Shank is a side-scrolling hack and slash with a comic book art style. In the game the player controls Shank, an ex-mob hitman. The game features three main types of weaponry: a pair of knives, heavy melee weapons (the starting one is a chainsaw) and firearms (the starting one is a pair of pistols). Each weapon is assigned to a controller button, and the attacks can be combined to perform various combos. The player can collect temporary-use weaponry from fallen enemies, such as machine guns, rifles and hand grenades.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shank has other attacks such as multiple grapple attacks, throw enemies, and is able to perform a pounce maneuver, in which he jumps in the air and lands on a nearby enemy. Some acrobatic abilities can also be performed, such as swinging from lampposts or other tall structures, and running along the front of things such as billboards. On-screen enemies each have a health bar that displays on the player's HUD, akin to Final Fight.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shank features a cooperative campaign designed to be played locally, which is a prequel to the single-player campaign. The multiplayer allows players to play as Shank and his partner-in-crime named Falcone. In this mode players are often required to work as a team to accomplish objectives, such as defeating level bosses. Players can combine moves for special attacks with the characters performing together. Also available is the ability to revive a fallen teammate should they die in combat.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The single player campaign begins as Shank walks into a bar looking for vengeance for Eva, his murdered girlfriend. He asks the bartender where he can find a wrestler named the Butcher. He pulls down a poster of a fight that mentions the Butcher's next fight. As he leaves the bartender reports to Cesar about Shank's return. As Shank makes his way to the wrestling arena, the player learns through flashbacks that the Butcher had kidnapped Eva. Shank arrives at the arena and confronts the Butcher, killing him. He soon realizes that he killed an impersonator, as the dead fighter does not have the same tattoo as the Butcher. He discovers that the Butcher is in another town and travels there.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a violent train ride Shank arrives at a meat factory, the Butcher's hideout. The Butcher reveals that he killed Eva and taunts Shank, stating that he enjoyed every second of it. Shank and the Butcher fight, with Shank finally choking him with a chain. He then makes his way to Club Stardust, a strip club owned by Cassandra. Shank meets with Cassandra at which point a flashback shows that as Cassandra was about to kill Eva with her katana, Shank stopped her, slicing the right of her face and leaving a large scar. He kills Cassandra and escapes the club. In a nearby bar he encounters a man from the Venom gang named Mello who has information. The player learns through another flashback that Shank used to be part of a cartel mob ruled by a man named Cesar. However, when Cesar asked Shank to kill Eva as a test of loyalty, Shank refused and Cesar ordered his top men to track down and kill them both.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He follows Mello to track down "Father" Angelo. He soon catches up with him, severs his left arm and tells him to send Angelo the message that he's coming. Shank follows the trail of blood left by Mello which leads to a church. At the church Shank has another flashback, which shows that Angelo lit Shank's house on fire, ensuring Eva could not be saved. As Shank fights through the church, Angelo attacks him with a rocket launcher. Shank battles him, gaining the upper hand, but Angelo fires a rocket causing a church bell to fall on Shank, knocking him unconscious. He wakes up strapped to an electric chair, face to face with Cesar. After Cesar leaves Shank frees himself, then ties Angelo to the chair and electrocutes him.
Shank pursues Cesar to his villa, where the final showdown begins. As they fight, more of his past is revealed. Shank would have obeyed the order to kill Eva, but upon arriving Eva revealed that she was carrying his child. Shank explains that Cesar had always taught him the importance of family and so he did not kill her. Cesar replies that if he had known this things could have gone differently. As the fight nears its end, Shank is stabbed and shot multiple times in the chest. Despite this, he still manages to kill Cesar. The game ends as Shank walks towards the sunset, his revenge fulfilled.