Developed by Klei Entertainment, Shank is a recent release on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. Playing as the aptly named character Shank, you hack, slash, and gun your way through multiple levels ranging from a moving train to a rocket bombarded church. Seven bosses await you such as the violent Butcher, the cunning Cassandra, and the demented priest Angelo.



To put it simply, if you're a fan of movies like From Dusk Till Dawn and Desperado or looking forward to the upcoming Robert Rodriguez film Machete then Shank will instantly appeal to you. The story is your basic revenge tale where past events are told sequentially as you go through each level revealing who was involved in your girlfriend's murder. This is carried out in a predictable manner but it's enjoyable nonetheless since the gameplay carries you through each event so well. Exacting revenge on every person you come across fits in perfectly with where the story takes you.



Shank starts off well equipped with his signature shank knife, dual pistols, and a chainsaw. Throughout the game you'll become more well armed with dual machetes, a shotgun, katana, an uzi, and grenades. Fans of classic brawlers such as Final Fight and Double Dragon will feel right at home combining light shank attacks with heavy attacks for basic combos. More difficult attacks can string together which utilizes pouncing and grab moves. An example would be if you start off with a few light attacks, pop an enemy up in the air with your machetes, shoot him a few times with the handguns keeping him in the air, switch to a shotgun to shoot another enemy behind you, and then pounce on a different enemy pointing an assault rifle on you. Action can get frantic real fast so knowing what you have equipped against specific enemies you're facing becomes key to your survival.



The difficulty can vary from level to level and boss to boss. At one point you may be restarting a few times to take out a particular boss only to have that followed up with a level that takes you 2 minutes to blow through along with a similarly easy boss. Gameplay can become monotonous at times too but with all the combinations you can perform, combat holds up remarkably well and varied enough for the brawler genre. This will probably frustrate a few players but the challenge is honestly a breath of fresh air compared to the easier difficulties of the games of today.



Style was obviously a big focus in the development of Shank and nothing is shown as beautifully as the art direction. Animation is fluid when performing moves and the hard edged comic book feel fits in perfectly with the visceral action onscreen. The soundtrack is roaring and will make you feel like you're watching a Western film by Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino. Having the volume high enough will literally bring a rumble in your room!



Shank is honestly one of the best downloadable titles to come out this year. On top of a superb single player campaign, there's a co-op mode that acts as a prequel to the main game's story. There's no reason to deprive yourself of this satisfying experience. Go download it now!

Shank receives 5 chainsaws to the back out of 5