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Microsoft has stuck to their "regular cadence" claim on delivering Xbox One backward compatible titles, with Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon joining the ranks after a large volley of games recently. Additionally, they've announced that Shank 2 will join the program, and is now live.

I was never one for the Shank series (especially since Kle??i has done such ex??cellent, genre-defining work otherwise), but if you already bought the sequel and have been itching to play it, there you go!

Major Nelson [Twitter]

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Shank 2 continues the tale of a man named Shank by pr?oviding more killing, more death, and more over-the-top gore that was a staple of the original title. At its core, however, is a side-scrolling brawler reminiscent of old arcade classics in which addictive gameplay is seasoned liberally with brutal difficulty to keep kids feeding quarters into the machines.

This is no ??longer the age of arcades, yet punishing challenge remains a main ingredient in this type of game. Of course, there's no point in having challenge without making progress, so Klei Entertainment has tried to implement some changes to the formula.

Shank 2 (PC [reviewed], PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade)
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: February 7, 2012 (PC, PSN) / February 8, 2012 (XBLA)
MSRP: $9.99 (PC, PSN) / 800 MSP

Shank is an angry man who kills lots of things using varied and interesting methods. He is also a man who dies a lot. There doesn't need to be a reason for Shank to kill. The developers could have ?said someone sneezed on the hero, which sent him into a blind rage of murder and death. They didn't, however, and the result is a bit of back story to flesh out the character. Mostly though, this game is about killing lots of dudes.

To aid in the slaughter, you are given three attack types -- light, heavy, and ranged -- as well as explosives. Each weapon also carries certain bonuses, such as? the sledgehammer, which deals 25% more damage to large enemies and 50% more damage to shielded enemies, or the pistols, which will deal an additional 20% damage to small foes.

On top of that, players can wield the weapons of those they've slain. If you want to kill dudes with a shovel or a large fish, that is an option. In case that isn't enough variety, there are several environmental kills as well. You can drop boats or crates on enemies, throw boxes of knives or blocks of ice, open up the floor so foes fall into giant grindin?g cogs or saws... the list goes on.

It is entirely possible to beat the game using only your basic abilities, which would be one way to challenge yourself. Using the additional ?weapons laying about will help, especially in areas where the difficulty level spikes ridiculously. None of the fights are easy per se, but there will be sections when it gets downright aggravating. At one point early in the game, you are shown how to grab and throw ene??mies. Following this, a number of more challenging enemies are sent your way, so not only are you forced to learn how to grab and throw, you also have to master it quickly or die. All while avoiding the instant-death hole in the floor, by the way.

You can also make fights less intense by utilizing counter attacks, which are triggered by grabbing foes when a big red exclamation mark appears over their head. Of course, this is often easier said than done. When you only have to deal with one or two guys, it'??s a lot easier to grab the right guy than when you are facing six or seven. There was more than one time when, while trying to perform a counter, the wrong guy was grabbed and then the rest of the enemies proceeded to destroy you.&nb??sp;

If killing and dying alone isn't enough for you, there is also a two-player survival mode, which replaces the co-op mode of the original Shank and which ?may be the best part of the game. Instead of playing through main levels with a friend, you are now tasked with surviving wave after wave of enemies who are trying not only to kill you but also to blow up three clusters of supplies. Between waves, you are given the chance to purchase items like health drinks, decoys, or heavy weapons, and the more waves you survive, the more items that become available. Each of the three survival levels also have unique items, such as harpoon guns or trap door?s.

Should you die during survival, your partner can revive you, so the only way to lose is if both of you die or if all three supply caches are destroyed. The only enemies that can blow up the supplies are little ??demolitions experts who will set charges. You've only got a few seconds to attack and/or kill the demo men befor??e they set their bombs, and a few seconds to disarm the bombs if they've already been set, all while contending with the regular enemies as well.

As ?far as the story goes, it's pretty basic -- this isn't an RPG, after all. Shank has to save someone he cares about while taking revenge on the ones who did the kidnapping. This brings us to the cutscenes, which are incredibly entertaining and over-the-top. In comic book/grindhouse-style animations, Shank causes even more devastation and destruction, all of which is rather satisfying and amusing. The same amount of detail in the cutscenes can be found in each and every chapter of the game, from the level design to the different enemies in each level.

It's only a shame that some of the fights are so frustratingly difficult. While one should expect some tough encounters, there should also be some balance, yet that balance was sorely lacking at times. Most of the areas were not incredibly hard, then there would suddenly be a near-impossible section that took quite a few tries, only to revert to far less challenging fights. These sections were even more brutal than the?? bosses, which seems a bit backward. More than once, I found myself stuck midway through a l??evel, retrying the same goon battle over and over, only to beat the boss in one or two attempts.

Another fly in the proverbial soup was the controls??. To be blunt, PC controls suck. Hard. If you have a controller but want to play on the PC, fine. Be warned, however, that things are going to get hairy when you're trying to play with a mouse and keyboard. It is possible to reassign key functions in the options, but even doing that, the mouse and keyboard felt so awkward that playing with the controller became necessary. Once the switch was made, things felt a lot easier, but there were still occasional issues. The biggest one is Shank's random turning in the wrong direction during attacks. In a slower-paced game, this wouldn't be an issue, but when you're in the middle of a combo or a brawl with three or four dudes, death happens -- needless death, the most aggravating kind.

Also, once you've played through the campaign, there isn't muc?h reason to go back and play again aside from completing objectives to unlock new skins and costumes, and even most of those can be done in survival mode. 

The B-Movie theatrics are great but can become repetitive during the fights. The challenging gameplay is fun, but the fact that m??id-level encounters are more difficult than bosses can leave a feeling of frustration instead of triumph. The only place where this doesn't apply is the ability to use items to kill, since they are varied and spaced well enough so as not to become boring. For what the game costs, though, it's worth a look if you enjoy brawlers. For the game's faults, the survival mode can be a lot of fun, plus the absurd destruction never gets old.

All in all, Shank 2 can be summed up as "fine." It isn't going to revolutionize brawlers or bring anything truly&n??bsp;unique to the table, but it isn't a bad game either. Some of the strongest points also seem to be the weakest, but there are some places where they get done right.

The post Review: Shank 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

A lot of fantastic games came out this week, but there's yet another one that may have slipped past your radar or you just forgot about. Extremely bloody and violent 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up Shank 2 is this week's downloadable title on PC, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. EA released a launch trailer for Shank 2, and it ??displ?ays all the ultraviolent goodness you'd expect.

The improved, responsive controls and upgraded visuals are boasted while Shank stylishly beheads people, smashes faces in and throws enemies into giant saw blades. As you do, of course. The trailer also gives you a pretty good look at the all-new multiplayer survival mode. All things considered, Shank 2 is looking like a prett?y great package for only $10, wouldn't you say?

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Shank 2 is a lot nastier than I was expecting. That's the good kind of nasty ... the kind that makes you think, "I am so freaking glad I did that move." Anyone wh?o has an odd attraction to exaggerated cartoon violence should probably keep an eye on this game, because its overemphasized gore had me giggling childishly quite a few times.

For those who aren't familiar with the original game, Shank 2 stars the blade-wielding brute named ... well, Shank, who shoots and stabs his way through a series of well-illustrated environments. With a variety of slick moves, deadly weapons, and the much-welcomed Survival Mode, Shank 2 looks like it could be well worth the download.

Shank 2 (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release: Q1 2012 

While the world of digital downloads may be fairly crowded with hack 'n' slash games of the 2D variety, it's not difficult to spot the talent and effort that has been put into games like Shank 2.

Drawing first blood

The first thing I have to point out is that this game looks great. The color scheme lends itself wonderfully to what looks like its Southeast Asia-inspired setting. Enemies pop out from the background well, and even elemental effects like fi??re and smoke are graphically pleasing.

One thing that really stood out to me was the animation. In this age of 3D realism and motion capture, the idiosyncratic qualities of 2D animation have been lost with the times; even sprite animation, while still used to this day, is seen as somewhat novel. Shank 2 features countless examples of well-done animation fundamentals with exaggerated poses, squashing and stretching, and great secondary and tertiary actions within run cycles and ??attack animations.

I have an animation degree -- however, I'm terrible at 2D animation -- so I can better appreciate the skill involved to produce a game that looks like Shank 2. Nonetheless, any gamer that can step outside the perspective of his/her own limitations s??hould be able to admire how fluid this game's art is.

The thrill of the kill

As stated before: Shank 2 is humorously viole??nt. The carnage isn't presented in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way, but rather with such unapologetic brutality that it ironically gains a bit of class in the process. It's just humbling to shove a baseball bat into someone's mouth and then stomp on it ... like watching the birth of a baby giraffe.

Every weapon provided in Shank 2 features its own blood-laden counter attack, which i??nfluences the desire to try them all. When an enemy swung his machete at me only to ??have his neck slashed open by Shank's crude blades, the result was a crimson mess that forced a smirk across my face.

As if that wasn't gratifying enough, once I got the chainsaw ... holy sh*t. Shank proceeded to jam?? it into attacker's mouths, and I proceeded to laugh out loud. Am I a messed up person, or is there something to shoving weapons into people's mouths? It's like some ultimate insult. Next stop: a nuclear bomb.

I didn't get to try out every weapon, unfortunately, but Shank 2 presented a variety of savage kills to satiate the sick f*ck inside of me. Certain stages even provided trap doors, which dropped enemies into some sort of grinder apparatus -- and then carried the bloody mess through its compilation of cogs and ge??ars. All I could think was, "Yes, I agree with that result."

A natural selection

It seems like it's becoming standard to have a mode in action games where waves of enemies come at you. I usually skip over these modes because they've always seemed like filler to me, but Shank 2's Survival Mode was actually somewhat enjoyable.

Players start off by choosing a variety of Shank skins, each with its own unique set of attributes and weapons. Those who prefer brute force can choose the Shank skin that's high in strength, and comes equipped with a sledge ha??mmer and sawed-off shotgun. I'm a gun person, myself, so I chose the model with high ranged skill and dual pistols. This particular skin was also black and had an afro, which I found peculiar. I can sense a great and inappropriate racist joke in here, somewhere.

The gameplay -- which can be enjoyed with a friend -- consists of timed waves of enemies that attack players, as they move between two different levels?? of platforms. The catch, though, is that enemy bombers will arrive at times to plant e?xplosives on stockpiles of munitions, which players must protect at all costs.

The combination of fighting for your life and protecting objectives adds a nice degree of tension to the experience; this is especially true when large bosses make appearances. Thankfully, the game provides a currency system for you to buy health, finite specialty weapons, turrets, and even war boars (yes, you read that correctly). Another handy tool is the familiar trap door at the center of the stage. Just be?? wary of your partner before using it. I fell into the damned thing on more than one occasion.

You don't just turn it off

Shank 2 is shaping up to be a pretty addictive game. Once I witnessed the satisfying effect of a counter attack, I wanted to see more. Unfortunately, my time with the game was limited, so now I must wait for its release like everyone else. Here's hoping the whole experience is j??ust as fun as the short amount of time I spent playing it.

The post Preview: Shank 2 makes killing joyful appeared first on Destructoid.

Having practically forgotten that a sequel to Shank was being made, news of the follow-up's looming arrival is a pleasant surprise. Shank 2 will first be hitting PlayStation Network and P??C in North America on February 7, followed by a release on Xbox?? Live Arcade and European PSN a day later.

It's also nice?? to hear that Electronic Arts and Klei Entertainment have resisted the urge to charge more than $9.99 for this game. Good on them! They could've easily gotten away with a higher asking price.

I was starting to think the beat-'em-up genre in its entirety would no longer appeal to me outside of nostalgic favorites, but Shank was a good deal of fun. Klei has seemingly addressed the control issues I had with the original game, so Shank 2 should be very appealing indeed.

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At E3 2010, the very best meeting I took the entire trip was with the fol?ks at Klei Entertainment. They were a sma?ll dev team with a dream who had invested everything they had into a little game about a man on a quest for revenge.

That game was Shank and it went on to become rather successful for the folks at Klei. As such, it was an immense pleasure to see Jamie Cheng take the stage at the first annual EA Vegas Games Show to announce the sequel, Shank 2.

Almost as much pleasure as having it in my hot little hands f??or twenty minutes.

Shank 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release: Early 2012

Despite defeating Cesar at the end of the first game, Shank's tro??ubles are far from over as mercenary forces have moved in on his turf and threaten his community. The only chance Shank has to save the people who depend upon him, obviously, is to stick something very sharp into whoever crosses his path. If there's more story than that, I don't care. Where do I ?stick the knives?

The original Shank was a very straightforward brawler made unique by its striking animated style, excessive violence and easy comparisons to the career of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Klei has taken the feedback they received from the first go around and seem committed to acting upon it with a vengeance all their own. As an example, the very first thing I noticed upon watching footage of the game was a button change for the "pick up" command, previously mapped in a rather inconvenient fashion to the same button used to jump. Also amongst the control improvements is full, 360 degree contr?ol over ranged weapons with both making a huge difference in playability.

Klei has also ex??panded the game's stages considerably with little nooks and crannies to explore in between cutting people. Previously sparse platforming sections have also been improved with more timing-oriented jumps to help make traveling through the level more interesting while you wait for someone to cut. And, every once in a while, Shank comes across someone he only needs to cut free as he rescues ?residents of his town held captive by the mercenaries.

Did I mention Shank does a lot of cutting, specifically the cutting of people? He does, and he's doing it in more creative ways ??than ever. The weapon configuration from Shank returns, with light and heavy melee attacks and a ranged weapon available in his loadout. Enemie?s will now drop weapons such as baseball bats and shovels, which can be picked up and replace one of your other weapons temporarily.

The pounce and grab maneuvers are back also, with the latter more effective than ever. When you see an exclamation point pop up over an enemy, it's both a warning and an opportunity, as a quick grab at that moment will perform a counter ??and instantly kill your foe in the most violent manner possible. And the lovely combat animations, their range considerably expanded as well, make the payoff of that violence a real treat.

In addition to the single-player campaign, Shank 2 will feature a new cooperative survival mode. In the demo I played, my partner and I were tasked with defending a set of three ammunition supplies from enemies attempting to sabotage them. The stage was a simple, three platform affair with a couple of environmental traps that spouted flame wh?en acti??vated by a switch within the level.

The survival mode is a challenge, to say the least. Players can revive a fallen partner (with a brilliant animation involving a defibrillator), provided they can make it thro?ugh the ??throng to reach them but that quickly gets to be rather difficult. Using cash collected from fallen enemies, power-ups can be purchased in the real-time shop menu to give a leg up. In addition to heath restoration items and grenades, there's a wide variety of other available tools, including a powerful turret and an air-strike attack. Additional supplies are also dropped into the environment between waves.

To sum up, Shank cuts people with sharp things while you laugh either alone or with a friend. Shank 2 appears bigger and more brutal than its predecessor, refining ??and distilling what was already working and fixing much of where it fell a little short. And, best of all, we won't have to wait too long as the title is currently slated for an early 2012 release.

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Last year's Shank was a gleeful journey of violence and bad-ass-itude, wrapped in wonderful, hand-drawn animation. Realizing that gamers really liked stabbing baddies in the gut, developer Klei Entertainment is gracing us with a second installment, aptly named Shank 2.

Let's ignore the unenthusiastic line reading in the trailer and the unnecessary plot details of Shank being forced to protect those dear to him in order to focus on the return of what made the first game great: the old ultra-violence, which seems to be back with a vengeance. Klei claims to have rebuilt everything from the ground up to improve the controls. The developer is also adding a new arcade-style survival co-op mode, which looks more Horde-styled than the usual co-op.

Shank 2 is set for an early 2012 release on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Netw??ork, a?nd PC.

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