As interesting as the vile eponymous characters are, little can save Kane & Lynch: Dead Men from the mediocrity, if not outright terribleness, of its entire package. Gameplay is banal and tedious, even on the easiest difficulty; the narrative twists Max Payne, Trainspotting, and Tarantino into baffling nonsense to justify Kane's search and later rampages (although the cooperative mechanics driving Lynch are intriguing in a way Kane's never is); technical aspects are wholly deplorable with AI and graphics seeming antiquated for 2007; and, in comparison to its sequel, there's just no style to this game to warrant a playthrough to segue into Dog Days. There's worse games out there for sure, but Dead Men isn't really trying enough to not be deemed amongst them.