be defined as a shooter with a movie twist. But is it really a film what we want here? While playing the demo I often got the sensation that I was watching an action movie more than actually playing a game... The game's weird perspective (a kind of mixture between first and third person perspective) made it hard for me to identify myself with my character and sometimes I didn't even know if it was me who was moving it around the screen.

I don't think this movie-like characteristic should be taken as something positive. The game features jaw-dropping graphics, that's true, but I missed having more gameplay. I wanted to feel part of the action and not just a mere spectator. I expected a truly immersive experience rather than spotless cinematic scenes. What's more, I found the character lacked some basic movements, such as the ability to slide left and right or simply being able to jump. Not to mention the weapon's tiny crosshairs that make aiming at enemies incredibly difficult.

In all, Kane and Lynch: Dead Men was a bit disappointing: excellent graphics and interesting plot, but it doesn't feel like a game.