The direct sequel to Shank (2010). The main protagonist, Shank, is a former mafia hitman. His home country is taken over by a military coup led by ruthless General Magnus, and Shank has no choice but to fight the regime's militia. There's also a second protagonist, Shank's childhood friend Corina. She can be played in several story missions, as well as in a newly introduced multiplayer survival mode. Corina's abilities are slightly different from that of Shank's, her moves are swifter, however, her attacks deal less damage.

The game is played as a 2D side-scroller. To move forward, Shank and Corina have to defeat all enemies they encounter, using three types of weapons: piercing them with knives, smashing with a club or shooting with a gun. The weapons can be switched on a fly during the action, thus allowing a variety of combos. The gameplay has slightly changed since the original game: blocking is not allowed anymore, and dodging is the only option to evade damage. Like its predecessor, Shank 2 features a somewhat cartoonish visual style, that contrasts the quite bloody and grotesque action scenes.