IO Dishes Kane & Lynch 2 Details
Latest trailer got you wondering about the game?
by Erik Brudvig
March 17, 2010 - By now, you've probably seen the latest trailer for Kane & Lynch 2, featuring the first gameplay footage publicly shown, and learned about the August release date. Perhaps this all has you intrigued and looking for more information. I recently spoke with Karsten Lund, Kane & Lynch 2 Game Director, to get a few more details and info about what is going on over in Shanghai.
The conversation in the trailer is from the opening moments of the game. "Kane and Lynch are meeting for the first time in a long time in Shanghai. Lynch has just called in Kane for a job he needs him to do, but he just has to do one thing first. He has to go talk to one guy…"
This of course leads to some shenanigans. The trailer is made entirely using gameplay footage, and you may have noticed that it some sections of the trailer feature in-engine story moments. "We tried to keep as many of the big moments in the game while you're playing, but once in a while you need some story point to drive the action so we throw in some cutscenes. They're all filmed in the same way, handheld and over the shoulder. You get a sense of being there no matter if you play or watch a cutscene. It's not like we all of a sudden cut to some place totally different. We are always there with the two heroes, or anti-heroes. It feels like a flowing experience."
"If you want to go urban, I don't think you can find a place more urban than Shanghai. We thought it would be great for story purposes to stay in the same location and this location is so diverse that you can create completely different environments for each level. It's so rich that it was a no-brainer for us."
The trailer features a bit of digital nudity, but you may have noticed a blur-effect that covers up the most sensitive bits. That is indeed a part of the game and the same effect is used to blur out the gore from headshots. "It's a visual effect that we use in the game. It adds to that sense of credibility and realism of this kind of footage and also it sparks the imagination of what's going on."
Now all of this may seem like it pushed the envelope for the sake of doing so, but IO Interactive doesn't feel that way. The group worked closely with the ESRB to make sure everything was in check. "We're not trying to cross the line just to be over the line. This is a mature game and it needs to show what it shows." In the trailer, further censorship beyond what is done in the game had to be done, bleeping out curse words. That will not happen in the game.
If you're looking to experience this location and cinematic style of gaming, IO assured me that a playable demo would be made available in advance of the game's release this August.
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