Review: Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP — Sweet, Sexy, And a Little Messy
September 17, 2024
In some ways, you should know exactly what you're getting into with Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP. It doesn't exactly hide any of its most marketable features. But if you've never played the original, you might be surprised by how seriously unserious the game actually is. It's not just a shamelessly raunchy romp for the sake of being raunchy. Well, it kinda is...but the game's satirical nature is impossible to miss.
Beneath all the panty shots and vulgar language is a game that's actually quite critical of sexist stereotypes in video games and media in general. Does it get its message fully across? Not entirely, but I think most people will be able to appreciate it for what it is. It's a fun, comedic adventure with a very capable female lead. So, yeah, you don't have to be thirsting over Juliet Starling 24/7 in order to enjoy this game.
As a remaster, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP didn't really aim to add much of substance. And, well, they succeeded on that front. You could actually argue that the remaster is worse than the original in some ways. Still, this is a very solid action-adventure title on its own. There's not much else quite like it out there. Even if you're not a big fan of hack-and-slash games, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP offers enough variety in its gameplay that you'll be able to enjoy the game's short runtime.
This game's review is based on its PC version.
Related Read
Enjoyability: 10/12 — Chainsaw Go Brrr
Sometimes you just need a game where you can turn your brain off. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is absolutely perfect for that. Nothing in the game ever demands your undying attention, and that's a great thing for Lollipop Chainsaw, specifically. You can just hack-and-slash your heart out, taking all the jokes in as they come. I suppose it's worth mentioning that Lollipop Chainsaw's sense of humor is very adult-minded and provocative. If that's not your thing, then you might find the game a bit distasteful. It definitely crosses the line a few times, but the sheer absurdity of it all makes it hard not to laugh. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is unlikely to ever captivate you fully, but its ridiculous nature will definitely make you smile.
Gameplay: 9/12 — Vibrant Yet Stale
As far as action games go, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is nothing special. It never really gets to the point of being frustrating so it's definitely not a bad experience, but it's not exactly something stellar either. It works plenty fine for the runtime, I'll say that much.
Learning new skills is actually pretty fun, but they're not all made equally, unfortunately. Some skills are drastically better at dealing with crowds, which gives you little incentive to practice using the others. I like the Butt Attack as much as the next guy, but the use cases for it are very limited.
Something else of note, the chainsaw attacks are a bit nerfed in this remaster. They seem to come out slower compared to in the original game, which leaves Juliet more vulnerable than before. Players will notice the insane startup lag very quickly. Knowing this makes it hard to switch from her more cheer-oriented attacks. That said, it's a good thing that Juliet's gameplay has any amount of variety to begin with. Monotony and boredom never get a chance to set in.
Atmosphere: 10/12 — Inappropriately Awesome
I briefly touched upon the distinct aesthetic of the game before, but, yeah, it's what defines the game. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP isn't Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP without all the over the top hypersexualization and comedy. Its deeply unserious attitude is what makes its whole world stand out. Otherwise, it's just some plain old zombie game based in the United States.
The sound and visual design do a great job of reinforcing the inherently absurd nature of the game. Going into a shop for the first time and hearing "Lollipop" by The Chordettes playing is something of a surreal experience. It fits perfectly, and yet, it feels so, so wrong. What's even more confusing is that the soundtrack is actually super competent. There's some genuinely good songs mixed in there. Topping it all off are some eye-catching visual effects that fit in a totally chaotic kind of way. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP definitely has a memorable vibe to it.
If you're wondering, the remaster's unique RePOP mode does lean more into the "fantastical" compared to the Original mode. It's less gory and other graphics
Design: 10/12 — Great Variety, Questionable Remastering
When talking about design, regarding Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP, there are two entirely different conversations to be had. First, I'll be talking about how the game adds extra dimensions to the gameplay. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is actually really good at making the player switch gears in an instant. One moment, you could be dispatching zombies as per usual, and the next, you could be tasked with defending explosives. The game also loves to incorporate minigames into its levels, which will have you controlling Juliet in completely different kinds of ways from what you're used to. It all keeps the experience unique. There's no guessing what Lollipop Chainsaw will throw at you.
Where Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP is a bit of a letdown is in how little the remaster has attempted to smoothen out the presentation of the game. The graphics are better all around, but they don't actually look like that much of an improvement. If they had merely upscaled the original game, the results honestly wouldn't be all that different. A lot of the pre-rendered cutscenes weren't even changed. The same goes for some of the audio, which undeniably sounds crusty.
Related Read
RePOP feels like a lazy remaster. I guess that's just about what you can expect from a director who has basically gone rogue on James Gunn and Suda51. Yeah, uhh, those guys apparently have no involvement in this remaster. It's not a great look. If Lollipop Chainsaw has any chance of becoming a franchise, those two aforementioned names need to be back. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP isn't exactly an embarrassing mess, but it's a misleading remaster. Calling it modernized would be a stretch.
Direction: 9/12 — The Story's A Side Piece
Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP isn't all that long so you could easily beat it all in one sitting. That said, its stages are pretty exhausting to play through on your first go-around so you might not exactly have the motivation to do so. Lollipop Chainsaw is fun, but its game flow can still be overwhelming. After all, you're basically playing through the game almost solely for the vibes. The story isn't much of a factor in Lollipop Chainsaw. The narrative isn't bad. It just doesn't have much substance to it. There are some heavy story beats within stages, but the overarching narrative isn't all that impactful until you're close to beating the game.
