Scumbag criminals Kane and Lynch reunite for what was supposed to be a simple arms deal in Shanghai. The new shaky-cam presentation adds to the overall emphasis on "grittiness" and realism, though little else in Dog Days benefits from the same sort of inspired choices. A thoroughly enjoyable but short ride, by Dogs Days's end you will believe this much: Kane and Lynch sure do love shooting up Chinese guys. The Pros Multiplayer modes play to your devious, mistrustful nature Tons of intense firefights in exotic and gorgeous (and highly destructible) locales Unusual (and optional) shaky-cam presentation greatly enhances the overall realism The Cons Story mode is unforgivably short Almost no boss battles Core mechanics adamantly refuse to evolve or present new challenges Over the past year or so, a few great games have come from franchises considerably into their lifespan and these titles have made nonbelievers suddenly take notice. For example, with Splinter Cell, it was the fifth game—Conviction--that turned heads. Now, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, a gritty third-person cover-based shooter has managed to grab headlines, curiously, with its low-grade YouTube-like crappy video compression of an extremely shaky surveillance video. Supposedly trailing the titular duo as they attempt to escape the streets of Shanghai in the 48 hours after a simple arms deal goes horribly awry, the buffering-video presentation is suspiciously contrarian in an era when many gamers are playing on high-definition TVs; however, the presentation quickly takes a back seat to the thrilling, yet repetitive, run-and-gun action.
