Shank

About

"Shank" is a hack and slash game that combines single-player and local multi-player modes for up to 2 players in split screen. The game features a good plot, wonderful mechanics, sensational graphics, and a phenomenal soundtrack. Players control Shank, battling through hordes of enemies and bosses in a stylized, grindhouse setting, with a weapon-based combo system that allows for endless combinations of mayhem. However, the game can be quite grinding and has been reported to have bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,467 reviews

story130 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

Stylish hand-drawn visuals that resemble a graphic novel, enhancing the overall experience.
Fast-paced and satisfying combat system with a variety of weapons and combos to master.
Engaging and over-the-top revenge story that captures the essence of grindhouse films.

Short gameplay length, typically around 3-4 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
Repetitive combat and enemy types can lead to a lack of variety and engagement over time.
Controls can be clunky and are best experienced with a controller, making keyboard play less enjoyable.

story
486 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
65%
8%
The story of *Shank* is primarily a straightforward revenge narrative, drawing heavy inspiration from Quentin Tarantino's films, particularly *Kill Bill*. While the plot is often described as cliché and simplistic, it is effectively conveyed through stylish comic-book cutscenes and engaging character interactions, keeping players invested despite its predictability. The game features both a single-player campaign and a separate co-op mode that provides additional backstory, although some players express frustration over the necessity of local co-op to fully experience the narrative.
- “Shank’s narrative is gripping, presenting a personal revenge story with surprising emotional depth.”
- “The game combines elements of drama and action, with well-developed characters and a plot that unfolds as the player progresses.”
- “The story is told through dialogue and well-crafted cutscenes, keeping the player invested in Shank’s fate and motivations.”
- “The story is very basic.”
- “The story lacks clarity beyond the revenge plot, and unlocking additional content may require outside assistance.”
- “The story is a very basic revenge tale, nothing really interesting going on there.”
graphics
295 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
40%
1%
The graphics of Shank are widely praised for their unique hand-drawn, comic book aesthetic, which combines vibrant colors and fluid animations to create a visually stunning experience. Reviewers highlight the gritty art style that complements the game's violent themes, likening it to the works of Klei Entertainment's other titles and even to animated series like Samurai Jack. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere and gameplay.
- “The graphics in Shank are beautifully crafted, with vibrant colors and smooth animations.”
- “Graphically, Shank excels with its hand-drawn aesthetic, bringing the brutal world to life with vibrant colors and detailed animations.”
- “The art style is beautiful and the weapons all feel unique and useful.”
- “The level designs are quite boring graphically and in playability.”
- “Certain aspects of the art and animation look very good - the character movement and style is outstanding - but what Klei calls a ‘grindhouse’ aesthetic instead translates as bland and uninspired.”
- “I wasn’t really a fan of the look of the game either; it just wasn’t very appealing to look at, especially compared to the developer's later game, Mark of the Ninja, which used the same art style but had much better aesthetics, environments, and use of color.”
gameplay
291 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
The gameplay of "Shank" is characterized by its fast-paced, fluid combat mechanics that blend melee and ranged attacks, allowing for dynamic combos and a satisfying sense of power against a variety of enemies and bosses. While the game is visually striking and offers an engaging experience, many players note that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time, with some controls feeling unresponsive. Overall, it provides a solid, albeit short, beat 'em up experience that appeals to fans of the genre, despite some criticisms regarding its simplicity and occasional awkwardness in mechanics.
- “Shank, crafted by Klei Entertainment, is an exhilarating action-packed game that seamlessly blends a gripping storyline, dynamic gameplay, and stunning graphics.”
- “The gameplay in Shank is a highlight, featuring intense and fluid combat that allows players to execute impressive combos with a variety of weapons.”
- “With its beautiful graphics, satisfying combat, and intense gameplay, it provides an entertaining experience.”
- “Controls are terrible, audio quality is low, visibility (especially when playing in co-op) is poor, gameplay feels one-note and aimless.”
- “It's a real shame that Shank has some tediously nonsensical platforming sections, mindlessly easy challenges, and gameplay that grows stale far too quickly.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly repetitive and mind-numbing at times.”
music
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
40%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and fitting soundtrack, which blends rock and orchestral elements to enhance the intense gameplay experience. While many reviewers appreciate the dynamic and atmospheric qualities of the music, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that complements the game's gritty aesthetic and action-packed sequences.
- “The soundtrack, a mix of gritty guitar riffs and pulsing beats, keeps your adrenaline pumping from start to finish.”
- “Shank’s soundtrack complements the game’s frenetic action with music that blends rock and orchestral elements.”
- “The dynamic music and energizing soundtrack contribute to the intense pace of battles and help keep the adrenaline pumping.”
- “The only thing I have to criticize about this game is that the music gets a bit repetitive throughout the levels sometimes and the story is just a basic revenge story that is pretty edgy.”
- “In comes the soundtrack which just gets more and more annoying with time, blaring its looping fanfare into your ears, wishing you would stop playing already.”
- “The music is also really forgettable.”
replayability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
73%
9%
Shank offers moderate replayability primarily through its multiple difficulty levels and unlockable content, such as costumes and a hard mode. However, the absence of additional game modes or multiplayer options limits its long-term appeal, leading to mixed opinions on its overall replay value. While some players appreciate the challenges and co-op features, many find the game too short and repetitive for extensive replay.
- “Shank offers a decent amount of replayability with its multiple difficulty levels and various unlockables.”
- “A solid action platformer with good replay value!”
- “The game is lots of fun and has good replay value with co-op and things to unlock like new costumes.”
- “However, the lack of additional game modes or multiplayer options limits the game's long-term replay value.”
- “There isn't much replayability either, especially with a combat system that's as shallow as this.”
- “I would wait for a sale with this one; I found the game to be good, but it is both way too short and lacking in replay value to buy at full price.”
humor
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring witty character dialogues, cheesy action movie tropes, and a blend of dark comedy and over-the-top violence. Players appreciate the funny graphics and engaging gameplay, noting that the humor adds charm to the experience, making it a worthwhile and entertaining title, especially for fans of action and indie games. However, some caution that the mature content may not be suitable for everyone.
- “It's fun, it's funny, the music is very Ennio Morricone-esque (awesome), and Shank's forearms are freakishly big.”
- “The game itself is full of great combos, kill mechanics, and one-liners so hilarious and awful it's amazing that it wasn't the first draft.”
- “A kick-ass little indie title that you'd swear was made for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, filled with over-the-top violence and a lot of humor.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
29%
18%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its unique and immersive qualities, characterized by visually distinct stages, a gritty hand-drawn art style, and an epic soundtrack reminiscent of spaghetti westerns. Reviewers note that the combination of visuals, sound, and thematic elements creates a captivating experience, although some mention that earlier versions of the game lack the depth found in later titles. Overall, the atmosphere effectively balances violence with a quirky, moody charm, drawing comparisons to the works of Tarantino and Rodriguez.
- “Each stage is visually distinct and well-designed, creating an atmosphere that is both unique and immersive.”
- “Then of course there's the music, which sounds like epic spaghetti western stuff that really sells the atmosphere.”
- “The hand-drawn art style adds a unique and gritty atmosphere to the game.”
- “This is an earlier game, though, so of course it's going to be rougher; it has a lot less atmosphere and the game design is a lot less interesting than Klei's later work.”
- “Even though the game is violent, the overall atmosphere is quite mild and cartoony.”
- “The whole 'machete' atmosphere is totally there; the absurdity balances out the violence.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tedious and repetitive gameplay, with many players noting that the level design and enemy encounters become monotonous and frustrating over time. The platforming sections and combat mechanics often feel generic and unchallenging, leading to a stale experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some elements stand out, the overall consensus is that the grinding nature of the game makes it a forgettable experience.
- “Games today mostly revolve around grinding to get loot.”
- “Tedious fight mechanics coupled with poorly designed boss battles makes for a forgettable and passable gaming experience.”
- “Some fight sequences later in the game can become pretty tedious to get through, since you have respawning out-of-reach enemies shooting at you constantly from above while you try to hack through dozens of foes down below.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with some players experiencing frequent freezes and bugs, particularly during combat and traversal sections, leading to softlocks and animation issues. However, others report smooth performance with minimal technical problems, highlighting a disparity in user experiences. Overall, while there are notable glitches, many players find the game runs well and is enjoyable despite its shortcomings.
- “It's short, and it's a little lacking in variety, but it looks great, runs great, and it's fun.”
- “The moment I press any button on my keyboard after launching the game, it freezes and I have to exit with Alt+F4.”
- “Buggy traversal sections and frequent issues with getting stuck in an execution animation and unable to progress without reloading a save.”
- “Our character freezes a lot.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Shank's narrative offers a gripping personal revenge story with notable emotional depth, enhanced by character-driven cutscenes. However, some players feel the narrative could be further developed to strengthen the emotional connection with the protagonist, while others miss the over-the-top action that made them feel empowered. Overall, the game balances fun gameplay with moments of emotional resonance.
- “Shank’s narrative is gripping, presenting a personal revenge story with surprising emotional depth.”
- “The cutscenes add depth to the characters, but the narrative could have been further developed to create a stronger emotional connection with the protagonist.”
- “Pretty wholesome that all enemies, including common ones, have their names shown.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The game's optimization has been criticized for its clunky mechanics and lack of fluidity, with combat relying more on rapid button mashing than on skillful combos. Players noted a lack of incentives for improved performance, leading to a gameplay experience that prioritizes speed over precision.
- “The game is pretty clunky sometimes, so don't expect a fully optimized experience.”
- “Chaining attacks instead of combos leads to a mashtastic combat system, with no incentives for better performance.”
- “The gameplay is laden with offensive maneuvers, where actions per minute (APM) take precedence over precise dueling.”
- “Chaining attacks instead of combos leads to a mashtastic combat experience with no incentives for better performance.”
- “The combat system is laden with offensive maneuvers, where actions per minute (APM) take precedence over precise dueling.”
- “The lack of optimization results in a frustrating gameplay experience that prioritizes spam over skillful execution.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking, particularly with the protagonist showing little growth throughout the story. While some players found the character designs initially unappealing, they noted that they can become more endearing over time. However, the overall narrative and character arcs did not resonate well, leading to a lack of motivation for replaying the game.
- “The game tries to make you replay itself again with novelty items like costumes, but I see little to no reason to ever play this game again. The game had an absolutely awful story, and the protagonist had no character development.”
- “To me, the character designs were unappealing at first, but they grow on you super quick. So if it's a setback for you, I'm 80% sure it'll grow on you too.”