Game review: Lollipop Chainsaw

By Dave Cook
Published on 09/07/2012 00:00

ZOMBIES are dangerously close to outstaying their welcome in gaming, and as nice as it would be for the undead horde to shuffle off into some other realm of pop culture, Lollipop Chainsaw shows that there may be life in them yet.

From the twisted minds at Grasshopper Manufacture, Lollipop Chainsaw follows cheerleader and zombie slayer Juliet Starling as her high school is set upon by the horde, led by an undead musical supergroup.

The concept is preposterous, but it has that effortless Grasshopper style; Tarantino-brand cool with sly winks to B-movies, and the works of 
George Romero.

This is a hack‘n’slash game at its core, giving Juliet a wealth of pom-pom attack combos and ferocious chainsaw swipes to batter the undead back to their home dimension. It’s gory, knowingly crass and 
entirely playable.

It’s a linear experience, but a reliance on earning cash to unlock new moves and extras will keep you coming back for more, aping the progression system of genre mates Devil May Cry and Bayonetta.

While it’s an odd game, the humour is spot on – bearing in mind that this is a parody of zombie and music culture of course – and if the laughs don’t keep you coming back for more, the killer soundtrack, inventive boss battles and unlocks will.

If you ever wanted to let down your hair and immerse yourself in some fun and carefree gaming, this is the trip you’ve been looking for.

Lollipop Chainsaw

£39.99, PS3/Xbox 360