Fans of God of War and other hack-n'-slash titles will be greatly pleased, Shank entertains on many levels. No spoilers.
Gameplay:
Let's start with the most important factor. If your game doesn't have good gameplay, then what kind of game is it? A broken game. And Shank is not a broken game by any means. Controls are fluid and responsive, combos are exhilarating to pull off, and many of the game's weapons will delight action gamers. My personal favorite are the dual heavy swords. Anyway, Shank's gameplay is the equivalent of a God of War title brought to the the modern age on a 2-D side-scrolling plane. So if that does not tell enough to you, then the combat is great fun. The only gripe I have with the gameplay is the block mechanic. It is not quite as reliable as in other action-games, so it is a little annoying to be forced to dodge your way out of harm's way instead of having the ability to simply block it. Still, this a very minor error lying within the phenomenal controls. Co-op is a blast, especially with the co-op grapple moves, but it can be challenging. Be sure to teach your co-op buddy the ins-and-outs of the controls; Things can get pretty hairy.
Graphics:
Simply stunning. Ever since the first trailer of Shank was released, I've been mesmerized by the game's adult-influenced cartoon graphics, and when I first started up the game, I was floored. They impress even more in motion; Pictures just do not do the graphics justice.
Story:
I found the story to be impressive, considering this is a downloadable title. There are a few twists, and the story keeps you hooked until the end. The characters are unique and memorable, and while I found the conclusion of the tale slightly disappointing, hopefully it opens up the table for another installment. The co-op campaign's story is a prequel to the single-player game's story, and it is decent enough, showing how Shank reached the events in the single-player game.
Sound:
The audio for this game is, as you guessed it, top-notch. The sounds of revving up a chainsaw to shove it into an enemy's neck never get old, and the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard this year. The Shank official website is offering it as a free download, as a matter of fact, so if you love the game, definitely go download the soundtrack.
Final Thoughts/Replay Value:
Shank is a title that I won't be forgetting any time soon. I beat the single-player game in 2 hours and 48 minutes, and that's not including the amount of tries attempted to beat each level, nor the co-op campaign, which took about an hour and 45 minutes. I still have yet to complete the game on hard mode, but I am attempting it now. I wish there were a few more trophies/achievements, and that the dodge/block move was slightly improved upon, but overall, Shank is a game that I believe every fan of action titles should not miss. I am looking greatly forward to what other titles Klei Entertainment will develop in the future.
Score: 8.5 out of 10.