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ErikaSzabo
- edited
If you're familiar with the name Suda 51, you're probably familiar with his video games. In combination with Grasshopper Manufacture, Suda has had the opportunity to create some outstanding titles like No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned and Killer7. These games defied the rules of your usual genre archetypes, while maintaining an exploitative, satirical tone. Challenging the way we think and feel about video games is a respectable feat, but the fact that they were able to defy norms and be as fun as ever is something else entirely. Each project was bizarrely entertaining, and made you feel like a complete badass every time.
So how exactly does one become a badass in Lollipop Chainsaw? By being a zombie hunter, of course! It's Juliet's 18th birthday and her school, San Romero High, is swarming with zombies so it's up to her to rid the world of these demonic forces. Juliet's strange upbringing has given her the power to slay zombies and magically preserve her boyfriend Nick's dismembered head (I'm not even going to explain that one). It's a gift I'm sure many of us would die to have (who isn't intrigued by the zombie apocalypse nowadays?), and Juliet does it with a wink and smile. The rest of her family, on the other hand, is a hodge-podge of personalities whether we're talking about her road-raging little sister Rosalind or aloof, sharpshooting big sister Cordelia. They're all unique and intriguing in their own way, offering plenty of comic value to what would usually just be considered fan service. Lollipop is a lot sharper than that.
Gameplay consists of rainbow-spewing hack 'n' slash combos and a plethora of killer music to accompany the action -- I never thought I'd hear Children of Bodom, MSTRKRFT, and Toni Basil's "Mickey" in one game. By defeating zombies you'll typically get Gold Medals (the game's currency) while more creative combo kills will earn you Platinum Medals (essential if you want to buy the various collectibles in the game). As you continue hacking away at zombies, a meter at the bottom of your screen will grow until you've reached full capacity. This will give you the option to "Sparkle Hunt" a special attack mode which allows you to earn even more medals. It's quite the sight, to say the least.
Periodically you'll find kiosks (affectionately named Chop2Shop) selling new skills, upgrades, music, costumes and concept art. These stations pop up often enough that you'll never have to worry about running out of life-saving Lollipops, or missing out on new skills, stat boosters or sultry costumes. Actually, Lollipop might be too easy sometimes despite its arcadey feel, always offering you more items than necessary. Personally, I'm interested in playing the game's Hard Mode for a little more depth in gameplay and new boss battle moves.
One of the only times I ever became frustrated while playing was during minigames where you were expected to do something outside the usual formula, like playing a game of zombie baseball with Nick or stopping zombies from touching a dynamite birthday cake. These parts in the game felt sluggish (the Unreal engine isn't really meant for that sort of gameplay anyways) and irritating at best.
Another grating problem is the game's shoddy camera. While the camera is usually fairly easy to control, sometimes it can take a turn for the worse in tighter environments. I particularly had this issue when fighting my way through San Romero High's narrow corridors, catching a bad angle in the middle of a heated battle. This also seems to be a problem during boss battles when quick camera work is necessary. While not always seamless, Lollipop always manages to bounce back despite some annoying flaws.
On the other hand, the gameplay is consistently entertaining, particularly the boss battles, each of which focus on a different genre of music. Whether duking it out with viking metalhead Vikki or psychedelic hippie Mariska, each eccentric boss has their own trick up their sleeve. While none of these battles are particularly difficult, they offer some fun and gorey quicktime events you need to see to believe.
Also worth noting is the vast array of collectables in store. Whether you're searching for lollipop wrappers, phone call messages or aforementioned costumes and concept art, there's plenty to collect in this game. With each stage no more than an hour long each, it's easy to miss items here and there so backtracking is a must if you want everything in the game. Lollipop's competitive world leaderboard adds to the game's replay value, but only if your looking for that high score. Otherwise, it's fairly forgettable, with collectibles being the primary highlight of the game.
When I first laid eyes on Juliet Starling it was love at first sight. Whether it's her flirtatious, girly persona or her confidence and determination, Juliet is fun and empowering in the strangest way possible. Something about her made me realize that, amidst all the controversy in video games, there's still plenty of room for quirky playfulness we've grown to love over the years. At the core of Lollipop's bubblegum kisses and sparkle gore is a game smart enough to poke fun at female objectification and aims light-hearted jokes at those more than just a little curious.
And there's nothing wrong if you are (hell, even I was intrigued), that's just a part of its charm. If you're willing to laugh at yourself a little while playing this game, you'll grow to appreciate its self-realized nature and relish the endless amounts of gratuitous zombie violence, genre-bending music, sparkle hunting, and eye candy.
Lollipop Chainsaw has been a blast to play, I would definitely consider checking it out if you're looking for something light and fun. Check it out at Future Shop at the below product pages.
SKU: 10198926
Lollipop Chainsaw is the 'un-deadly' story of sweet and killer zombie-hunter Juliet Starling and her quest to uncover the root of a colossal zombie outbreak. With her wickedly awesome chainsaw in hand, Juliet slices, dices and splits her way through hordes of the undead, but soon realizes the horde is only the opening act to a festival of zombie rock lords determined to kill the chainsaw-wielding cheerleader.
SKU: 10198923
Lollipop Chainsaw is the 'un-deadly' story of sweet and killer zombie-hunter Juliet Starling and her quest to uncover the root of a colossal zombie outbreak. With her wickedly awesome chainsaw in hand, Juliet slices, dices and splits her way through hordes of the undead, but soon realizes the horde is only the opening act to a festival of zombie rock lords determined to kill the chainsaw-wielding cheerleader.
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