DEVELOPER: IO Interactive

PUBLISHER: Square Enix

SYSTEM: Xbox 360 (PS3, PC)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 2 stars (out of 5)

In the first "Kane and Lynch" game, players were willing to put up with mediocre shootings mechanics and other issues just to see what the entertaining psychopaths would do. For the sequel, "Kane and Lynch: Dog Days," IO Interactive managed to remove nearly everything appealing while still retaining what drove gamers nuts in the original.

Witty banter between the two has been replaced with mindless anger, leaving little more than a couple of boring, sadistic douchebags. I really have no motivation to play through a game when I hate the main characters. In addition, the story line seems like more of a side mission than a real story, and the entire experience is over in five hours. That's pathetic!

Combat is bland at best in this outdated third-person shooter. Sure, the cover system lets you hide behind objects, but the system is sketchy. Sometimes you'll pop out of cover for no reason, and other times you can't take cover behind objects that should offer cover. Regardless, nearly every encounter turns into a tedious "whack-a-mole" game where enemies have to be shot way too many times before they go down.

Perhaps, the only cool aspect of this title is the unusual way the camera is handled. Imagine a cameraman struggling to keep up with the action as if it were a reality TV show, panning between characters, doing close-ups and even blurring out nudity and scenes of ultra-violence. It's a really cool idea, but it would be better suited to one level instead of the entire game. Why? Well, the picture is grainy and frequently becomes blurry during the action. It's enough to give you a headache after a few hours.

Three online multiplayer modes are included with "Kane and Lynch: Dog Days," but they are riddled with the same holes as the single player game. As a result, I have absolutely no desire to play them.

'Ys Seven' Adds New RPG Features

DEVELOPER: Falcom

PUBLISHER: XSEED Games

SYSTEM: Sony PSP

PRICE: $29.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

The "Ys" series of RPGs have always offered fast-paced, level-grinding adventures with a focus on action, so it makes sense for the migration from PC to PSP. After all, who wants a bunch of cumbersome character and inventory management mapped to only a few buttons? With "Ys Seven," gamers can now enjoy all the fun from the PC series in the palm of their hand.

Adol Christin, the protagonist from the other Ys games, joins Dogi as they set out to cause trouble in the Capital of Altago. After they are captured by the local military, the King asks them to investigate unusual earthquakes in the area. Soon, Adol realizes that the legendary Five Dragons are awakening in an effort to stop a great evil, and this gives him access to their mighty powers.

Past Ys games only let players control the main character, but "Ys Seven" allows players to control a group of three. Players use one character at a time to attack or defend, while the computer controls the other two. Eventually, it becomes necessary to switch between characters during combat to take advantage of their abilities because some enemies are immune to certain powers. This adds a welcome bit of strategy to combat and truly elevates it beyond button mashing.

Another big change is the fact that every group member has to die in order to end the game rather than just the main character. Now boss battles are more challenging than past games because only one character has to survive.

By gathering many different ingredients along their adventure, players can customize weapons with various skills that enhance their abilities. When these skills reach a certain level, the ability is unlocked and no longer requires a certain weapon.

"Ys Seven" may not look fantastic, but it's fun to play, and that's what really matters.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Very Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: Everyone

E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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