Who’s Kane?
Family man gone mercenary

It all went wrong for Kane when his two-year-old son found his gun and shot himself. Blamed by his wife - you’ll hear her shrieking in flashbacks when Kane nearly dies - he became a mercenary and worked for a group called The Seven. But his retirement job has gone wrong and, after double-crossing The Seven, he’s captured by the cops and sentenced to death. The Seven break him out, but not because they like him... they promise they’re going to kill him, but will leave his family alive if he gets their cash back...

Who’s Lynch?
He needs his meds...

Lynch is a schizophrenic psycho who’s used to pulling small-time jobs in Detroit. Trouble is, he’s prone to violent blackouts and, after one in particular, his wife ended up dead - with Lynch catching the blame. He’s in on The Seven’s breakout of Kane, with the promise that he’ll make sure the family man stays in line. The Seven have said that he can take over Kane’s job when their job is all over, but we wouldn’t be surprised if a betrayal is in the works.

Hands-on: The Nightclub scene
One of the most impressive early missions is Club Mizuki. Though it’s similar to Hitman: Blood Money’s Mardi Gras level, the crowd here aren’t just window dressing - they’re a clammy, jammed-together mess of people that get in your way and slow you down. Instead of parting like the Red Sea the minute you pull a Glock, they panic, run in different directions and soak up bullets meant for bodyguards. The lights are distracting and the music’s throbbing - it’s the first in-game nightspot that feels like a “real” club.

Mann on fire
Io makes no secret of their influences - the nightclub and street levels are stunningly similar to scenes from Michael Mann flicks Collateral and Heat. So what else can we expect to see in the game? “Well, there’s a bit of Man on Fire in there,” admits Neil Donnell, executive producer. Man on Fire? That’s the Denzel Washington flick where he chops a man’s fingers off, before pulling off two shotgun murders in a crowded club and shoving a block of C-4 up someone’s ass. This is going to be interesting.