The protagonist of the fighting video game, Shank, is an ex-hitman for the mob, and the game uses a side-scrolling perspective. Shank is seeking vengeance for the murder of his girlfriend, which took place in front of his very eyes at the hands of a group of criminals. He must traverse each level by running and jumping while simultaneously slaughtering waves of foes and the level’s final monster. The gameplay is centered on three distinct categories of weaponry: a pair of knives, combat weapons like machetes and chainsaws, and ranged weapons like shotguns and double pistols. One of the game’s input buttons is explicitly designated for each type of weapon. Because different attacks can be chained together to form combos, he frequently has to defend himself against multiple foes simultaneously. In addition, defeated enemies leave behind weapons that can be looted and used. Acrobatic maneuvers can be performed with the help of various objects found in the surroundings.
A separate multiplayer campaign is played locally with another human player who assumes the character of Shank’s partner Falcone. This campaign can only be played with human players. The multiplayer campaign stages aim to work with other players to fight increasingly tricky foes and monsters. The narrative of the multiplayer campaign takes place before the events of the game’s main storyline.
