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Eets unleashed on Mac, 75% off via Steam
Klei Entertainment's Eets, a puzzle/platformer hybrid reminiscent of Lemmings, finally has a Mac version --- and it's available via Steam. In fact, it's being discounted 75 percent in a launch promotion, meaning you can snag a copy for a paltry $2.50. It's a SteamPlay release, so you get both the Mac and PC version in one purchase. It's a fun, totally charming game that we'd never have guessed would be the precursor to Klei's most recent release: the blood-soaked, hardcore action title Shank. They're ... what's the term? ... oh yeah, polar opposites.
Shank and 'Spank now available on PC
Shank and DeathSpank are ready for action now on Steam for $15 apiece. Shank doles out death in what the movie advertisements will refer to as a roaring rampage of revenge, while DeathSpank delivers demise at the end of a punch ... line. We enjoyed both titles when they were first released over the summer on consoles. We found Shank to be a "cure for murder" (but please consult your physician before taking Shank) and said DeathSpank was "built on a solid foundation of time-tested gameplay and bacon."
Shank takes a stab at Steam on October 26
Klei Entertainment's stylish murder-em-up, Shank, has been dated for Steam, according to the latest trailer issued by EA. On October 26, anxious arterial-spray aficionados can work their craft via Valve's Steam service -- as seen in the image above, pre-ordering the game also knocks off 10% of its $14.99 asking price, bringing it down to $13.49. Oh, you don't believe us? Really? We thought we got past your trust issues, Reginald? Well, head past the break and check out the trailer for yourself, then feel super guilty for ever doubting us.
Shank devs looking into busted 360 Achievements and chugging cinematics
Recently released kill-em-up Shank has split critics – 1UP says it's the "freshest, most unequivocally rewarding beat-em-up game to come along in almost a decade" while Gamespot claims "style can't quite overcome the lack of substance in this fun though shallow brawler" – but surprisingly it's also caused a fissure in the console world. So while the PS3 version continues along, with no problems in sight, the Xbox 360 release suffers two issues on certain systems. First, users who played the Xbox Live trial and then – eager to continue their kill-a-thon – purchased the title to start earning some of those sweet Achievements ... well, we've got bad news. Klei's Jamie Chang writes on the game's site that "if you unlock the Trial on the 360, there's a chance that the first two achievements are not unlocked." The good news: the team at Klei has "already got a fix for this" so you'll get your 'cheevos just as soon as that's rolled out. The other, and less significant, issue: chugging cinematics. Cheng notes that "older Xbox 360's have slower disc access rates, so the opening cinematic chugs, and loading between levels takes longer." This never came up in testing and doesn't actually affect the gameplay in any way, but that's got to be doubly annoying. Slow load times off a hard drive? The good news is, we're hearing about this is on Klei's site very soon after complaints started appearing on message boards, and Cheng and Co have already pledged to address the issues. And, as a sort of strange, machete-themed penance, they're offering the above image in wallpaper format. We imagine it's metaphorical: Shank is Cheng, and each machete is for one of the aforementioned bugs ... or it's just a picture of Shank. You could interpret it either way, really.
Shank review: Always Be Murdering
You've probably noticed that critics often employ flowery language when they're trying to describe hyper-violence, whether it's a "bullet ballet" or a "symphony of destruction." Never one to use my evolved human intellect to mask primal urges, I'm going to try to explain the appeal of Klei's side-scrolling kill-'em-up Shank in the most basic, honest terms possible. If the game's not employing the slightest bit of nuance, I don't see why I should have to. Shank is a lot of fun because it lets you murder a lot of different people in a lot of different ways, and I think you should buy it. %Gallery-71865%
This Wednesday: Shank and Scott Pilgrim beat up XBLA
It's a great week for Xbox 360 owners who possess a great deal of pent-up aggression, as the two-week PSN exclusivity of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World comes to a halt this Wednesday, August 25. The highly stylized, chiptune-enhanced beat 'em up will run you 800 Microsoft Points ($10), which is roughly equivalent to the price of a Scott Pilgrim movie ticket -- an item apparently covered in some kind of fatal, diffusive poison. If you're looking for a beat-'em-up with more ... well, stabbing, you'll also be able to pick up Klei Entertainment's Shank for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). That's a little bit more than the entry fee to Scott Pilgrim, but we're sure that's only because of discrepancies in the Canadian/American currency exchange rate. %Gallery-95506%
Download the Shank soundtrack, watch the launch trailer
Your hands won't be able to play Shank until this week's PSN Tuesday/XBLA Wednesday update goes live, but your ears will be able to listen to the entire game's soundtrack. Big Download has the 13-track OST available for download, without any messy DRM to worry about. If that's not enough for you, your eyes will be able to watch the game's bloody launch trailer. Be warned, though. If you get queasy from violence, your stomach might also partake in the festivities. Download the Official Shank Soundtrack (46 MB)
Hear some of Shank's tracks, and see Shank's tracksuit
It may seem strange to receive an update on Klei Entertainment's XBLA/PC/PSN action game Shank that doesn't have anything to do with brutal gun, knife, or gun/knife/knife/gun/chainsaw violence, but you'll like this anyway. In advance of next week's release (August 24 on PSN, August 25 on XBLA, "Fall" on PC), Klei has posted six songs from the game's soundtrack. In addition, the company revealed a few of the unlockable costumes in which you'll be able to clothe Shank, including a Bruce Lee-inspired yellow jumpsuit (no Kareem Abdul-Jabbar footprint, though) and a shirtless "Red Ninja" getup.
Shank video cuts together some combo footage
Klei Entertainment and EA shot some footage, chopped it up and tossed it like a grenade onto the internets to give a better idea of Shank's combo system. Get a feel for the XBLA and PSN title's stylishbutton mashing after the break.
Shank concept art digs into our hearts
In two weeks time, you'll be viciously ripping through enemy after enemy with ... well ... shanks, but in the meantime we've got a handful of concept art for the game Shank. While we're looking forward to playing it as much as you likely are, this art sure is purty to look at. It'll do ... for now. %Gallery-99149%
Shank dated for late August, priced at $15; adds co-op mission [update: new screens, video]
One half of EA Partners' downloadable duo has already been released -- DeathSpank came out last week and was greeted by Joystiq with open arms-- and now we know when the second half will be released. Klei Entertainment's slick arcade brawler Shank will be released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade on August 24 and 25, respectively, for $15. In addition to those pesky details, a press release also reveals a new gameplay mode: "a special co-operative mission, designed to be played with a friend locally [...] This prequel mission allows players to play as Shank or his partner-in-crime Falcone, with deadly double-team moves and gameplay that encourages teamwork." It sounds like the co-op is limited to a single, "prequel" mission, which is a bummer; however, Shank's charm has always been its good looks, and you can enjoy that all by yourself. Update: By way of Shack, it looks like the official Shank site has added some details about the co-op campaign, which they say has levels and bosses really designed around cooperative play. The official site also dates the PC release as "fall 2010" so, that's something, right PC gamers? Check out some co-op screens in the gallery below. %Gallery-97867%
BAFTA-winning God of War writer working on Shank
While you wouldn't think a game with a title as brutally simple as Shank would need a heavyweight in the whole "writing" department, Electronic Arts recently announced that Marianne Krawczyk, who won a BAFTA award for her work on the God of War franchise, will contribute to Klei Entertainment's action-platformer. In a recent EA press release, Krawczyk said, "we are creating a story that will allow gamers to explore a world where values like integrity and loyalty take on their own twisted meanings." We assume said story will be related between opportunities to stab things using two knives simultaneously -- a genre which is quickly becoming Krawczyk's literary bread-and-butter.
Hands-on: Shank
We are, and I don't think I'm being premature about this, in the thrall of a full-on 2D renaissance courtesy of digital distribution platforms like XBLA and PSN. Developers are realizing that modern technology plus a less technically demanding perspective can lead to a really beautiful end product. That's the case with Shank, a fluid, violent brawler that artfully combines a sort of 2D Devil May Cry blend of sword- and gunplay with a Saturday morning animation style to create the coolest cartoon your mom would have never let you watch. %Gallery-89187%
See a cut of Shank gameplay
With Shank now being published by EA, Klei Entertainment is putting the increased development budget to good use -- with a trailer! Well, it's likely there would be a trailer this week anyway, as this week also marks the hyper-violent XBLA/PSN/PC brawler's appearance at the Independent Games Festival. The brutal violence may dominate the trailer, but our eyes were immediately drawn to the acrobatics. There's so much somersaulting, swinging, hanging, and other exciting-looking methods of movement that they even manage to distract us from the usually thrilling shoot-stab-saw combos on display.
EA publishing 'DeathSpank' and 'Shank' on PSN, XBLA
EA Partners, a division of Electronics Arts, has announced an exclusive publishing agreement with two upcoming indie games -- Hothead's DeathSpank and Klei Entertainment's Shank -- which will allow a much wider (and ostensibly easier) path to distribution for both games. EA claims Shank will be available on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC this summer, while DeathSpank will be available on Xbox Live and PSN with no date yet announced. "Our mission at EA Partners is to work with the best talent across the game industry, and we are thrilled to extend our expertise to the leading creative developers in downloadable indie games," said EA Partners' outreach director Jamil Moledina. "DeathSpank is engrossingly fun and hysterically funny ... and Shank is an amazing experience." The EA Partners program has had some heavy hitters onboard, like Rock Band, Left 4 Dead 2, and Brütal Legend, but this marks the first time that smaller, downloadable indie games have been brought into the fold. We've toured through DeathSpank before (with Ron Gilbert himself!), and Shank was just named a finalist at the Independent Games Festival, taking place during GDC next week in San Francisco. It's interesting to see EA move into the indie arena, much like 2K Games has done with 2K Play (think: The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and Axel and Pixel), but we'll have to see how it plays out. Hopefully they'll offer both in a Spank 'n Shank special bundle. We spoke with EA's Moledina and both developers, so stay tuned for more info shortly.
Eets developer working on Shank, possibly a new XBLA title
Footage from an early build of Eets developer Klei Entertainment's next project has been circulating the nets recently. The stylish brawler/platformer, titled Shank (monosyllabic titles seem to be Klei's specialty), has been wowing viewers with it's brutal gameplay and stylish, Venture Bros-esque visuals -- though many are wondering what the release platform of the title will be. An Xbox control scheme shown at the beginning of the video led many to assume the title would be coming to XBLA -- however, this isn't exactly confirmed.In an email, Klei Entertainment's Jamie Cheng explained, "The platform is currently not set in stone, but I suppose you could make an educated guess based on past experience. Even I honestly don't know 100%." Our guess, which is alarmingly educated, is that it will land on both XBLA and PC. While we wait to find out, we highly suggest checking out the aforementioned Shank footage, which we've posted after the break.[Via GamerBytes]
