Klei Entertainment are being doubly generous today by releasing not only some new gameplay footage of Shank 2 but also announcing the release dates for all platforms.

Kill Bill: The Game’s sequel, also known as Shank 2, is looking outlandishly stylish and will probably make you want to tie a bandana around your face and pretend-slay old women in the street…or so we’re told. The new gameplay footage is an action-junkies dream – Shank grabs, throwns, skull cracks and slices his way through enemies in a way that makes its predecessor look amateur.

More importantly, perhaps, the game has been given a release date, many in fact for different territories and platforms.

“Shank 2 comes to PSN (North America) and PC on February 7, and XBLA and PSN (Europe) on February 8!” it reads on the official Klei Entertainment blog.

Now, on to that gameplay footage. Protip: grab some popcorn!

More information on Shank 2 can be found over on the game’s official website.

One of the breakthrough hits of 2011 is without a doubt Bastion. Supergiant Games have confirmed in their latest blog post of the games great success and thank all of the players for making it possible.

No one expected the action-RPG Bastion to become the hit that it is today, especially its developers. At the end of 2011 they can look back over the year and acknowledge it as a great success, proved by winning over 60 awards during this Game of the Year period, and managing to break the 500,000 units sold threshold just last week with a push from the Steam sales.

“When we set out to make Bastion, a sales number like that seemed astronomical to us, so it feels great to have hit that mark.”

Supergiant were pleased to add that with a high figure like that, their small team can stick together and can continue to make great games in the future. They were not shy about flaunting the awards they have won as well – finishing off the post with a great big list of the publications that have honored them so.

“We wanted to make a memorable game so it’s great to see this level of recognition.”

The Indie Game Magazine has also nominated for Bastion in our People’s Choice Game of the Year awards for various categories, the various winners of which will be announced in January.

You can read the celebratory blog post over on the official Supergiant Games website.

For those not familiar with the word, a bastion is a projected section of a fortified wall that allows outward fire in defense of the walls and adjoining bastions. If you’ve seen a castle, you’ll recognize them as large, outward-jutting dimples in the ramparts. The intent of such a structure is to allow for a more active defense by an occupying force. In the case of Bastion, by Supergiant Games, the word carries the additional definition of the hope of an entire world torn asunder by hate and self-interest.

After waking from a deep sleep, “the kid” sees the world looks like it’s been blown up by a magic atom bomb, except for the room he’s in. Stepping off the mattress, he walks towards the door to see empty space outside the door frame—at least until he takes another step. A few chunks of earth rise up to form a path. Setting off, the kid finds a few weapons to fight the monsters blocking the way: his trusty old war hammer, a repeater crossbow, and some tonics for health and special attacks. There’s plenty more a-coming, too.

Now, read that last paragraph again, but imagine a drawling Morgan Freeman speaking the words. Congratulations! You just experienced a facsimile of Bastion‘s ever-present narration without moving a finger. The narrator, Rucks, is alone when you meet him at the titular bastion, a haven from “the calamity”—a world-rending devastation that left chunks of ground powered by magical crystals suspended far above the earth. Your job as the kid is to go to these places and retrieve said crystalline energy cores to expand the bastion so that more people can join you.

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More information on Bastion can be found at the official website, as well as through Supergiant Games’ official Twitter account. You can purchase the game on PC through Steam or on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Trine 2 is joining in with all the festive cheer as it finally makes its way on to Xbox Live Arcade and PSN so you can play it over the Holiday Weekend!

Already having been released on Steam for PC and Mac players, Trine 2 has been met with great success after having sold five times the amount at launch than the original Trine did on the platform.

Frozenbyte CEO, Lauri Hyvärinen said: “We are extremely happy that the reception from gamers and the press has been universally positive, and we are getting huge amounts of fanmail. I hope gamers continue to enjoy the game!”

Some of you may not be so happy about the next piece of information though as Trine 2‘s release on the consoles is limited to certain areas at the moment. The XBLA release is worldwide with the exception of Australia. The PSN release is for North America only at this point, but FrozenByte are hoping that the game gets released on the European PSN in January.

Hyvärinen also had the following to say to European fans eagerly awaiting the PSN release, and to Australian XBLA fans: “We hope that the game will launch in Europe and Australia – and indeed our own home country Finland – as soon as possible! The release is out of our hands so right now we can only offer our condolences, but we are extremely sorry that things didn’t work out for a truly simultaneous worldwide release. We will let you know as soon as we have any real information, please be sure to check our Community Forums.”

Trine 2 is a puzzle platformer in which you levitate objects, fight goblins and swing over dangerous spike pits to work your way through the levels. Playing as Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight and Zoya the Thief; you can switch between the three to tackle the various scenarios that present themselves. It’s probably worth noting that it is one of the most beautiful looking games we have ever seen too!

Trine 2 is priced at $14.99/12.99 euros or 1200 MSP, and available now on Steam for PC/Mac, the Mac App Store, Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in North America.

More information on Trine 2 can be found over at the official website.

The Humble Voxatron Debut

The Binding of Isaac Review | Blocks That Matter Review

XBLA Deal of the Week: Limbo and The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile

Limbo Review | The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile Review

Steam Sales: Bastion, Gemini Rue and inMomentum

Bastion Impressions | Gemini Rue Review

Happy spending!

In addition it has been revealed that at next month’s MineCon, which is being held in Las Vegas on the 18th and 19th of November, a playable Xbox 360 version will be available to try to coincide with the official launch of the PC version.

Don’t know what Minecraft is? Visit the Minecraft official website for information.

Previously only available on PC, Capsized, from Alientrap, will be making its way to the Xbox Live Arcade.

Described as a fast paced 2D platformer focused on intense action and exploration, Capsized received critical acclaim when it was released on PC.

Capsized will be ported to XBLA by Koolhaus Games, who will also be sprucing the game up with extra content which includes enhanced graphics, exclusive levels and future DLC.

Alentrap’s Lee Vermeulen had this to say about the port, “”Players will benefit from the new version’s refined action and increased focus on cooperative and multiplayer gameplay, while keeping the chaotic action and unique style of the PC version.”

Capsized is set for a release this December on XBLA and will cost players 800 MSP.

Shank 2 is certainly bordering on what people may consider indie (being published by EA and all), but I thought it still worth noting since the few guys that make up Klei risked a lot to make the original.  The game is set for 2012 and will be coming to PSN, XBox Live and PC.  I’m not sure if Shank 2 can setup anything that pisses Shank off as what happened in the first game’s story, but Klei Entertainment is sure going to try.  Here’s a quick description of the announcement from the Developer’s homepage:

“The fan-favorite pulp fiction 2D brawler is back as ex-mob hit man Shank returns to action in Shank 2. With those closest to him under attack, Shank is once again forced on the offensive.  Now he must put to use his trusty arsenal of dual handguns, chainsaws, machetes, plus all-new weapons and a brand new set of moves to protect those close to him.Shank 2 expands on the original game’s amazing visuals and combat system to redefine the 2D side-scrolling brawler.”

Klei has been working on Shank 2 for over a year and completely redesigned the engine so hopefully it will significantly improve on the stylish original

Possibly one of the greatest elements of a compelling story is the narrator. Sometimes a mundane story into a great and compelling one. Narrators in stories are usually stuck to cut scenes and sitting back while the hero takes the spotlight. Bastion breaks these rules in an unexpected way.  Rather than simply tell a story  the narrator in Bastion not only dynamically reacts to your action throughout the game. The narrator reacts virtually everything you do in the game, from weapons you pick to the way your character reacts to the world and his tactics.

And there are plenty of tactics to go around in Bastion. At first glance Bastion seems like a basic 2D action with monsters to mindlessly kill. But a second look and you can see there is plenty of depth behind the scenes. The game features typical action rpg staples such as the slow hammer, bow and arrow, and fast dagger. And yet the game allows you to customize each to your style or the situation using tiers of upgrades. Each tier has two seperate upgrades that you can choose from and swap off. Sometimes a situation may call for a slow hammer that does damage overtime and a fast loading shotgun.

This idea of customization is constantly given to you constantly throughout the game at a great pace. Every few levels Bastion will toss a brand new toy at you or at very least a new way to customize your character. The game has you collection cores to power up the bastion inside the game and with each piece it gives you different shops that you pick. If you want to upgrade weapons first the game lets you, or maybe you want to get to the distillery to get more passive abilities instead. It’s all up to you, and the narrator reacts to it all very organically.

The narrator in the game is used very effectively to enhance and everything and anything that you do. The game teaches you to play, tells events with his voice, and is used in a versatile way. Nothing  the narrator says feels stiff or canned, but rather interactive and natural. His voice is without a doubt a huge force to what makes this different and having to hear his voice makes everything better. His voice in a simple comparison, is like a warm sip of tea for the ears.

Bastion does a lot of things different to set itself apart from the competition through a stunning presentation and clever presentation that would get any gamer excited, and for good reason. There’s deep customization, stunning visuals, and a compelling story with a compelling voice to tell it. Combine with an excellent soundtrack (that I really wish I could buy) that is almost on par with some of the best soundtracks in video game history it’s certainly a wild ride. While most games have story and game compete with each other, they are almost seamless in this game.