Shank is a side-scrolling fighting game with an ex-mob hitman as the eponymous character. Shank is determined to avenge the loss of his love, who was murdered by a gang in front of his eyes. He must run and jump through the levels, destroying swarms of opponents and bosses after each. The mechanics are built around three sorts of weapons: a pair of knives, combat weapons like machetes and chainsaws, and ranged weapons like shotguns and double pistols. Each weapon type is associated with a unique input button. Because different strikes can be combined into combinations, he frequently has to fight multiple enemies simultaneously. Defeated foes drop weapons that can be collected. Acrobatic movements can be performed using items found in the environment.
A separate multiplayer campaign is played locally with another human player who plays Shank’s companion Falcone. The multiplayer campaign levels are designed to encourage cooperative participation in fighting the monsters and bosses. The multiplayer campaign’s tale preludes the main game’s plot.
