Shank 2

Shank 2 is a 2012 side-scrolling hack and slash game from Canadian developer Klei Entertainment, published by Electronic Arts. As a follow-up to Shank, it introduces a two-player survival mode, revamped combat, and new weapons. Unlike the first game, it drops the cooperative story mode, replacing it with a two-player survival experience.

After cartel leader Cesar’s death in the original, Shank’s homeland descends into chaos as factions fight for control. General Magnus and his militia emerge victorious, overthrowing the government and declaring himself president while taking over the cartel’s criminal operations. The rebellion is led by Shank’s old mentor, Elena, who is kidnapped at the game’s start. Unbeknownst to most, Magnus is gravely ill and needs a heart transplant to survive—he plans to take Elena’s heart, killing her in the process. Shank must fight through Magnus’s army to rescue her and topple another despot.

Gameplay remains a side-scrolling hack and slash with a comic book art style. Players control Shank, wielding three weapon types: knives, a heavy melee weapon, and a ranged weapon. Temporary weapons like crates, fish, and cleavers can be picked up from fallen enemies. Munitions expand on the first game’s grenades, adding Molotov cocktails and proximity mines, selectable based on preference and availability mid-stage. Shank also has grapple attacks, enemy throws, and a pounce maneuver where he jumps and lands on a nearby foe. A major addition is counterattacks, letting Shank turn enemy attacks against them—grabbing a baseball bat mid-swing or twisting a pistol so the enemy gets shot.

The multiplayer mode is a survival challenge where two players face endless waves of enemies while defending supply stations from demolition men. The camera is more zoomed-out than the original, giving larger combat areas and more mobility. The first game’s static block and invincible moves are removed, replaced by timed rolls and mobile evasion. Enemy variety increases, including smaller foes. A playable female character, Corina, appears in both story missions and Survival mode, with different animations and combat styles. She uses the same weapon types—two knives, a heavy weapon, and a ranged weapon—but her choices differ, favoring faster, weaker attacks and acrobatic moves over brute strength.