In case you didn’t know, our newest title, Shank 2, launches today on PSN for $9.99! This game is a huge improvement over the original Shank — the controls are far tighter, we’ve added new moves and nuances to give you greater control and options to combat, and in general the experience is the best we’ve done so far. I really hope you’ll give the demo a shot and support a friendly developer!

Today, I’m going to talk a bit about strategy in Shank 2’s new Survival Mode. In Survival Mode, you team up with a friend (local or online), earn cash, buy upgrades, defend your base, and survive for as long as you can.

Trust me, you really have to pay attention and choose your strategy in this mode — let’s just say that to this day, I have to be on my game in order to complete the entire 30 waves. But before you begin, you select one of three different maps, each with their own play styles. Then, select your costume:

There are 16 different costumes you can unlock in Shank 2, and each one gives you stat modifiers. The costumes are either for Shank or Corina, and both Shank and Corina have different attacks, speed, advantages and disadvantages. Pick wisely — above, I’ve chosen the Hobo (with a shotgun), and Chops the healer. This allows one player to heal the other who does damage with the pickups (but is too broke to buy stuff). Communicate with your partner to choose a strategy!

Once you’re in the game, my suggestion is to pay attention to the bombers, and try to get them before they set us up the bomb. Also, try to increase your combo count as that contributes directly to your cash. Note that high powered weapons such as the shotgun isn’t as good for combos, but are far better at delaying and killing the bombers.

Now flush with cash, you can buy reinforcements such as tequila to heal yourself, a minigun to cause major spread damage, or turrets to play tower defense with. A friendly reminder: don’t be too frugal with your spending! Many a time I’ve gotten too confident and suddenly died with thousands in the bank. Finally, use the environment to your advantage — each map has a feature you can use to aid you, and they’re crucial to your success.

Alright folks! That should get you started. We’ve poured a ton of love into this game and we hope the little surprises we threw in really delight you. We’re big believers that a developer shouldn’t make a sequel unless it meaningfully improves the experience, and I can proudly say that Shank 2 is our best game yet.

If you’ve got any questions or want further tips, come say hello on Twitter or Facebook! I’m always lurking around and happy to help.