IO Interactive is looking to ditch many of the audio-visual bells and whistles of the modern third-person action game for its upcoming Kane & Lynch sequel, with the hopes of ultimately creating a more realistic, gritty experience. So far, we'd say the developer is doing a pretty good job. Set in a Shanghai that's a far cry from the brightly colored one found in Army of Two: The 40th Day, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is presented "documentary style" -- it essentially looks like the game is being recorded on a video camera as you play, with all of the shaking and imperfections you'd expect from such a production. It's as if the action has been taped and uploaded to YouTube -- there's even an animated "Buffering ... " in place of a stock loading message. The video pixelates when you're hit and loses sync when the camera's rocked by explosions. Particularly heinous headshots and other brutal injuries generate a mosaic effect as the camera moves past them, adding to the documentary feel. Oh, and there's no soundtrack -- the only time you'll hear music is if you happen to pass a radio or catch a shopping center's muzak over the gunfire. We're sold on the presentation, but the gameplay ... well, read on after the break for our thoughts on an in-progress build. Gallery: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (01-19-10)