The action portions are shot with much of the grainy, shaky cam styling seen in previous Kane & Lynch 2 trailers, a treatment we expect to see throughout the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC sequel. The rest—like watching Lynch relieve his bladder and think deep thoughts—is more standard, story-building stuff. But if IO can pull off gun battles that look this interesting, on top of the online co-op and quirky gameplay twists, we may like Dog Days for more than its visual style.

The trailer from IGN is after this and falls under the potentially not safe for work banner, due to its violence and salty language. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is officially due this fall.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days recently made the transition from rumored software to announced product, but details about the game have remained scarce, even on the game's official site.

I found some, however, on an assets disc I recently received from Square Enix, and they present some good news for those who played the first game.

The 2010 game switches the lead in the series, putting players in control of "self-medicated psychopath" Lynch. The story, according to the fact sheet, begins with Lynch having found peace in Shanghai and attempting to "make a fat deal where the pay is beyond his wildest dreams and nothing is going to get in his way."

The plot summary promises that Lynch will find Shanghai to be the "perfect playground for expat criminals such as [himself]; seduction and corruption highlight the contrasts of the city as players fight through the seedy underbelly of Shanghai – a juxtaposition of old-world and new-world ideals ripe with black market opportunities for Kane and Lynch to exploit and reap rewards from."

The game will support online co-op, in contrast to the original's inclusion only of offline co-op. Competitive online multiplayer will return.

The fact sheet is light on gameplay details, though it does note that players who are shot to the ground in the new game will be able to shoot from a prone position or crawl away, giving them a second chance in the fight.

The game is in development at series creators Io Interactive. It is announced for a Q2 2010 launch on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

That last bit certainly explains the teaser video that McWhertor posted awhile back, featuring the two criminals running through a Chinese restaurant pursued by gunman and an attack dog, caught on what looks like a grainy surveillance camera. IO Interactive is looking to "deliver a fresh perspective to the words 'intensity' and 'realism' in video games," and if that teaser was less tease, more gameplay, then they might just be on to something.

"Gamers are always looking for something new and that is exactly what they are going to get with Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days," said Niels Jorgensen, general manager of IO Interactive. "A special thanks to gamers worldwide for their feedback. They are certainly in for a shock as we, with immense pride, welcome back our two dear, violent and somewhat unfortunate friends."

Dog Days will feature the world's most dysfunctional couple as they journey through the seedy Shanghai underworld. The original teaser vid plus the new one below are now up at http://www.kaneandlynch.com, with screenshots listed as coming soon. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is slated for a 2010 release on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 under the Eidos label.

According to a report on CVG, IO's mystery game (so, it's not Kane & Lynch 2 or Hitman 5) is "unlike anything else", Unlike anything? Not quite. "Imagine all the violence of Hitman and Kayne & Lynch but not scripted", the site's source claims.

Well, if there's one thing IO do well, it's violence. Fingers crossed the studio's new owners, Square Enix, are a little better at PR than a standalone Eidos were.

Hitman dev's secret game "unlike anything else" [CVG]

Mini Ninjas is a game that sees you start off as a young ninja, sent out into the world to stop an evil samurai. As you progress on your travels, you'll meet new friends, learn new skills, explore large areas and do a lot of fighting. All controlling an ever-expanding gang of cute, big-eyed ninjas.

And yet, it's by the same guys who did Hitman. So is there some substance, some menace beneath the fluff? Or is this just Fisher Price: My First Legend of Zelda?

Loved
Design – Mini Ninja's visual design is clean, pure, charming and incredibly effective. Adorable, even. I wish more games realised that it's better to have a fully-realised, simple aesthetic than get bogged down shooting for something more elaborate.

Okami Jr. – It's not Fisher Price: My First Legend of Zelda. There are no dungeons and no puzzles. Instead, it's Pixar Presents: Okami. Except, in many ways, better. The levels are often smaller than Clover's masterpiece, but not an inch is wasted, enemies are easily distinguished and varied, and there's no unskippable dialogue sequences. It rarely feels linear, or cramped, it just feels tight, focused.

E for Everyone – Don't write this off as a kids game. Like the best cartoons, it appears superficially to young ones, but has a greater depth to it that adults can appreciate, like tongue-in-cheek humour, hidden areas on every map and some surprisingly tough combat sequences that feel more Ninja Gaiden than Mini Ninja.

Hitman: Lunch Money – IO are the guys behind Hitman, and Agent 47's influence can be seen skulking under the hood of Mini Ninjas. There's a strong stealth mechanic throughout the game based on crouching and hiding in long grass or bushes, which makes every confrontation a choice between fight or fright and every level – especially the large, "urban" castle stages - a tip-toer's playground.

Tricks – One of the delights of playing Mini Ninjas is in the little things, the little touches that add colour and variety to the gameplay. Like your big hat, which when under fire can be used to shield you from arrows, but also doubles as, of all things, a boat and a ski sled during some "vehicle" sections. Or your magic powers, some of which are obvious – like firestorms – but others quirky little delights, like allowing you to possess cute little animals and, disguised, sneak past guards.

Short Film Festival – During the game, story sequences and cutscenes are kept to a minimum. But as you unlock new ninjas to control, you in turn unlock a short animated vignette of that ninja's first day at ninja school (here's an example). It's a shame these are buried within an extras menu on the game's start screen, because the quality of both the animation and humour really blew me away.

Hated
Mini Game – I blew through mini ninjas, finishing it in just under two days. That's partly because the game is so tight, with no real "down" time, but mostly because it's, well, short. It's such a joy to play through that it's a shame there's not more to it.

A little more conversation, a little less action – one area it differs from Okami and co. is in a lack of NPCs and things to do other than fighting. There are a few people scattered around, and they offer sidequests to boot, but they're one –dimensional and rare. For most of the game, you're just exploring and fighting. I would have liked a little more depth to the world, make it more worth your while to go off the beaten path and explore the game's many hidden areas.

Mini Ninjas is one of the most pleasantly surprising games I've played in a long time. Hitting the market with little fanfare, I threw it on expecting a quick blast through a children's action game, and ended up loving every second of one the most polished, charming action/adventure games I've played in a long, long time.

Mini Ninjas was developed by IO Interactive, and published by Warner Bros/Eidos for the 360, PS3, Wii, DS and PC (version played). Retails for $30 on DS & PC, $40 on Wii, $50 on 360 & PS3. Played game to completion on all three difficulties.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Prey's World Gaming Magazine spoke to Livingstone at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, and he shot down the rumor.

This is the first I've heard about it. Hitman always has been and always will be IO Interactive's baby, which it still continues to be so. Rocksteady are not involved with the development of Hitman 5.

Sounds pretty definitive. Speculation had it that the actor was simply working through Rocksteady's studio, located in London, rather than go all the way to IO Interactive in Denmark. But "not involved" means what it says, and at any rate, we can expect that IO Interactive is in charge of the scene.

Ian Livingstone Says No to Rocksteady Hitman 5 Rumour [Prey's World Gaming Magazine via Blue's News]

The world lies on the brink of chaos, and only mini-ninja Hiro and friends can set things right again. The journey to save feudal Japan rests in their tiny little hands come September 8th in North America, September 9th in France and Germany, and September 11th in the UK and PAL territories.

"We're incredibly excited to be launching the unique and beautifully quirky MINI NINJAS," said Niels Jørgensen General Manager of IO Interactive. "The art direction and humor are endearing and it has won a special place in the hearts of the IO studio. Giving life to these fierce little ninjas has been an adventure in itself and we really hope that people will enjoy the game as much as we do."

Look for Mini Ninjas on the Nintendo Wii, DS PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. If they are good ninjas, you won't see them at all.

Variety reports that the movie, which we told you about yesterday, would "contain story elements from Hitman 5", a game due to be released "in late 2010".

While we knew the game was in development, but 2010? Handy. Been hanging out for some new Hitman.

UPDATE - IO's community manager has said "I can tell you that there is no way we will be basing a storyline for a new Hitman game on the story in a licensed movie. That's just not how we work so you shouldn't be concerned about that."

Fox sets sights on 'Hitman 2' [Variety]

The screens truly show the full range of Mini Ninjas, both graphically and size-wise. Mini Ninja Hiro and his companions, the giant Futo and the musical female ninjette Suzume, take on minions of the evil Warlord in a snowy valley in between conferences with the birdlike Tengu and the odd bit of sledding.

The gallery below contains shots from all three platforms, along with some concept art that shows off how closely the team at Io Interactive stuck to the original artistic vision.

Mini Ninjas tells the story of Hiro, a tiny little ninja killing machine on a quest to restore harmony to the world by battling the Evil Samurai Warlord and his army of evil Samurai. Well I'm sold.

“Mini Ninjas represents a truly special game for us,” said Niels Jørgensen, General Manager of Io Interactive. “The whole team is very excited about it, because it is unique in so many ways. From the art style to the characters and the depth of the game – Mini Ninjas has that exceptional appeal, which is sure to keep both young and old very entertained.”

The game is due out this fall in North America and Europe, with versions being released on the Nintendo DS, Wii, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Check out the gallery below for screens from the DS, Wii, and next-gen versions, and watch the announcement trailer to see just how freaking awesome ninjas can be, regardless of their size.

Introducing The World's Smallest Hero

'No one trips over a mountain; it is the smallest pebble that causes you to stumble'

Monday 19th January/...It is with great pride that Io Interactive unveils their latest videogame creation in a brand new game - MINI NINJAS™, due for release Fall 2009 on Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PC Games for Windows and PlayStation 3 – Rated E10+, PEGI 7+

Prepare yourself for a Ninja adventure like you have never seen before! Join Hiro, the smallest hero on the biggest adventure, as he embarks on an epic and electrifying quest to restore harmony to a world on the brink of chaos. Use your skills and mighty Ninja training to battle a magical army of evil Samurai. Harness the power of your Kuji magic and utilise the special skills of your Mini Ninja friends as you travel through a perilous world to reach the final confrontation with the Evil Samurai Warlord in his Fortress of Doom.

“Mini Ninjas represents a truly special game for us,” said Niels Jørgensen, General Manager of Io Interactive. “The whole team is very excited about it, because it is unique in so many ways. From the art style to the characters and the depth of the game – Mini Ninjas has that exceptional appeal, which is sure to keep both young and old very entertained.”

Visit www.minininjas.co.uk for trailers, screenshots and information.

Jens Peter Kurup, Director of Kane & Lynch at IO, tells GamesRadar that "there was something in the tone of that review that was tough on people, and on me."

Calling the GameSpot thrashing of Kane & Lynch — a nasty 6.0, when many reviews range from 7.0 to 10 — "a review that I would like to forget," Kurup is surprisingly honest in his feelings about the judgment.

Kurup says that single review has molded the opinions of gamers everywhere, even ones who haven't played the game.

"In glimpses I still feel it, because when I meet somebody who hasn’t played the game, I can be fairly sure that his or her opinion is based on the GameSpot review," Kurup said. "It just won't go away."

It doesn't sound like we've heard the last of the unlikable Kane and Lynch, according to Kurup's assessment of the franchise's future. When you sell a million copies, you're almost guaranteed another go — even if Jeff Gerstmann doesn't like your game that much.

Kane & Lynch: How it feels to be critically panned [GamesRadar]

It sold well, we broke even and it's still selling. We had some really harsh reviews and there was all this noise about this thing with GameSpot and it sort of went over my head whatever people were fighting about. The web has it's own voice and it can be very loud... You know, what I see today is a lot of people picking it up, playing the free levels we put out. We get a lot of people playing online. You can argue are the graphics good enough, is it up there with the best? But it only takes two weeks and you're no longer the best looking game out. I've been playing games since Pong so I take these things lightly. In the end it's about sales and we have games like Freedom Fighters which is still selling.

Oh, it's always about the sales Thomas. Hence the problem.

IO Interview [Games Industry] [Pic]

Also a big hit for parent company SCI? Pony Friends, which is, as far as we know, a harrowing pony war game.

Kane and Lynch Sells 1 mln [Next-Gen]

Today, regardless of whether it was an innocent design decision or whether consumers were being intentionally mislead, the unwarranted "ratings" have been removed. All that remain now are the pull-quotes, a preview clip, some guns to let you know how shoot-y it is... and a couple of black eyes.

Official Site [Kane & Lynch]

Maybe the Detroit News, who is quite down on the flick and writes that it's "peppered with gratuitous nudity" like that's a bad thing. Or maybe the Boston Globe and you agree that Hitman watches like a "computer wrote and directed it." Golly! That'd be keen, if true!

Maybe you'll agree with Roger Ebert, who actually quite liked it, but devotes a paragraph to regurgitating his crusty opinion that Hitman somehow "serves as an excellent illustration of my conviction that video games will never become an art form." Oh, Rog! We've already ruled your opinion on the matter as archaic and out of touch, no need to trot that old horse out again.

For those who put such weight in things, Hitman is currently sporting a 7% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes. However, it may have been boosted by the errant inclusion of a review of Disney's Enchanted, which the Dallas Morning News says is a great "screwball comedy". Guess I'll be seeing that!

Hitman Reviews [Rotten Tomatoes]

It's a new platform for us. It's our first PS3 game. It's a challenging platform to develop on, but it's also one that has a lot of potential that's just waiting to be unlocked as people get to know it better and as developers get more skilled at utilizing the machine.

It's a very different approach. The code ends up being rather different than it is on the Xbox and the PC. You can start with something that's pretty much the same and then you try to run it on the PS3 and it doesn't run very well. Then you start to optimize it and optimize it and you get further away from where you started but you really start to unlock some of the potential of the PS3... Well obviously it's something that requires a bit of resources and special effort, which costs money. But on the other hand it's something that I think most developers are rather keen on getting into because it's a new fresh system and it's an interesting architecture. Development wise it's fun. It brings back a lot of memories from college and university. In many ways it's a fun architecture to work on but definitely one that's also going to cost you some money because you need to write special purpose code for it.

Developing is "Fun" [Pro-G via PS3 Fanboy]