Background
Lollipop Chainsaw was one of the games that was released during the 2012-2013 zenith of 7th-gen consoles. While I definitely recall watching a trailer or two back in the day due to its unique premise, it didn't stick in my memory as I wasn't so interested in hack & slash games at the time and it was ultimately overshadowed by the deluge of absolute bangers that was released during that period. I only rediscovered this game in the past couple of years when I started collecting old PS3 games and I saw it being priced suspiciously high. When the remaster was announced, I added it to my wishlist so that I could see what all the fuss was about. However, the middling reviews of the remaster put me off so I decided to take the plunge with the PS3 version instead.
Production
Lollipop Chainsaw is an action game revolving around an all-American high school cheerleader irreverently hacking and slashing her way through a zombie apocalypse that befalls her small town.
I have a soft spot for auteur-driven games or movies, where the creator's voice shines through, rather than just consuming a generic entertainment product. Lollipop Chainsaw undoubtedly falls into this category, with its menus and loading screens evoking the style of 80s-90s American comics, and a soundtrack filled with retro pop-rock classics. The licensed soundtrack adds a lot of character to the game and its loss in the remaster was a big factor for me to seek out the original PS3 version instead.
Despite its grim subject matter, the game’s tone is decidedly lighthearted, with the violence presented as cartoony rather than horrifying. Slicing through hordes of zombies during the game is accompanied by sparkly hearts and rainbows particles effects, seemingly the precursor to the Harley-vision sequence from James Gunn's 2021 Suicide Squad movie. While the story isn’t particularly interesting, the writing unmistakably reflects James Gunn's late-2000s edgelord phase, brought to life through brilliantly over-the-top voice acting.
From a technical perspective, the PS3 version ran fine though at a 30 fps frame rate which was unfortunately a common target for 7th-gen consoles. I didn't notice any bugs or crashes during my playthrough, with the minor exception of an ending achievement triggering when it wasn't supposed to.
While I didn't get the remaster, the PC version should be the best option if you want to experience this game in 4k60fps as it could also be modded to restore the original music.
The game
Lollipop Chainsaw is divided into a series of linear levels, with each level having a decent number of checkpoints to restart from after dying or quitting the game. The overall game is quite short, with a single first time playthrough likely to take about 7 hours. The levels are bookended by long but skippable cutscenes that advance the story. There are also a number of shorter cutscenes that punctuate each level, most of which are annoyingly unskippable. While most of the cutscenes intend to be humorous, they quickly become annoying with repetition, especially those that have to be repeated between checkpoints.
The game has a basic upgrade system, where you earn currency from pickups or combat which can then be spent on shops located at certain points within the levels. There are two distinct currencies, a basic currency for purchasing combat upgrades and another for cosmetics. Unfortunately you won't earn anywhere near enough currency to buy all upgrades in a single playthrough. There isn't a distinct new game plus mode, but completed levels can be replayed indefinitely to farm for additional currency.
The core hack and slash gameplay is based on 3 different basic attacks, each having clear uses, and a dodge button with generous i-frames. The basic attacks can be chained together to form combos, with new combos unlockable through the in game shop. I found the shorter combos which are unlocked earlier to be more useful throughout the game as enemy attacks will interrupt your longer combos. Stuns are a key combat mechanic, which allows for the next hit to be an instant kill and is best used on some of the tougher mobs in the game. The highlight of the combat system is the sparkle hunting mechanic, which triggers a short cutscene and awards additional currency when you manage to kill 3 or more zombies in one hit. Overall, however, the melee combat feels underpowered, with the chainsaw attacks in particular requiring many hits to kill even basic zombies. Fights often devolve into circling around groups of zombies to herd them together before hitting them with one of the short combos.
A ranged attack is added partway into the game but the shooting mechanics feel quite clunky and unsatisfying. There's a headshot system but the hitboxes of the zombies feel very inconsistent, often not matching the actual model. There are some temporary power ups that can be triggered with a consumable, but I didn't find them necessary and often forgot about the mechanic during my playthrough. The health system is based on a simple health bar, allowing you to withstand a generous number of hits before dying. Healing is only possible through lollipop consumables, which can be found sporadically throughout levels or purchased from shops. However, there is a strict limit on how many you can carry at once. This design encourages a more cautious approach to combat, contrasting with systems where health can be regained from defeating enemies.
There aren’t many enemy types in the game, but they are distinct enough to require different approaches, adding some variety to the combat. Minibosses scattered throughout the levels add some challenge, although they remain vulnerable to basic combat tactics. The boss fights at the end of each level are a highlight; each is a multi-phase affair with interesting set pieces, although none present a significant difficulty spike compared to the base game. The biggest gameplay weakness lies in the minigames scattered throughout the levels: most feel gimmicky, introduce mechanics that aren’t used elsewhere in the game, and gate progress, as none of the minigames are optional.
Conclusion
Lollipop Chainsaw is a game where the individual elements combine to create an experience greater than the sum of its parts. However, this isn’t quite enough to elevate it beyond a mid game, as the core combat lacks variety which is not made up for by the gimmicky minigames. While it's a unique and fun experience the first time around, it feels like there’s little reason to revisit it.
6/10 - Worth trying if you enjoy hack & slash action games
