Review: Shank

Shank, Klei Entertainment's newest action title, is sold on the premise of slick comic-style visuals and a demanding combat system. Fans of old-school beat-'em ups will feel immediately comfortable with what the game represents and how it is played. With consideration to the game's clearly defined direction, Shank still manages to have a few modern surprises; some good, and some bad.

Shank Concept Art and Trophy List Revealed

Shank is getting ready to drop onto fans very soon, and with that in mind developer Klei Entertainment is rolling out some exciting goods for people following the development and release of the game. Five new pieces of concept art were revealed, hinting at the basis for certain characters and weapons. The trophy/achievement list was also outlined today, allowing players a glimpse of what is soon to come.

Free Music from Shank

Klei Entertainment, the developer behind the upcoming PSN/XBLA/PC game Shank, has already given gamers more than enough reason to be excited about their polished-looking title. Now, they are giving even more. Available from The Official Shank Blog, a single piece from the game's soundtrack is now available free for download.

The developer had also planned to promote its Facebook page for Shank by promising that if the game could get 1,500 fans, they would release the entire soundtrack. Seeing that their goal was hit almost immediately, the full soundtrack to Shank (scored by Vince De Vera) will be available for free download in the very near future.

New Shank Trailer Reveals Co-op

Oh, ultra-violence, how we have missed you. With EA's new kickass upcoming side-scroller Shank, we all knew we were in for a treat, but EA has just sweetened the deal. Shank's new trailer gives us a glimpse of its co-op feature, as well as a good deal of blood and gore. This game looked good enough with one person playing, but everyone knows battling hordes of people and getting soaked in blood is much more fun with your best buddies! Shank is set to release on August 24 for PSN and on August 25 for XBLA. Check out the latest trailer bloodied in all the latest co-op action below.

PAX East Hands-On: Shank

If there's anything I love to see combined, it's flashy animation and gratuitous violence. Happy Tree Friends makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. There's nothing quite like the juxtaposition of kid-friendly caricatures rife with color and oozing style, wacky personalities, and copious amounts of blood. Entrails do an animated character good. The upcoming 2D side-scrolling Xbox Live Arcade/PSN/PC title Shank, brought to us by the good fellows at Klei Entertainment, delivers all of this and more in full force. If Quentin Tarantino, Penny Arcade, and slasher film junkies had a meeting of the minds, they'd likely submit this game for our gaming pleasure. Forget the delicate worlds of Braid or P.B. Winterbottom. Shank is hardcore. And if you don't believe it, he's got a Head-On chainsaw -- to be applied directly to your forehead. (more...)