As if the eponymous Shank, protagonist of the first game, hadn’t had enough blood spilled in revenge for the loss of his wife, he will get a sequel to get creative with his kills in. His trusty arsenal of dual handguns, chainsaws, machetes, and chains is touted to be expanded with all-new weapons as well as new combat moves.
Klei says “Shank 2 expands on the original game’s amazing visuals and combat system to redefine the 2D side-scrolling brawler”. A bold statement, but with the fact that they also include an online Co-op Survival Mode and a redesigned combat system, I am inclined to believe them at least a little bit, especially considering the announcement trailer they churned out.
I enjoyed the first Shank. While most people said it had a throwaway story, I loved the stylized cartoon way in which it was shown. It actually felt a bit emotional at times, and made you hate the antagonist. That rarely happens in most modern outings. The cartoon cutscenes were lovingly made, but even more so I could say about the game’s general visual style. The action was fast paced, gory and satisfying, allowing you to combo multiple attacks with multiple weapons together with surprising ease and uninterrupted flow. The game did have its flaws, however, but it seems like the devs ironed them out.
I am excited to try the game out when it comes out in early 2012 on the PC, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.
