PAX 09: Shank Hands On
There was one word on just about everyone's lips at PAX... Shank. Everywhere I looked, everyone I talked to, just about everyone was has something to say about the indie project from Klei Entertainment. After getting a look at it myself I couldn't help rounding up my fellow writers to experience the demo for themselves and share it all with you dear readers.
So what, or rather who, is Shank? While a little light on the story details, the folks over at the Klei booth were able to tell me that Shank is the title character of the game and that's what he does best. Set in what looks like run down / post-apocalyptic city, Shank roams the streets looking for justice and willing to shot, stab, and chainsaw his way through anyone who gets in the way.
The all too brief demo at the show let players loose in a level where they could tinker around with Shank's various attacks as well as his platforming abilities. Even at this early stage, Shank has got all the fundamentals down. Star with some beautifully brutal combos, add silky smooth movement, and then throw in a dash of parkour wall running and you'll begin to get the picture of just how good this game plays. The demo level ended with cleverly designed boss fight that required players to use some of Shank's less obvious abilities to outsmart a colossal bad guy.
Hit the jump to sink deeper and see it for yourself...
Shank Movement Preview from Jamie Cheng on Vimeo.
This comic-inspired 2D gore fest plays out with classic side scrolling action that will immediately make players recall brawlers of old (read: the 16-bit era) while incorporating a unique visual style and absolutely striking character animation. But to say that the game is gory is a little bit of an understatement, as it easily matched (and in some cases exceeded) the blood and guts seen in other M-rated fare at PAX. Think of it as 300 meets Streets of Rage, Golden Axe meets Kill Bill, or even Fist of the North Star meets Army of Darkness.
When I tried to pry details out of the Klei Entertainment reps that guided me through the demo, I was amazed to learn that team was primarily comprised of 11 people and only get started "earlier this year." When I talked to them they said that the game didn't have a publisher or even an intended platform for release yet. While that might normally be a sign that we shouldn't expect a title anytime soon, I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't hear something solid from them soon judging from the reaction from the crowds and buzz that it was generating. I'm not sure if Shank is coming to any additional conventions in the near future, but I certainly hope that the folks over at Klei see the enormously positive response they got from PAX goers and bring it to even more people. This game has hit written all over it.
Game-Boy
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 9 September 2009
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