Shank is a 2D beat 'em up released on the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network on August 25, 2010 and on PC October 26. It was developed by Klei Games and published by Electronic Arts.Betrayed by the only family he ever knew and left for dead, Shank feels the need to seek revenge for the death of his beloved at the hands of the underworld's deadliest assassins. Utilizing his knowledge of gang warfare and weaponry, Shank must battle his way through the criminal underground in order to seek revenge against the people who brought his world crashing down around him.A sequel was released on February 7, 2012. Shank's attempts to settle down and leave his past behind him is abruptly ended when a new crime group called The Militia appears and threatens the lives of those closest to him. Now, Shank has to once again take up his weapons and take the fight to the enemy.
And Your Reward Is Clothes: Completing certain side objectives will get you new costumes. Semi-averted in Shank 2, though: while skins do nothing in the single-player game, every skin has different stats in Survival Mode.
Anti-Hero: Trying to say Shank is a good guy is a bit of a stretch, but he could be worse.
Awesome, but Impractical: The katana's grapple move, while visually pleasing, does little damage and leaves you open during the animation.
Back Stab: No matter what you hit an enemy with, as long as their back is turned it's a one hit kill.
Bag of Spilling: A variation; at the start of the second game, Shank starts off with a pair of machete (likely the same pair he used in the first game) as his "heavy" weapon, and throwing knives for ranged attacks. He eventually gets his starting combo from the first game (pair of handguns and a chainsaw) as he progresses.
Beauty Is Never Tarnished: The aversion thereof is the reason for Cassandra's vendetta against Shank.
Boss Arena Recovery: Every boss fight in the game has this. Except the last fight in co-op mode.
Boss Subtitles: Each boss in both games has their name revealed either when first introduced or before the start of the battle. Shank himself gets one at the start of the first game.
Played with in the second game when, at the start of an Indiana Jones-esque sequence, the Boss Subtitle is given to the giant boulder that starts chasing Shank.
Bottomless Magazines: Averted for the player's guns, played straights with enemy guns, miniguns, and Cesar's flintlock pistols.
The player still has infinite reserve ammunition, however.
Bulletproof Human Shield: While Shank has a Mook snagged with the chains in a choking attack, incoming gunfire will not harm him.
Determinator: Shank holds his own next to Max Payne for sheer iron plating; he's in potentially worse shape by the end of the game, and is running on his own badassitude and booze.
Dies Wide Open: Most bosses. Shank leaves them like that most of the time, but he closes Cesar's eyes.
Do Not Call Me Paul: Shank's real name, according to one of the Rebel Intels, is Robert Torres, but even those closest to him, such as Corina and Elena, still refer to him by his nickname.
Even Evil Has Standards: Even while working for the cartel, Shank still had a few lines he wouldn't cross. He's unflinchingly loyal and kind to his girlfriend after she sees him and his partner trying to kill the Deputy Mayor, and has to be restrained from attacking Angelo after he casually shoots a priest. Even Cesar has a hint of this when Shank reveals that Eva was pregnant when they killed her, telling Shank, "Had I known she was with child, that would have changed things..."
Klingon Promotion: According to the interquel comic, this is one of the cartel's rules.
Knife Nut: Besides being the character's name, Shank uses two knives as his main melee weapons. Big Bad Cesar has shiny engraved ones.
Kung-Fu Sonic Boom: A classic example at the end of the fight with Cesar.
Lag Cancel: Holding the block button while using the shotgun will make it fire more quickly. In the sequel, most actions can be cancelled by rolling - including pouncing on somebody.
Made of Iron: All enemies, as well as Shank himself. Enemies can easily get up and start shooting you again even after you've rammed a chainsaw into their stomachs. The big guys can take several grenades to the face and still come charging after you.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Cesar's death ignites a gang war that becomes big enough to require an entire extragovernmental militia to stop it. Said militia then overthrew the government. Nice one, Shank.
That One Level: "Bombs and Bells". It wouldn't be so bad if not for the fact that Angelo takes an RPG and shoots rockets at you every 5 seconds, making the level a LOT harder than it needed to be.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Shank suprisingly pulls this in Shank 2 after seeing the cannibals eating their own leader.
Wicked Cultured: Cesar lives in a fancy mansion decorated with antiques, wears an ascot, and fights with pearl-handled knives, a saber, and a pair of dueling pistols.
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