ane and Lynch are two unlikable characters. They murder and maim, experience bouts of uncontrollable rage, and would rather spend their time polishing guns than tending to hygiene. With his family being used as bait, Kane has gone on a rampage, and will do whatever it takes to get them back, even if it means wiping every police officer off of the face of the planet. Lynch, who Kane treats like a spineless puppet, seems to suffer from a split-personality disorder. He’s a maniac as is, but when he blacks out and becomes somebody else, even the hostages will die.

Oddly, these scum-of-the-earth personality flaws are their endearing qualities. They make these characters decidedly unique and instantly intriguing. As the player, you want to know more about them – how they got to where they are today, and how they are able to work together. But like a book missing some pages, this story lacks critical information needed to keep players up to speed. As a result, two of the most interesting characters in gaming end up being enigmas.

This game’s inability to deliver a cohesive story is one of the biggest disappointments of the year for me, and this deadly duo didn’t win me over with their marksmanship, either. The targeting system offers an effective over-the-shoulder, down-the-scope view for precise shooting, but the cover mechanic can be a bit frustrating, as it automatically puts your back to the surface of a nearby object. The weapons also have a satisfying pop to them, and you can feel the bullets tearing through targets, but rather than delivering satisfaction, you mostly end up feeling guilty and ashamed.

This game’s real killer is the enemy AI. Given how often your adversaries run into the middle of a firefight or fail to use cover, you’d think that they are all suicidal. It’s shocking to see how idiotic and careless they can be. AI problems also hamper the squad controls. There’s little chance of a smooth operation when your teammates react to situations like blind bats. On the plus side, the missions do a nice job of exploring the criminal side, and the highly destructible environments make you appreciate the conclusion of each battle. Despite having some high points, the single-player is riddled with far too many problems.

Kane and Lynch does offer an interesting co-op mode (available only in split-screen), where, if you played single-player, you get to see some of the off-screen developments with Lynch first hand. This is a cool idea for replay (as both give different perspectives), but with two players running through the same environment, the AI struggles even more to comprehend a combat situation, and none of the gaps in the story are filled.

Multiplayer is the only area where this game really clicks. Dubbed Fragile Alliance, Kane & Lynch’s online component starts out as a cooperative game with up to eight players working together to secure as much cash as they can. So, if you are knocking over a bank, you’ll need to team up to take out the guards, swipe the cash, and clear a path to the extraction point where a van awaits. This is where things get interesting. If you happen to see that one of your fellow bank robbers has more cash than you, you can unload a clip into him, and steal his haul. This backstabbing action will instantly mark you as a traitor to the team. The player that drops a traitor will earn a sizeable reward. Also, the player that you killed will respawn as a vengeful law enforcement agent. With greed and trust constantly tugging at your trigger finger, Kane & Lynch offers a satisfying multiplayer experience that is unlike any other out there. But this game just can’t seem to catch a break. You want to spend hours upon hours in this enthralling setting, but the game only offers four maps. As competitive as it is, it grows old very quickly.

There’s certainly a lot here to love, and a lot more that you want to love, but most of your time in Kane & Lynch is spent shaking or scratching your head. The problems are just too visible for it to be taken seriously as a gritty thriller.