Lollipop Chainsaw
- June 12, 2012
- Grasshopper Manufacture
- 5h median play time
For Suda fans, Lollipop Chainsaw will be another title that'll quickly live up to your high expectations. A presentation and soundtrack that takes you well away from gaming's conventions.
"Lollipop Chainsaw" is an action-packed hack and slash game following Juliet Starling, a zombie-hunting cheerleader with a chainsaw. Juliet battles through hordes of the undead to uncover the cause of a massive zombie outbreak, only to discover an even greater threat: zombie rock lords. Using her chainsaw and wit, Juliet must defeat these powerful enemies to save the day.
Reviews
- Lollipop Chainsaw features a hilarious and clever script co-written by James Gunn, filled with entertaining dialogue and memorable characters.
- The game offers a fun and addictive combat system that becomes more enjoyable as players unlock new moves and upgrades, complemented by a vibrant art style and an excellent soundtrack.
- With high replay value due to unlockable outfits, achievements, and competitive leaderboards, Lollipop Chainsaw provides a quirky and engaging experience for both casual and competitive gamers.
- The controls can feel stiff and clunky at times, making the initial gameplay experience frustrating for some players.
- The game is relatively short and can become repetitive, with some levels dragging on and lacking variety in gameplay mechanics.
- Certain camera angles and gameplay objectives can be annoying, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- humor34 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Lollipop Chainsaw" is characterized by its cheeky dialogue, clever references, and memorable banter, particularly between the protagonist and her decapitated boyfriend. Players appreciate the over-the-top, absurd humor, which includes fourth wall breaks and humorous zombie interactions, making it a laugh riot for fans of silly comedy. While the storyline may be weak, the entertaining writing and voice performances contribute significantly to the game's comedic charm.
“There's plenty of funny dialog, clever references, and even a little fourth wall breaking.”
“Her decapitated boyfriend Nick, voiced to absolute perfection by the wonderful Michael Rosenbaum, is a joy to listen to, and their banter ensured that every second that I wasn't slaying zombies, I was laughing and smiling at their conversations.”
“The zombies in this game aren't your typical mindless flesh-eating zombies; they have attitudes and say some really hilarious things.”
- story29 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game's story is a humorous and subversive take on gender roles, featuring strong female characters and a cheeky tone that may not appeal to everyone. While it serves as a playful homage to iconic zombie genre directors, the overall narrative is considered weak and not the main draw for players, who are more focused on the gameplay and comedic elements. Despite its shortcomings, the story offers replay value and entertaining commentary, making it a light-hearted experience rather than a deep narrative journey.
“In actuality, I enjoyed the way the game plays around with gender roles in a subversive way, and I was impressed by the number of strong and dominant female characters in the story as well.”
“Story: 4/5. Suda51 definitely crafted a unique tale of love, decay, pom poms, family, surrealism, and existential threat.”
“This game or its protagonist do not take itself seriously, and with the story this game tells, it blends together very well.”
“The controls are kinda stiff at first, and the story is nearly non-existent.”
“Another thing is that the storyline sucks hard.”
“Don't get me wrong, it's hilarious and I didn't buy the game for the storyline, but the story is just awful so I took off a star for that.”
- music24 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, featuring an exceptional soundtrack that blends compositions from notable artists like Jimmy Urine and Akira Yamaoka, enhancing the game's energy and atmosphere. Players appreciate the variety of genres represented, particularly during boss fights, and the inclusion of unlockable tracks adds to the replay value. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout elements, contributing significantly to the game's unique charm and appeal.
“The soundtrack is an excellent mix of great compositions from Mindless Self Indulgence's Jimmy Urine and Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame.”
“It's easily one of the best video game soundtracks I've ever heard and gives the game so much energy.”
“The graphics, sound design, and especially the soundtrack are all very much on point.”
“I realize they were modeled after genres of music, but I wish they would have branched out a bit. Zed was great, but I would have liked different bosses than Lewis and Killabilly.”
“A presentation and soundtrack that takes you well away from gaming's conventions.”
“As far as sound, soundtrack, script, voice acting, and imagination, a perfect 5-stars.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their bright, colorful, and original art style, which aligns well with the quirky themes of the gameplay. While some players noted occasional glitches and the limitations of fixed camera angles, the overall visual presentation is considered appealing, especially for fans of Suda51's unique aesthetic. The game's visuals hold up well over time, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“The game's art style is bright, colorful, and original.”
“The graphics, sound design, and especially the soundtrack are all very much on point.”
“Graphically, it looks pretty nice for a Suda51 game and the sound effects and music are fitting.”
“Graphically, this could have easily been dated as being made a few years ago.”
“Graphics aren't great, more like a cartoon than a movie like most games try to be, which is okay with me.”
“The biggest problem with the overall look is the fixed camera angles, which can be quite frustrating.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Lollipop Chainsaw" is primarily a hack-and-slash experience with minor platforming elements, featuring engaging boss fights that incorporate unique mechanics tied to musical themes. While the game offers a variety of mini-games and replayability, some players may encounter frustrating fixed camera angles and occasional stumbling blocks due to specific objectives. Overall, the controls may feel awkward initially, but they do not detract significantly from the fun and energetic gameplay.
“The game also finds lots of ways to break up the gameplay with fun mini-games and other surprises.”
“The boss fights are the shining star of this game, each having their own theme based on a genre of music with unique and fun mechanics.”
“Of course, all of that is meaningless without decent gameplay, and Lollipop Chainsaw has it in spades.”
“There were a few times I felt like I hit a stumbling block in the game where you had to complete an objective or the gameplay style changes where you have to be at a certain camera angle and use only a certain weapon.”
“I realize mechanics are in and of themselves repetitious, but that doesn't mean objectives have to be.”
“[shallow gameplay mechanics, short length, bad camera]”
- replayability13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, particularly for players interested in unlocking items, achievements, and competing on global leaderboards. While the main storyline can be completed relatively quickly, the option to replay levels in ranked mode and the pursuit of collectibles, such as outfits and song tracks, significantly enhance its replay value. Overall, the enjoyment derived from the gameplay and the engaging script further contribute to its appeal for repeated playthroughs.
“There are leaderboards to compete and compare scores worldwide, which gives this game a lot of high replay value.”
“The reason why it has such a good replay value is that once you beat a level, you can play it in ranked mode.”
“You can beat this game in one night if you wanted to, and unless you want to get all the costumes and stuff like that, then there is not too much replay value.”
“However, the replay value is fairly high depending on your interest in unlocking items, achievements, or just replaying for the hell of it.”
“It has a ton of replay value if you want to unlock all of Juliet's outfits and song tracks.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with no major glitches reported. While there are occasional instances of NPC character overlap, these occurrences are rare and typically arise in specific situations rather than being a common issue.
“No horrid glitches have been found, but there were times when NPC characters did overlap. However, these instances occurred in special situations and are not the norm.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews do not provide specific feedback on the game's optimization, focusing instead on the voice acting performances of Michael Rosenbaum and Kimberly Brooks. Therefore, no conclusions about optimization can be drawn from the provided texts.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that while certain mini-games can become tedious, the overall experience justifies the time spent grinding.
Critic Reviews
Lollipop Chainsaw Review
Lollipop Chainsaw is too repetitive for its own good. While it's always fun to play a game that doesn't take itself too seriously, Lollipop doesn't offer much else besides silly sexuality and gory combat.
60%Lollipop Chainsaw Review
It's a great, surreal experience, that is certainly recommended if you have the stomach for it, but don't go expecting a game that justifies the $60 purchase. It barely works as a game in the first place.
60%Lollipop Chainsaw Review
For Suda fans, Lollipop Chainsaw will be another title that'll quickly live up to your high expectations. A presentation and soundtrack that takes you well away from gaming's conventions.
70%