There are some games that are hard to explain or describe. Lollipop Chainsaw is one of those games. This game has some of the most ridiculous dialogue and nonsensical plot elements that I have ever experienced in a video game. The story seems as if it might have been ripped from various moments of any number of grindhouse and B-horror movies. The whole affair is over the top and ridiculous and there were even a fair number of moments that were downright stupid. And do you know what? It was a whole lot of fun.
You play as Juliet Starling; head cheerleader for San Romero high school and proficient zombie killer. In fact, Juliet’s entire family is in the monster hunting business and throughout the game you will get a chance to meet all of them as they aide you in quelling the zombie apocalypse. Don’t expect any deep, family orientated plot twists or character development however. Everything is kept as superficial as can be for the most part but it serves the game well as the focus is kept squarely on the incredible mayhem that plays out before you.
Crazy combat is at the core of Lollipop Chainsaw’s appeal and it pays off quite nicely. You won’t start off with a plethora of interesting moves but every zombie kill nets you money that you can spend to upgrade your move set, among other things. By the end of the game you will have a number of over the top chainsaw and pom-pom moves to quickly dispatch the walking dead. You will also be able to upgrade your chainsaw into a ranged weapon to take out enemies from a distance. While this style of combat is affective (especially when using your boyfriend’s severed head as ammo) it’s nowhere near as satisfying or responsive as your melee attacks. As fun as the combat is, there are some moments of frustration. Mostly coming in the form of scenarios in which you must protect another person or object for a set amount of time. One moment in particular in which you must protect a character during a game of zombie baseball is particularly frustrating. it seems like something called zombie baseball would be fun but these glorified escort missions end up dragging out too long and bring down an otherwise engaging combat experience.
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Art design is also a highlight. The entire game has an interesting cell shaded look that compliments its comic book art style. The zombies themselves are nicely designed but the character models are overused far too much. Every stage has its own new zombie type but after they are introduced you will end up seeing them and the others over and over again until the credits roll. Bosses, on the other hand are creatively designed and all have their own distinct style and personality. Locations are also nice to look at and they change up often enough to keep you from getting bored. You’ve probably seen screen shots or videos of the high school setting but you will also visit a farm, arcade, junk yard and more. They’re all pretty linear but the Unreal 3 engine is put to some good use as everything looks bright, colorful and appropriately bloody.
As fun as the combat may be and as enjoyable as the nonsensical story is, it all wraps up a little too quickly. I finished my entire playthrough in less than six hours and while I have certainly played shorter games, the length may deter some from paying $60 for it. Achievement hunters and completionists can still have something to smile about here though because Lollipop Chainsaw is tailor made for multiple playthroughs. Every chapter in the game includes high scores that have been achieved by members of your zombie hunting family and you are tasked with replaying each chapter to beat their scores. There are also plenty of combat moves and upgrades that won’t be unlocked until you’ve beaten the game at least once so what starts as a short campaign experience can be substantially longer if you want to see everything that the game has to offer. On the downside, not every upgrade can be accessed in every level. For instance, your chainsaw is upgraded with the ranged attachment in the third level and you can only use it in the third level and beyond, even when replaying. It’s not a deal breaker by any means but it would have been nice to access all the upgrades at any time.
The insane humor of Lollipop Chainsaw is easily the most polarizing aspect of the game. For me, it’s a major draw as I appreciate the absurdity and stupidity of the whole thing. Things like placing the severed, magical head of your boyfriend onto the body of a headless zombie and cheering him on to victory is not an unheard of occurrence in this game. Neither is keeping a corded phone inside your chainsaw, fighting giant chickens while under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms, or purposefully jumping inside the belly of a giant, zombie Elvis. Does any of this sound absurd? Well, it is and I love it. It is the kind of straight faced stupidity that makes the insanity on screen seem somehow valid. As much as I did enjoy the content and humor I do wish that Juliet had not been sexualized to the point that she was. For every empowering moment you experience by laying waste to hundreds of zombies there will inevitably come a comment or two that will remind you that Juliet is still little more than a sex object with a chainsaw. I’d like to see a sequel to this game but I hope that the next time I see Juliet maybe her character will have a little more depth than a short skirt a low cut top. Character development is obviously not the main focus here and that’s OK, but a little more respect to the protagonist would be nice.
All in all I feel that Lollipop Chainsaw is a solid effort and way more fun than it has any right to be. At the same time I also understand that it will not appeal to everybody. I loved this game but I also loved watching Troll 2. Try explaining to anyone why you think Troll 2 is a good movie. It’s nearly impossible because it takes a special type of person to appreciate the wonderful awfulness of it. This game is a fun, combo filled action game hiding under layers of ridiculousness and rainbows and as such, it will probably get ignored by many who would otherwise enjoy it. I do hope it finds an audience though because the kind of creativity Lollipop Chainsaw offers is exactly what this industry needs to keep from becoming stagnant and boring. Thank you, Suda51. Thank you.
Lollipop Chainsaw
Pros
- Likeable Characters
- Insane Visuals
Cons
- Unpolished Gameplay
