There were plenty of choice titles on display at PAX East 2010 (such as Limbo), but the game of the show was undoubtedly Klei Entertainment’s Shank. The GDC trailer looked bad ass, but after the team got extensive hands-on time with the game, we can confirm that it is bad ass. Shank, according to Klei CEO Jamie Cheng, is designed to be the modern successor to beat ‘em up classics like Double Dragon. The combos flow freely as you tap the weapon buttons that are mapped to the controller’s face. In fact, in the multiple sessions we had with the title, we discovered new combos that not only visually impressive, but hard-hitting.

There’s just something that gets to you when you grab a guy, stick a knife into him and slam him over and over again. Speaking of which, Shank (the main character of the game) has knives, a chainsaw, guns, grenades and can get other weapons later on such as a shotgun (which we got to see a small glimpse of). You can do loads of things to your enemies, like grappling them, throwing them off buildings, and stringing together some of the most brutal combos seen in a 2D video game.

Klei Entertainment, fresh from inking a publishing deal with EA, has released a pre-GDC gameplay trailer of the upcoming modern-day Western, Shank. The 2D, cartoony side-scroller packs hardcore action title that features copious amounts of gunplay, bladeplay, and bloodshed.