Second Opinion - Lollipop Chainsaw

Lollipop Chainsaw is probably one of the weirdest games I have played this year. However, it's also easily one of the best experiences I've had with a game, due in part to it's interesting concepts, writing, and music. The more I heard about this game as the release got closer, the more I was sold on the idea of a cheerleader slaying zombies with a chainsaw and making rainbows erupt out of them in place of blood and guts. In fact I was sold so much on this game, that this is the second game that I have ever attended a midnight launch for, the first being God of War III. In any case, I had a good time with this game, though it has some minor flaws.

But first, I'd like to discuss what I liked about it. One aspect I would praise is the writing by horror movie writer/director James Gunn, which perfectly sets the tone of how crazy the game can be, with some clever dialogue between the main character Juliet and Nick, her boyfriend that's a decapitated head. The voice acting does a good job at bringing the game's characters to life, including the numerous bosses you must defeat along the way. The game's soundtrack is also really well put together, with some amazing original music mixed in with various licensed songs such as Lollipop by The Chordettes, Mickey by Tony Basil, and You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) by Dead or Alive.

While I'm talking about music, I would like to talk more about the boss battles. The bosses in this game are called the Dark Purveyors, who are various rock gods that each embody a different style of music. As such their levels leading up to them follow some sort of theme relating to their musical genre. Though the Dark Purveyors don't have much going for them in terms of character, it does not stop them from being memorable. Lollipop Chainsaw is also probably one of the only times where I've actually wanted to replay a boss battle, if only because of how awesome that boss is.

As for those flaws I mentioned earlier, while there are a few (including my previous comment on the bosses), they are relatively minor. At times the graphics seem a little outdated, though not too jarring for the current generation like I Am Alive. A little more variety in the gameplay would've been nice, but I still nonetheless had some fun while chopping down zombies in various ways with a chainsaw, even if I was required to purchase more button combinations through the in-game store. Some parts of each level can be a little infuriating, but fortunately once you get past them you don't have to go through them again later.

Lollipop Chainsaw is a unique take on zombie games that I think fans of the genre should at least check out once. While this is my first experience from the mind of Suda51, I think anyone that has played his odd creations may have an enjoyable time with this game's short campaign, as I did. Once you go through the story once, you may find yourself wanting to replay parts of it over and over again.