REVIEW – The modernized version of the game released in June 2012 does not cut content originally created by Grasshopper Manufacture, but adds a little something to it, so Dragami Games has done the right thing with the chainsaw hack’n’slash, but in case of such a remaster the question is whether the game or the remaster should be given a score at the end…

And for this very reason, Juliet Starling’s story might end up with two different scores at the end of this bunch of characters.

Juliet’s coming of age

Our protagonist has turned 18 and is on her way to meet her boyfriend Nick (a zombie hunter), only that morning the zombies end up causing an outbreak. Nick is infected, and a ritual helps Juliet save him… but only his head remains, stuck to his girlfriend’s waist. The story is good because it focuses on the relationship between the two. Although the mood is lighthearted, there are deeper, thought-provoking moments. The main characters are memorable, and the story, while not a reason to play through, has a nice ending, but there are some references in the dialogue that are a bit dated today, but that’s part of the game’s appeal for having been left intact. The game consists of seven very long stages, each with different visuals and twist. The combat consists mostly of Juliet’s cheerleading moves when you’re not using a chainsaw. The former is mostly used to stun your opponents, which will be needed for the bigger combos, and obviously the chainsaw will be useful for chopping. Moves will need to be varied, and sometimes a bit of trickery will be required (jumping behind your opponent).

There will be some bizarre stuff worthy of the game though (the firearm being a bit overpowered is somewhat of an odd choice, though… isntead, think where Nick’s head is used as a projectile). It’s not going to be easy, especially if you’re playing on a harder difficulty level, but it’s worth playing on it for that very reason, because it feels rewarding when you get something right. There’s no shame in browsing through the move lists and tutorials. Of course there is also a progression system through the two medal types. You can buy fixed stat upgrades, new moves and costumes and background music in the in-game shop, and if you play with enough focus on collecting, you can get most of the major items in one playthrough. The game is still limited, though, as the seven stages will be very challenging for perfectionists, as the longer levels will take longer to reach the end for achievements and higher scores. This will also affect replayability, and the mini-games will be more annoying than enjoyable, as you will be forced to learn basketball and baseball. The tractor section (because there will be one) won’t be so annoying, but it won’t be easy either. In any case, the mini-games suffer from the same problem (maybe they all got too long…).

Beyond the chainsaw’s offerings

The mini-games break up the slaughter, which is a good thing, but it has been said that the execution is not perfect. They don’t do much to distract from the overall experience. Although the game can be described as mostly linear, there are some minor detours, but they are not that big. This sort of thing was very common at the time, as Deadpool, released in 2013, offered almost the exact same thing. It’s serviceable, but nothing more. Unfortunately, the same can be said for the boss fights, which are quick to defeat and not very varied in terms of movement. Randomly attacking a group of enemies is therefore more dangerous (there is one boss that is an exception, but let’s keep it a secret which one…).

But there are innovations. QTEs can even be completed automatically, the gallery (this is our protagonist’s room) has been expanded, and the RePop mode is the biggest addition, using a less violent art style when dealing damage, but it’s highly subjective who will like this and who won’t, but remember that the original game mode is there, intact!On PlayStation 5, the framerate is stable and technically there were no major problems. But that doesn’t mean you can expect the same perfect performance on the previous generation of consoles or on the Nintendo Switch.

Everyone has their own chainsaw to deal with

Lollipop Chainsaw RePop has two scores. If we look at the game itself, it deserves a reasonable score of 7.5, as it can still be described as a fairly fair and nice-vibe title. The remaster, on the other hand, is an 8.5 in terms of quality, because the only problem with it is that RePop leans towards visuals that could cause eye cancer. The levels and bosses don’t get as much attention, but otherwise it’s not a bad product. What wasn’t possible in the days of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is now easy to do, so good performance really counts for a lot in the end. Just don’t go over the board with the combos and you’ll be fine…

-V-

Publisher: Dragami Games

Developer: Dragami Games

Style: hack’n’slash

Release: September 12, 2024.