Klei Entertainment’s eagerly anticipated 2D brawler has finally arrived—on PlayStation Network, anyway. XBLA fans (and XBLA Fans) will have to wait until Wednesday to get their paws on the crisply animated bloody revenge side-scroller that is Shank.

We’ve been chomping at the bit for Shank’s release since our hands-on preview at E3. We’ve also gotten a peek at some of the unlockable costumes and the soundtrack.

Now that the official release is here, Klei seems happy with the product. “At the end of a long road that began as an indie dream in 2009, we’ve finally shipped a visually striking, cinematic brawler,” muses Klei Entertainment CEO Jamie Cheng in the official press release. Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director at EA Partners, calls Shank “the game analog of the black comedy symphony of violence dominating today’s indie film circuit” and an “exquisitely bloody game [that] conjures memories of the best arcade brawlers of the late 1980s.”

Indeed, Shank’s violent revenge-fueled combos are a far cry from the cute and quirky puzzler, Eets:Chowdown, which Klei released for XBLA in 2007. While much has been made of Shank’s violence, the press release emphasizes the “stylized animations” and “pulp-fiction lens.” With separate single-player and co-op story modes, you can enjoy your exquisitely bloody symphony of violence either alone or with a friend.

Shank will be available Wednesday, August 24, 2010 for 1200 Microsoft Points. See a gallery of screenshots below, scroll down for the full press release, or visit the official Shank website.

* * *

Redwood City, CA. – August 24, 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and award-winning independent development studio Klei Entertainment announced that the highly anticipated downloadable 2D action game Shank, will be available for download on PlayStation®Network beginning today, August 24 and on Xbox LIVE® Arcade on August 25. With its blend of classic side-scrolling action gameplay and stylized animation set against a modern-Western canvass, Shank tells a bloody story of revenge, penned by award-winning game writer Marianne Krawczyk.

“Our goal with Shank was to create a game that pays homage to the classic 2D brawler, while seeing how far we could push it by melding it with our own pulp-fiction influences,” said Jamie Cheng, CEO of Klei Entertainment. “At the end of a long road that began as an indie dream in 2009, we’ve finally shipped a visually striking, cinematic brawler.”

“With Shank, Jamie Cheng, Jeff Agala, and the team at Klei Entertainment have delivered the game analog of the black comedy symphony of violence dominating today’s indie film circuit,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director at EA Partners. “This exquisitely bloody game conjures memories of the best arcade brawlers of the late 1980s, while delivering the production values and pitch perfect controls of a modern high definition blockbuster masterpiece.”

Shank tells a classic story of gangland betrayal through a violent, pulp-fiction lens.  Gamers play as Shank, getting their hands bloody as they uncover the secrets of Shank’s past and the reasons he is hell-bent on revenge.  With a deep and intuitive combat system, players unleash a tremendous number of creative combinations as they take down waves of enemies standing in their path. Shank also features a special co-operative campaign, designed to be played with a friend locally, which tells the backstory of the revenge plot.  This prequel mission allows players to play as Shank or his partner-in-crime Falcone, with deadly double-team moves and gameplay that encourages teamwork.

Shank is one of the most highly anticipated downloadable game releases of this summer, having been nominated for Excellence in Visual Arts by the Independent Games Festival, as well as multiple “Best of E3” awards, including “Best Action Game” from IGN.com and “Best Downloadable Game” from GameTrailers.com.  Shank is available for download now on the PlayStation Network for $14.99, and August 25, 2010 on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points.  Shank is rated “M” for mature by the ESRB. For more information on Shank, please visit www.shankgame.com and follow the development team at www.twitter.com/klei and at www.facebook.com/shankgame.