Dead men walking
The first in a pair of games (the second being Dog Days), that give players the chance to embody a real pair of ruffians (even by video game standards), this is a game which was pretty ropey to start with but which is really showing its age now. It's basically a third-person action/shooter that offers some reasonable thrills if you can handle a game which looks so old but for most players, this is easily missed. You take control of a Death Row Prisoner who gets busted out on his way to his execution only to be forced into getting the loot from his last heist to give to the crims who've kidnapped his family. With only the psycho Lynch for company, it's your job to make your way through seemingly endless hordes of police and special forces troops, laying waste to them all in the name of family. You can give commands to your chum to help out when it really gets tough while there's also the expected range of weapons to make use of to even the odds even more. Kane & Lynch is certainly not going to be for everyone, as it is a very gritty but over the top experience that is unsurprisingly violent. However, it does a decent job on its story which provides some surprising moments in amongst all the macho posturing. The gameplay is not original but it's solid enough, with a few thrills to be found if you're into shooters. However, there are plenty of bugs, while the controls are more than a bit wobbly and even the sound is below par, so when you add these elements in, you're left with a game that is easily skipped.
