If there’s one big flaw with Lollipop Chainsaw it’s that, like its brawler predecessors before it, it’s quite a short experience. The minigame is very simple and comes up a little too often for our liking, but it at least serves to break up the action. This will usually come into play when there is a large obstacle that needs to be cleared from your path. The most prominent of these is a button-mashing sequence in which Juliet mounts the decapitated head of her boyfriend (long story) onto a headless zombie body, thus giving him brief control over the corpse thanks to vaguely-defined voodoo magic. The core chainsaw-and-pom-pom-based combat is broken up at times by the inclusion of several minigames. It’s a pretty flexible system that adds a deceptive amount of depth to the mashy gameplay. If you want to put those cheerleading moves to good use flipping over and under zombies before decapitating them with one decisive chainsaw swing, you can spec more towards speed and better recovery times. If you want a tank-like character who can take lots of hits before keeling over, you can make that. By purchasing items that increase Juliet’s strength, health, speed, and more, you can customize your avatar to play just how you want her to. In order to deal with all of these zombies, Juliet can upgrade herself at stores that are scattered about the game’s five environments. A punk rocker zombie screams curse words with such ferocity that they actually become tangible and home in on you letter by letter, while a hippie zombie ensnares you in a wicked drug trip before making her attack. And that’s not even taking into account the five bosses, each of whom is styled after a certain type of music and each of whom has their own bizarre attacks. The standard zombie fare quickly gives way to exploding undead, zombie chickens, and flying zombies who propel themselves through the air using the gouts of blood that stream from their severed legs. While you might think that having a game centered around zombies inherently limits the possibilities for different enemy types, it in fact opened up new and ridiculous possibilities for the team at Grasshopper Manufacture. This variety is present in the game’s roster of enemies as well. By the time you reach the last level, you will have plenty of options in regards to slaying all of the zombies. ![]() In a particularly funny running gag, Juliet will receive multiple upgrades for her chainsaw as the game progresses in the form of birthday presents from her family (yes, despite the zombie infestation surrounding her, Juliet is still conceited enough to demand gifts from everyone on her big day.) These upgrades will take the forms of grenade launchers, dash moves, and more, and they serve as an excellent way to flesh out the core combat, which would be too shallow to support the entire game on its own. I found myself using the pom-poms very rarely, though, as the default chainsaw is much better for slicing and dicing. These serve as a way to stun zombies, which can be helpful when a hoard of the undead close in on you. Juliet is also equipped with pom-poms, though. Chopping off multiple heads with one swipe will result in a flashy kill sequence and more points, just like in Travis’ last adventure. You can decapitate enemies with a horizontal slice of your chainsaw. The basic combat in Lollipop Chainsaw is actually very reminiscent of another SUDA joint, No More Heroes, in many significant ways. ![]() She does what any good cheerleader would and whips a pink chainsaw from her purse. Infamous producer SUDA 51 and writer James Gunn have infused each moment of the game with such honest, open-faced immaturity that it’s nearly impossible not to laugh along, and it is for this reason that Lollipop Chainsaw stands out as one of the best action games so far this year.Īs Juliet, you will stumble upon your high school in the throes of a zombie invasion. If I had a dollar for every time the camera panned directly up the skirt of Juliet’s microscopic uniform during a cutscene, I’d be a rich man (not to mention the fact that there’s actually an Achievement for sneaking a peek yourself during gameplay.) The thing that elevates Lollipop Chainsaw beyond the realm of mere crass entertainment is the earnestness with which the story is told. The tale, which follows zombie hunter/cheerleader extraordinaire Juliet through a literally hellish day of school, is about as pandering and immature as humanly possible. Lollipop Chainsaw should by no means be as much fun as it is.
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