The original Shank video game, developed by Klei Entertainment, released on Xbox LIVE Arcade in August of 2010 and quickly became one of the best-selling Arcade titles. It was a traditional 2-D side-scrolling platformer, but with a marvelously stylized animated feel and some truly brutal combat. In the brand-new Shank 2, the developers have upped the action quota, made the game’s controls more responsive, and provided a number of significant challenges throughout.
This is a no-nonsense title and it’s easy to pick up and play. After choosing your difficulty level (there is no Easy level) and your weapons (most of them are locked at the start of the game) the short intro shows you on a bus that gets stopped by bandits. One of them knocks the liquor bottle out of your hand, and for that, he and all his cronies must pay.
It’s Shankin’ Time
Boom, you’re in the action now. And there’s a lot you can do. Your basic attacks include three modes: heavy (Y), light (X) and ranged (B). You can also grab enemies and throw them around. You can even pick up different weapons that your enemies may leave on the ground after they’ve been killed. Once those weapons are used up, you revert back to your standard loadout. If you see an exclamation point over an enemy, that means you can move in close for an especially violent counter kill.
Let’s just say most, er … all, of the weapons do some pretty spectacular damage which is why the game is rated M for Mature (that, and some rough voiceover). It can be fun to play with different loadouts. Do you like the chainsaw because hey, it’s a chainsaw, or is it just too slow for those heavy attacks? It’s important to get used to all the weapons and all your offensive and defensive options, as the game is clever in positioning enemies and bosses so that you will need to use every move and weapon to succeed.
It’s these little battle vignettes that make the game so satisfying. If you die, you can restart right back at the battle's beginning but you lose all your points for that all-important leaderboard ranking. Learn the boss moves, zig when he zags, and move on. You will die plenty of times because there doesn’t seem to be as much health (liquor bottles) in this game as in the first one. However, the pacing is much more forgiving, and as you play more, you’ll develop strategies for dealing with some of the ugly bosses.
Survival Co-op Mode
Once you’ve mastered the eight levels of the Campaign Mode, take on Survival Mode. This is the two-player co-op mode, local or over Xbox LIVE, where you must face waves of enemies. Your goal is to protect the supply dumps from the bombers, and you’ll have to work together to fight off the regular enemies and defuse any bombs that happen to be laid.
Achievements and Collectibles
Shank 2 features three types of accomplishments: achievements, in-game Medals, and collectible Rebel Intel. Getting all of these will have you going back and replaying the missions. There are 20 achievements, including And The Kitchen Sink – “Find the kitchen sink and kill someone with it.” The 32 game Medals mostly involve using specific weapons to eliminate a certain number of enemies and your progress towards these are tracked on-screen while playing the game. And for all you collectors out there, 40 items of Rebel Intel provide information about the game’s back story.
Fun, Addictive Challenge
While the game sounds short, it’s pretty challenging, and the medals, achievements and collectibles encourage replayability. Survivor Mode is an entirely different game, and should appeal greatly to those who love co-op play. Shank 2 is available today on Xbox LIVE Marketplace today for 800 Microsoft Points.
See what Ryan Treit has to say about the game on Inside Xbox video
Try out the demo and see for yourself!
Check out the Shank 2 Forum for more information