EA and Klei fashioning Shank 2

Klei Entertainment and Electronic Arts are cranking for another Shanking. The developer and publisher today jointly announced Shank 2, the sequel to last year's blood-drenched side-scrolling action game.

Like its predecessor, Shank 2 will appear on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC downloadable game services. The game was revealed with an early 2012 launch window.

The original game cast players as the eponymous hero, a man betrayed by his family and left to die. Over the course of the game, players exacted revenge on a multitude of villains, but the sequel's storyline will center around the former assassin fighting to protect instead of avenge. In terms of gameplay, Klei Entertainment is introducing a new survival co-op mode to the sequel.

For more on the original game, check out GameSpot's review of Shank.