Cheap and Dirty Gamer: Shank You for Getting to the Point
Shank may not have had the most engaging storyline in gaming nor was it the most varied brawler, but sometimes narrative depth and endless variety gets in the way of what’s really important. Should you be caught up in a situation where someone needs their head beat in or removed entirely, I’m pretty sure you’d be more concerned with fueling up your chainsaw and sharpening your favorite stab themed instrument rather than getting caught up in the nonsensical filler that populates our daily lives. Sometimes the path to success is less complicated that we think. If the citizens of Planet Earth had the directness that Shank has during his blood soaked grind through the ranks of his former mob handlers, the world would be a far more efficient place.
Those machetes seem like they'd be tough to get past prison guards.
Shank could have altered his assault a bit, but would it have made his mission easier? He could switch weapons at times, but the shank, chainsaw and dual handgun combo seemed to get the job done just fine. His enemies may have looked and acted the same, but he didn’t choose his targets and diversity isn’t always an appropriate goal. The mentality is that everything we do needs a certain layer of awe-inspiring sparkle so that boredom doesn’t set in. The thing about that is not everyone likes sparkles. Sparkles are a waste of time and tend to distract people from what’s at the core of the problem or objective they may happen to be dealing with. It’s like dressing up to go to the grocery store; all that prep time and extra polish doesn’t make the acquisition of food any easier.
Perhaps a spin kick would look better, but a double axe handle always gets the job done the first time.
While playing Shank, I wouldn’t say I was ever blown away, but it was nice to stick to a linear path and mash my way to victory, even if that meant that conversations about the experience were concise. No quests, no sudden tactical adaptation just bunches of punches, bullet holes and puncture wounds. It was a straight-forward jaunt and one that satisfied that little person inside me that was a bit tired of the fluff. I can’t say that Shank’s way of doing things is best for all situations, but sometimes it’s best to get from point A to point B without visiting the rest of the alphabet in-between.
Shank is part of the EA Indie Bundle ($20.98 till May 8th on Steam), but can be purchased separately for $4.99. That’s a very economical price for revenge.
Cheap and Dirty Gamer – Being cheap used to be an insult, but with the economy in the dumps it’s now a survival skill. Being dirty also used to be an insult, but that changed after Christina Aguilera’s song came out. Not all gamers have the funds to play full priced games, but that doesn’t mean that gaming quality has to suffer. There are good free and cheap games everywhere, games specifically made for the sexy survivors among us.
Sources
Giant Bomb (images)
Steam
