For some, Kane & Lynch was a so-so third-person shooter that was only made better as a result of the co-op, even if that rewarding co-op experience was hampered by a lack of online co-op. For many, though, Kane & Lynch will always be remembered for the fallout that resulted from Jeff Gerstmann's Gamespot review. The game's director, Karsten Lund, however, came away with a different feeling about the title - that it was an original IP for which a sequel was worth making and worth making right. MTV Multiplayer spoke with Karsten about Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days and what was on their list of improvements to make this time around.
When asked about the first game, Karsten had this to say:
We don't see it as the failure that the rest of the world saw it as. It sold a lot of copies; actually, it was one of the best-selling new IPs of the year. We're still in love with the characters and the whole gritty tone and the uniqueness of the franchise, so from our perspective it was totally obvious to do a sequel.
From MTV Multiplayer Blog
Though Karsten doesn't totally see the game with rose-colored glasses. For the sequel, Karsten told MTV Multiplayer that IO Interactive's development team began a list of things to improve for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days. Most of the changes are directly related to the game's mechanics and the overall gaming experience, but one directly address a major complaint:
1) Fix the cover system
2) Overhaul the aiming and shooting mechanics
3) Smarter AI
4) Better-looking graphics
5) Add online co-opFrom MTV Multiplayer Blog
The addition of online co-op alone may not make Kane and Lynch 2 a better co-op game, but the list of other improvements that IO Interactive has made certainly may lead to a better co-op experience. Even though the grittier, darker marketing for Kane and Lynch 2 may leave some to question what the end result will be, it's always nice to know that more and more developers are listening to the gaming community and responding appropriately. There may be hope for the seemingly irredeemable heroes yet.
Source: Multiplayerblog.mtv.com