░░★░░░░░█▄░▄█ █▀▀ █▀█ █▀█ █░█ ░░★░░░░░░
░░░░░★░░█░▀░█ █▀▀ ██▀ ██▀ ▀█▀ ░░░░░★░░░
░░★░░░░░▀░░░▀ ▀▀▀ ▀░▀ ▀░▀ ░▀░ ░░★░░░░░░
░░█▀▀ █░█ █▀█ █ █▀▀ ▀█▀ █▄░▄█ █▀█ █▀▀░░░░
░░█░░ █▀█ ██▀ █ ▀▀█ ░█░ █░▀░█ █▀█ ▀▀█░░░░
░░▀▀▀ ▀░▀ ▀░▀ ▀ ▀▀▀ ░▀░ ▀░░░▀ ▀░▀ ▀▀▀░░░░

░░★░░░░░█▄░▄█ █▀▀ █▀█ █▀█ █░█ ░░★░░░░░░
░░░░░★░░█░▀░█ █▀▀ ██▀ ██▀ ▀█▀ ░░░░░★░░░
░░★░░░░░▀░░░▀ ▀▀▀ ▀░▀ ▀░▀ ░▀░ ░░★░░░░░░
░░█▀▀ █░█ █▀█ █ █▀▀ ▀█▀ █▄░▄█ █▀█ █▀▀░░░░
░░█░░ █▀█ ██▀ █ ▀▀█ ░█░ █░▀░█ █▀█ ▀▀█░░░░
░░▀▀▀ ▀░▀ ▀░▀ ▀ ▀▀▀ ░▀░ ▀░░░▀ ▀░▀ ▀▀▀░░░░

╔╗╔╗─────────╔═╦╗─────╔═╦╗˛.o•°★°•o.˛ ★ ★ ★☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
║╚╝╠═╗╔═╦═╦╦╗║║║╠═╦╦╦╗╚╗║╠═╦═╗╔╦╗☆☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
║╔╗║╬╚╣╬║╬║║║║║║║╩╣║║║╔╩╗║╩╣╬╚╣╔╝★☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
╚╝╚╩══╣╔╣╔╬╗║╚╩═╩═╩══╝╚══╩═╩══╩╝★☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆
──────╚╝╚╝╚═╝☯✫✰★✰✫☯2022★☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆☆¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.¸☆

░░★░░░░░█▄░▄█ █▀▀ █▀█ █▀█ █░█ ░░★░░░░░░
░░░░░★░░█░▀░█ █▀▀ ██▀ ██▀ ▀█▀ ░░░░░★░░░
░░★░░░░░▀░░░▀ ▀▀▀ ▀░▀ ▀░▀ ░▀░ ░░★░░░░░░
░░█▀▀ █░█ █▀█ █ █▀▀ ▀█▀ █▄░▄█ █▀█ █▀▀░░░░
░░█░░ █▀█ ██▀ █ ▀▀█ ░█░ █░▀░█ █▀█ ▀▀█░░░░
░░▀▀▀ ▀░▀ ▀░▀ ▀ ▀▀▀ ░▀░ ▀░░░▀ ▀░▀ ▀▀▀░░░░

The Kane and Lynch series is a misunderstood gem in gaming.
I played it on xbox 360 and revisiting it now gave me even more appreciation for it.
Don't get me wrong gameplay, mechanics, and tech-wise, it's a standard third person shooter.
In terms of narrative, characters, atmosphere, and mythos, it's the greatest ugly game I’ve ever played (and I don’t mean in terms of graphics).
The titular duo and their comrades in arms are among the worst, most vile people you can meet.
Old men set ways and beyond any form of redemption desperatley trying to do right by what loved ones they have left.
Its a rarity in AAA gaming to have Villain protagonist this unrelenting in their moral degeneracy and lack of value for human life.

In most corporate games villainous player characters are comical, given deep moments of empathy, let players choose their moral path, have a redemption arc, have their actions ultimately benefit some greater good etc etc.
Kane and Lynch is unique because there is nothing but ugliness, tragedy, and dark fates that these mens deserve and brought upon themselves. And these men know it's what they deserve too.
In both this and the sequel you will end up killing innocent people or be complicit in their deaths.
Even with this being said both Kane's troubled relationship with his family and Lynch's extreme mental illness give them enough sympathy that your heart still wrenches when they suffer.
And they will suffer a lot.
But I digress.
There was never a game series like Kane and Lynch that was so uniquely unapologetic with showing the dark side of humanity in a manner without tacking on some sob story, moments of catharsis, or freudian excuse to try and moralize their actions.