By
Matthew Scott Hunter
 ‘Lollipop
Chainsaw’
(M)
**
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Xbox 360
Cult classic or crap?
Suda 51, the famed developer of such titles
as “killer7” and “No More Heroes,” brings us
yet another game that pushes the envelope as
to what games can be while simultaneously pushing
the envelope as to how annoyed we can get with
a video game. Players are thrust into the role
of Juliet — a barely 18 bimbo whose flesh is
coveted by all, particularly the zombie hordes
who would very much like to dine on it. But
like a certain high school-attending vampire
slayer, Juliet comes from a long line of people
trained to deal with the very ghouls that now
besiege her school, so armed with pompoms and
chainsaw, she proceeds to hack and slash her
way through the ranks of the undead. But this
wouldn’t be a Suda 51 game without some exceedingly
bizarre details, like the fact that the head
of the boyfriend Juliet was forced to decapitate
early in the game hangs from her belt, offering
a running commentary and acting as sidekick.
Then there’s the aesthetic: a cross between
grindhouse horror and the sorts of rainbows
and sparkles you’d find amongst the Care Bears.
“Lollipop Chainsaw” has the kind of attention
to weird, fetishistic detail that virtually
guarantees it cult status among every adolescent
who discovers its naughty, pseudo-misogynistic
pleasures. As an exercise in quirk, it’s on
par with Suda 51’s other work, but as a video
game, it’s crap. The combat moves, while flashy
and provocative, feel sluggish and limited.
Each innuendo-loaded animation has to complete
its full cycle before control returns to the
player, which is completely unacceptable in
this type of game. Upgrades are doled out far
too slowly, and the camera is atrocious. I’m
all for pushing the stylistic envelope, but
not at the expense of substance.
‘LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes’
(E10+)
**1/2
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Xbox 360
The “LEGO” series puts a few new pieces in
its playset this time around, including an open
world hub in the form of Gotham City as well
as fully voiced characters (in place of the
standard mimes). Aside from that, this is exactly
the game you’re expecting, which may be cause
for comfort or disappointment, depending on
your affinity for overly simplistic puzzles
and mindless brawling action with floaty controls.
But fans of DC Comics will be pleased to know
that the entire Justice League appears as playable
characters — each one with the superpower to
smash items down to their constituent LEGO building
blocks.
‘Brave’
(E10+)
**1/2
Disney Interactive Studios
Xbox 360
Thanks to her archery and sword-wielding skills,
Merida isn’t your average Disney princess. However,
those skills do make her your average video
game protagonist, with both ranged and close-quarters
attacks. Despite a fairly robust upgrade system
the derivative gameplay in “Brave” isn’t going
to win any hardcore fans, but the easy difficulty
level and indestructible 2-player co-op character
make this a good fit for young kids hoping to
reenact the latest Pixar flick. |
