Designer: It's OK If You Don't Like Kane & Lynch 2

Greg Tito

PR for Dungeons & Dragons
Sep 29, 2005
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Designer: It's OK If You Don't Like Kane & Lynch 2



The general manager of IO Interactive is OK with reviewers being split on Kane & Lynch 2.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days received very mixed reviews when it was released in July. I personally thought that it had some good elements but that Yahtzee said that "there is nothing fun about the game." [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/8033-Review-Kane-Lynch-2-Dog-Days] Others praised the grittiness and the originality of the characters. IO Interactive's general manager, Niels Jørgensen, said that he's cool with the response Kane & Lynch 2 received and understands that there will be people who "don't get it."

"I think it's a game that you either love or hate," Jørgensen said. "It's interesting that we have scores ranging from 1/10 to 9/10, so we have critics that really loved it and those that didn't really get it."

Did it bother him that some players of the game responded poorly? "Actually, I think that's fine," he responded. "I actually like the approach that you take some chances to reach out to an audience. People have different tastes in all kinds of media and we see that with music, films, books and also with videogames. It's about choosing an approach to give people entertainment and variety and I think we've been able to produce something that's a bit different, if not to everyone's taste."

I respect Jørgensen for not reacting poorly and saying that people who didn't like Kane & Lynch 2 were idiots who didn't play it right. He realizes that, as with all media, there are going to be people who like certain content and others that don't. And with a game that features two unpleasant mass-murderers, you are bound to get some mixed reviews.

"The characters of Kane and Lynch capture the consumer's imagination as they are more like middle-aged anti-heroes than the buff superheroes that you see in a lot of games," Jørgensen said. "Part of the legacy of IO is to make games and stories that stand out and I think we achieved that with Kane & Lynch 2."

I can't argue with that statement; the game is definitely memorable. Of course, the complaints that I had with Kane & Lynch 2 had more to do with its poor storytelling and unimaginative mechanics, as opposed to the grim and gritty subject matter.

Then again, millions of people liked Transformers 2, so what the crap do I know?

Source: Gamesindustry.biz [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010-10-04-io-interactives-niels-j-rgensen-interview?page=1]

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Eri

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Feb 21, 2009
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I actually liked Transformers, because all I came into it wanting was a decent popcorn movie and nothing more. Although more on topic, Most credible review sites gave the bad scores, The good scores..not so much.
 
May 23, 2010
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Ultratwinkie said:
oh yes the old "they don't understand my genius!" excuse. Way to go IO Interactive, your ego has officially outgrown your skill.

The Amazing Tea Alligator said:
Nobody finds "You don't like it because you don't get it." childish?
It's not childish, its just pompous and pretentious.
I'd argue that it's all of them, but the fundemental gist is retained.
 

Bek359

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Feb 23, 2010
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Jiraiya72 said:
I actually liked Transformers, because all I came into it wanting was a decent popcorn movie and nothing more. Although more on topic, Most credible review sites gave the bad scores, The good scores..not so much.
See, my prerequisites for a decent popcorn movie are that it can't directly insult my intelligence to the point that my suspension in disbelief is shattered (and I am not an easy guy to do that to. I liked Independence Day, even though it's very cheesy and the science is not that great, to put it lightly), and it can't directly offend me (i.e. crude, insulting racial stereotypes; see: Skid and Muflap). I like to think that those are not towering standards.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Jiraiya72 said:
I actually liked Transformers, because all I came into it wanting was a decent popcorn movie and nothing more. Although more on topic, Most credible review sites gave the bad scores, The good scores..not so much.
I wanted awesome robot battles. But all I got were some whiny humans and shakey-cam fights. Which are not good fight scenes.

OT: Sounds kind of pretentious. "Its ok if you didn't like it, you just don't get it."

And you don't get my money, so whatever.
 

Blue_vision

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Mar 31, 2009
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The Amazing Tea Alligator said:
Nobody finds "You don't like it because you don't get it." childish?
Not really. Some kind of stories and media genres just click well with certain people, so it'd really be childish to say anything else. Does a game have to be made to be enjoyed by everyone? Is V for Vendetta any less of a good film because there are people who don't agree with the political statement, or dislike action movies? It's the same thing there. And there are obviously plenty of people who "get it", judging by quite a few praising reviews.
All the guy is saying is that it's ok if not everyone likes the game, and they can understand why.
 
Apr 19, 2010
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Maybe developers should just stop talking to the media for awhile they seem to be very stupid this time of year.

And now to turn this thread further into an argument about Transformers.
Jiraiya72 said:
I actually liked Transformers, because all I came into it wanting was a decent popcorn movie and nothing more.
Giant robot battles would have been a popcorn movie, too bad they padded it out with Shia Labeouf becoming one of the highest people on my hatred list.
 
May 23, 2010
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Blue_vision said:
The Amazing Tea Alligator said:
Nobody finds "You don't like it because you don't get it." childish?
Not really. Some kind of stories and media genres just click well with certain people, so it'd really be childish to say anything else. Does a game have to be made to be enjoyed by everyone? Is V for Vendetta any less of a good film because there are people who don't agree with the political statement, or dislike action movies? It's the same thing there. And there are obviously plenty of people who "get it", judging by quite a few praising reviews.
All the guy is saying is that it's ok if not everyone likes the game, and they can understand why.
See but it's a get-out-of-jail-free card. Rather than acknowledging genuine flaws, they're just saying that some people don't get it. That's where my issue with this is. Certainly there will be some people that will not like it no matter what, but I think it's fair to say that this isn't the issue with Kayne and Lynch 2.
 

Ashcrexl

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May 27, 2009
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I don't think he's really saying the game is so goddam brilliant people just cower in fear and don't get it. I think his point is that it's very skewed to one side of every single demographic ever and people who aren't there won't enjoy it because it doesn't appeal to them, hence, they don't get it. It's a good point, not being pretentious.
 

FinalDream

[Insert Witty Remark Here]
Apr 6, 2010
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Yes, I don't get the poor combat and cover system. The lack of plot and a decent ending. The shallow characters. etc etc etc

Can't believe I actually finished it.
 

BloodSquirrel

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Jun 23, 2008
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The Amazing Tea Alligator said:
Nobody finds "You don't like it because you don't get it." childish?
Not to mention how absurd his take on the reviews was. Getting a 1/10 is much more significant than getting a 9/10. Some people will hand out a 9/10 for anything (or, you know, for cash). 1/10 is almost always reserved for a complete disaster. Overall, Kane&Lynch is unter 70% on gamerankings, which is usually the "straight-up awful" range.
 
May 23, 2010
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BloodSquirrel said:
The Amazing Tea Alligator said:
Nobody finds "You don't like it because you don't get it." childish?
Not to mention how absurd his take on the reviews was. Getting a 1/10 is much more significant than getting a 9/10. Some people will hand out a 9/10 for anything (or, you know, for cash). 1/10 is almost always reserved for a complete disaster. Overall, Kane&Lynch is unter 70% on gamerankings, which is usually the "straight-up awful" range.
True, I didn't even think about that.
 

Xanadu84

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Apr 9, 2008
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"You don't get it"? Apparently IO is a 23 year old trust fund kid getting straight C's in his community college Philosophy degree with Minors in Film Studies and Interpretive dance.

The one thing I will credit Kane and Lynch with it the idea of a coop game where you can betray your teammates. There is some very creative, Prisoners dilemma type stuff going on there. But beyond that...

However, if there employees made money, and a few people enjoyed the game, more power to you I guess.
 

The Zango

Resident stoner and Yognaught
Apr 30, 2009
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Meh, it was an alright game, I never completed it because I lost interest, but it was fun whilst it lasted. I liked the art, but as Yahtzee said, it is just one shooting gallery to the next and I want more from my games.

But hopefully now they can stop making medicore games and focus on Hitman 5 already!!
 

cobrausn

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Dec 10, 2008
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I personally find the Stalker series to be great. Others find it obtuse, buggy, and nigh unplayable with an akward combat system and incomprehensible story.

The guy has a point : to each their own, and just because you didn't like it doesn't mean everybody should see it the same way.