Kane and Lynch and Lynch and Kane, we have all heard at least something about the game. There are the “no online coop” complaints and then there is the buzz over the multiplayer part of the game called Fragile Alliance. Well, lucky me, I got a chance to travel all the way to San Franscisco last week on Eidos’ dime to preview Kane and Lynch.  I’ll be writing about my experience all week. 

First up: Kane and Lynch’s Multiplayer called Fragile Alliance. 

Check out my hands-on impressions after the jump!

When you play online multiplayer games you always know that you could be playing with an a-hole that enjoys team killing. There are always those that seem to get their jollies out griefing, besides that fact that it serves no point other than to piss off your teammates. Kane and Lynch’s Fragile Alliance encourages, but does not demand, the exploitation of friendly fire.  Griefers rejoice!  In Fragile Alliance, it’s not a matter of if, but when you’re buddy shoots you in the back.

The only reason to shoot your teammate, besides the humor of hearing “WTF!” from some of your buddies as you drop a grenade in the middle of the group, is to increase your piece of the pie. It’s all about the money. The guy with the most cash at the end of your number of rounds wins. Be careful though, you can end up spending all of your loot upgrading to better weapons packages and lose do to lack of funds.

Back to the betrayal… Once you eventually betray a member of your team, your tag changes from white to orange and everyone now knows that you are a traitor and a target. Oh and the person(s) that you just killed?  His name turns blue and they’re now on the enemy team. You also get a $100,000 tag on your head for being a traitor.  The person that puts you down will get$100,000, and an even greater bonus if the person you killed, kills you after they switch sides.  That $100,000 reward is not shared amongst the group and even if you die before the round ends, you keep that money.  

It seemed to be a general consensus amongst our group to kill the traitor immediately, which does convienently not turn your tag orange. The traitor does still switch sides and are now more of a problem as they team up with the NPC’s.

When you’re not keeping a paranoid eye on your teammates, the point of the game is simple: grab the money, or drugs and get to the evacuation point. Whoever makes it out splits the loot. If no one makes it, no one gets paid, unless of course you shot a traitor or two.

My only concerns after playing the multiplayer was that there are only four maps and the missions were kind of short. The shortness does however reduce the time spent idle after you die, which is always good.

If you stand back and look at the game, Fragile Alliance is a bonus that comes with the game, it’s not the main selling point.

The question is:  Is the single player good enough to justify a buy?  Find out tomorrow when I preview a final build of the game, just in time for launch.