Shank
Review
An artificial means to mass slaughter
by Chris Priestman
reviewed on X360
A Fight Too Many
Although Shank retains many of those classic features of the brawler, it has also the genre-crossing elements of modern brawlers. Much to my delight, some of the levels are mixed up with a good dose of platformer. This is usually justified in order to breach the grounds of an enemy hideout or traverse dangerous rooftops. Surprisingly perhaps for a game so concentrated on its fighting mechanisms, these parts are extremely smooth and easy to navigate. In fact, I would go so far as to say, Shank sometimes works better as a platformer rather than a brawler due to its frame rate and well-oiled controls. There is nothing revolutionary in the moves Shank can pull off. It is done in the popular free running style and is pulled off better than some games dedicated entirely to this type of game play. The only downfall of this is that there isn’t enough of it.
Even though Shank is a brawler and one that has a good variety of moves, enemies and environments, it still has the problem of getting repetitive to the point of inducing a brain dead visage across your face. More platformer sequences could have reduced this monotony further, but as the game is aiming for that authentic classic arcade brawler feel, the dilemma is whether this shift in concentration would have been the right choice. Luckily the game can be completed in a matter of a few hours so you won’t lose too many brain cells during the eventual trudge the game becomes. As cool as the game looks and feels, being human, there is a limit on how much button bashing slaughter we can take in one sitting.
Try And Keep Up, Partner
It is fair to say that unless you are a die-hard fan of the brawler genre, a significant break from the game is required before a replay of the game is a viable choice. When ready though, apart from simply going back to the game to vent your anger and frustration, there are costumes to collect and leaderboards to encourage a higher scoring play through of the game.
Better yet, why not play the game with a friend? The co-op mode works just as well, if not better than the single player game despite missing some vital features that could have made it the go-to mode of the game. The co-op mode acts as a prequel to the single player so you are not playing through the same levels, albeit they are the same locations. Performing combo moves with your partner and trying to figure out how to defeat the bosses between you is great fun and something that should have been fully realized by the developers. What is missing is an online co-op and an individual and/or team based scoring system for each level, which would have settled the slaying competition you will end up entering with your partner.
The Sharpest Knife In The Tool Shed
As far as brawlers are concerned, Shank is one every fan of the genre needs to play. Unfortunately, if you are not such a keen fan of the genre, the onslaught of repetitive and frantic murder can be a turn off. Although it is easy to criticize the game for this, it should be noted that the games aim is to combine the retro and modern elements of the brawler into a neat package. The repetitive nature of the game is somewhat inherent and true to its ancestors, whilst the rest of the game is definitely of this decade, particularly in its smoothness. This does not mean that the game would not have been improved if there were more time focused on the cross-genre elements of the game. For what it is; a simple and accessible modern, side-scrolling brawler, the game deserves a mention when listing great games of the genre. Comparable in quality to the best of the old and new, Shank delivers what all brawlers should. It is a game worthwhile for anyone looking for an artificial means to mass slaughter in one of the coolest styles of this decade.
7.5
fun score
Pros
Smooth, sophisticated and very fun to play, retro and modern is finely balanced.
Cons
Monotonous in long sittings, if played for too long you may turn into a braindead zombie.
