Klei Entertainment’s “Shank†is a side-scrolling 2D beat-em-up with comic book style graphics that tells a gritty tale of a vengeance set in the southwest. You play as Shank, an ex-mob hit-man out for revenge for his slain wife. This game doesn’t disappoint with its fluent combat, gore filled story and memorable cut-scenes.
Armed with a chainsaw, two pistols and two shanks to start with, you battle your way through hordes of thugs, strippers and dogs. It’s a must to use the weapons at your disposal as players who favor a single weapon the whole game will eventually be treated to Shank’s death animation.
This is where combat shines as button mashing will not suffice and players must switch their weapons on the fly to grant the most blood splatter for their efforts. There’s an odd beauty when you have dispatched a foe with your shanks and pistols elegantly. .
There’s also a grapple system that’s unique to what weapon you use. Grab a baddie and use your shotgun and Shank points it at his gut and blasts away or use your chains and slowly strangle the scum to death. The choice is completely yours and though the weapon choice is limited, there’s room for different play styles.
Aside from the combat there’s also some platform action that includes stylish grapples, wall runs and slow-motion jumps to progress you through the levels. Be prepared to restart from checkpoints though, as sometimes you will stick to walls and botch an easy jump.There are a few moments when you’re on a pipe and instead of a jump being performed, the player will just switch what sides of the pipe he’s on. Though sometimes frustrating, this is easily forgiven when a jump is perfectly connected after a try or two.
The comic book style art works perfectly throughout the game and is complimented with talented voice acting. In certain levels there will often be side panels with characters and dialogue while you’re still in combat with baddies.
The cut-scenes are also done skillfully and the defeat of each boss rewards the player with a grisly death sequence afterwards. One of the tamer kills involves a Mexican wrestler who takes a chainsaw to the neck. Beat some of the later bosses and you’ll be treated to even more delightfully gruesome executions.
The controls were terribly clunky to begin with and had to be configured for a smoother experience. When you play with the defaults you’ll actually lower your enjoyment of this game and it’s recommended that they be changed to what’s comfortable for you.
The boss fights left much more to be desired as each one had a very basic pattern that could be picked up upon easily from the start. There’s not much more to do other than be patient for the prompt to pop up and then act on it.
Though the game will only last about three hours on a normal play-through, it has an extended lifespan with a hard-mode that has no checkpoints and a separate prologue co-op campaign that helps expand on the story. The hard-mode will ensure that you perfect the combo system and should be played if you really want to test your skills and the cooperative campaign shouldn’t be missed as it is the “Shank†experience but with a buddy.
If you weren’t a fan of beat-em-ups before, this stylish blood-filled quest for revenge might be the one to change your mind at the price of $9.99.
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