Shank & Shank 2
Shank and Shank 2 have helped redefine the side scrolling beat-em up for the modern age. Both games take a no nonsense approach, while the over the top story firmly takes a back seat to the ridiculously fun violence. Rather than rest on their laurels after Shank and just re-skin the sequel, Klei listened to their fans and fine tuned the controls with improved visuals tenfold. The result is a vastly improved outing and a sign that Klei are by no means lazy by trying to cash in. Gamers fondly throw a few games into the hat from yesteryear when talking about side scrolling beat-em ups, but none of them match the fluid movement and weapon combinations as those on offer in the Shank series. The wonderfully animated cutscenes dont try and tug at the heartstrings and make you think, and rightly so, as they are fast paced while stocked to the brim with quotable dialogue that wouldnt be out of place in an 80s action film. You dont need to understand why Shank is angry, just understand youre in control, and you must dash to the right of the screen and decapitate anyone and anything that gets in your way, and smile while doing so. If you like your action games fast paced with no lull between bouts, 2D wise, the Shank series is tough to better on the current gen and PC. The action is fast, baddies are bulky, big and leak thick litres of the red liquid gamers love to see on their screens, and fans of Zombies will be glad to know they make an appearance in the fantastic but tough survival mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OttrtHN2IE