Preview by: Meghan Watt

Forget about branching dialogue, CG cinematics and intricate controls. Melding crisp, modern graphics and mechanics with old-school, side-scrolling brawler action is, according to Klei Entertainment CEO Jamie Cheng, what Shank is all about.

“When we look at the brawling genre itself, it hasn't really been exploited for a long time We wanted to bring a great story and great animation and bring it to the next level.”

Thankfully, I didn't have to bank on Jamie's word alone. I had the chance to sit down and try my hand at the 2D knife-fest myself.

Set to release on the PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Arcade, and PC, this fluid 2D kill-party combines stunning graphic novel-inspired design and a strong supply of ways to kick ass. For a hands-on feel of the controls and a preview of the game's design, I got to take on the role of the strapping and viciously brutal hero, Shank.

My fifteen minute demo covered one level, a meatpacking warehouse, where I had to leap, dodge and stab my way to the final boss using a fluid mix of parkour and weapon combos. As Jamie explained later, running on walls and grappling over fatal grinders lends to the pacing of the game, mixing up the player’s cadence as he races through the level. But while parkour is definitely a healthy portion of the gameplay, brutalizing foes in innovative fashions is definitely the game's top focus.

Shank has three weapon types at his disposal: knives, dual pistols and a larger-than-life chainsaw. The three weapons are each mapped to a button on the controller, leaving the fourth open for “jump” and other context-directed actions. Together with grappling foes and tossing grenades, players can beat their enemies to a pulp in almost any manner they choose.