Shank 2 Xbox 360 review

It’s fair to say that one of the most attractive aspects of the original Shank, and one that certainly made people interested, was its striking visual style. It was a game that just looked cool. Luckily, Shank was more than looks alone, and the high speed, frantic combat, littered with nifty little moves and touches, made for a genuinely entertaining title.

With the arrival of Shank 2, we’ve got even more violent action than before, with perhaps more over the top, gratuitous killing, all still delivered with that hand-drawn, striking style, and accompanied by a few tweaks.

For the most part, Shank 2 is a carbon copy of the first title, and it delivers almost the same exact experience as before. Little touches like a separate pick up button and 360 degree aiming for guns are welcome though, and the visuals are certainly improved, with more detail and variety.

Sadly, there’s not all that much more to it. The co-op mode is now a survival mode where you have to fend off waves of enemies, and the game does play a little faster than the first, but that’s it really, and everything else is window dressing around the same old idea, albeit one that’s still fabulously entertaining while it lasts.

Of course, if you enjoyed the first game, this is irrelevant, and more of the same is going to be welcomed with open arms. And, the fact that Shank 2, whether it’s the tweaks or some form of engine optimisation, plays more smoothly and feels better than the first, helps make this a necessary sequel.

Shank 2 is a great little game, and it’s just as enjoyable to nimbly slash through several guys with daggers and leap onto the next, drilling into his face with a chainsaw, before blasting someone point blank with a shotgun, as it ever was. It’ll be a little too similar to the first for some, but it’s certainly the superior of the two, and is well worth a shot.