The finger-breaking control scheme has been simplified into something streamlined and usable, the multiplayer features a bevy of unique game modes and the presentation is completely like anything you've seen in a game before.

But while Kane & Lynch 2 fixed some of the issues of the first game, it also introduced some new problems. A whole bunch. In fact, I don't think it's at all a stretch to call Kane & Lynch 2 a contender for worst game of the year.

With such an albatross around the franchise's neck, Kane & Lynch 2 needed to be amazing. And I will admit that I thought it had a chance. For all its flaws, the first game was unique and edgy. The title characters were bad guys, there were some amazing setpieces, a slick Michael Mann-inspired feel, and one character (Lynch) prone to fits of rage a violent hallucinations. While it veered a little too much into global conspiracy theory territory for my tastes, the story was strong and the characters were clearly drawn. Whatever you say about the first Kane & Lynch, it was a game with a distinct identity.

Had it maintained those strong points and fixed its issues (terrible controls being one of the biggest offenders), Kane & Lynch 2 could have been great. But developer IO Interactive went the opposite direction and threw out 90% of the first game, good and bad. That distinct identity is gone. In its place is the blandest, most underachieving cover shooter I've ever played.

Kane & Lynch 2 is five hours of running into a room, taking cover, shooting the hordes of enemies, then repeating the same process over and over again. That's it. You could say the same thing about many games, but few are as simple or repetitive as this. Most games mix it up with little bits of additional gameplay to keep things fresh - turret segments, vehicles, collectible hunting, puzzles, etc. Something. Anything. Kane & Lynch 2 does not. Aside from a chase sequence at the start and one on-rails segment near the end, there's nothing separating one battle from the next. Each encounter looks the same, plays the same and leads to more of the same. There aren't even grenades or melee combat. There's literally no variety to the combat. 

Maybe that would fly if the combat in Kane & Lynch 2 was satisfying. But it's not. Across the board, the guns feel underpowered, inaccurate and short-range. There are only a handful of enemy types in each level, and each and every foe you encounter is a bullet sponge with the magical ability to hit you while you're behind cover. You, however, don't have the same ability. Imagine fighting a guy with a machine gun and x-ray vision when all you've got is a rusty BB gun. Now repeat that a hundred times. That's what combat feels like in this game. 

The endless, repetitive combat is stretch out across five hours of bland, forgettable levels fighting the same enemies over and over (Shanghai apparently has a police cloning facility) with minimal story and no interesting characterization. The titular duo has been stripped of everything that made them unique protagonists. Lynch's hallucinations are gone, and Kane may as well be a cardboard cutout. It goes without saying that the interesting setpieces are gone as well, as are gameplay features like squad controls and rappelling. The only thing - and I mean the ONLY thing) that gives this game any sense of identity is the presentation. 

Kane & Lynch 2 has the grainy look of an online video, complete with motion blur and digital artifacts. I've heard some people complain that it gave them a headache, but I personally had no problem with it. I appreciated the stab at originality the visual style attempted, but I actually stopped noticing it after a while. The game is so dark and drab that sometimes the only element of the stylistic choice you notice is the fact that downed enemies faces' become pixelated when they die. 

Defenders of Kane & Lynch 2 will point to a mid-game sequence in which Kane and Lynch find themselves running around naked and bloody as an example of gameplay variety. I'd like to agree - it's the first time I've ever played as a naked man in a game before - but even this section of gameplay feels exactly the damn same as every other part. Stealth is suggested during this segment, but quickly devolves into more familiar shooting. Once again, the only interesting aspect of this scene is presentation and not content. 

I actually need to stop myself from going on even more about all the things I hated about this game, and believe me when I say I could go on. Instead I'll just reiterate my point that IO Interactive followed up a flawed but interesting game with a sequel that's boring, repetitive, cowardly and unoriginal. It's short and ugly, bland and unsatisfying and amazingly devoid of personality - something you definitely could not say about the original. 

I do have to give the game some credit for the interesting multiplayer modes, which all stress finding a balance between trust and betrayal. On the other hand, I can't give too much credit for these modes, because no one appears to be playing them, and the best multiplayer mode in the universe counts for nothing if there's no one to play it with.

I had high hopes for Kane & Lynch 2. I actually liked the first game more than most and the marketing for the sequel gave me hope. Maybe that's why I'm so let down. IO Interactive could have made a killer game with these characters. Instead, they delivered a title that's a sure-fire nominee for worst game of the year. I've played titles that were technically worse, but I haven't played a game I enjoyed so little in a long, long time. 

This review is based on a copy of the game provided by the publisher.