Stereotypes In 'Lollipop Chainsaw'

Lollipop Chainsaw is a third-person, character action game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2012. Lollipop Chainsaw stars Juliet Starling, part-time high school cheerleader and full-time professional zombie hunter, as she strives to save the world from a zombie invasion. Should you allow Juliet to hang your decapitated head off of her belt as she chainsaws her way through hordes of zombies in Lollipop Chainsaw?

Absurd, Musical Zombie Apocalypse

Juliet Starling awakes later than usual; she frantically consults her alarm clock only to learn that she is terribly late for her rendezvous with Nick. She puts on her cheerleader uniform in a mad dash; proudly declaring to the world her

affiliation with San Romero High. Her mind races as swiftly as the pedals on her bicycle, "will Nick be upset that I am late?; will he think that I am weird?". However, a new, more pressing, concern materializes in front of her as she turns the corner leading up to San Romero High. It does so in the form of a shambling, undead classmate lumbering slowly towards her hungrily. Juliet laments the typicality of it all; of course, zombies would invade on her 18th birthday, of course they would delay her arrival for her date further, and of course she would be forced to do something about it. She sighs and produces her chainsaw - ready to rip and tear.

Grasshopper doesn't waste any time getting things started in Lollipop Chainsaw; a brief introductory cinematic establishing the protagonist is the only thing preceding the nitty-gritty of zombie mass murder.

Lollipop Chainsaw stars Juliet Starling, part-time high school cheerleader and full-time, bad-ass zombie hunter. Grasshopper cleverly plays with the player's preconceived, stereotypical notions with Juliet; juxtaposing her dumb, shallow, and ditsy blonde bombshell persona with that of a battle-hardened, adept, and brave warrior. Juliet Starling is Lollipop Chainsaw's narrative's ace in the hole, with Grasshopper frequently relying on the duality of her character to evoke an emotional response in the player. They do so for comic effect by having Juliet make ridiculous, off-topic, and seemingly carefree remarks in dangerous situations. The converse is also true, however, and Juliet's perceived frailty is often juxtaposed with her superhuman feats of strength, and her prowess in

battle.

And while Juliet's zombie hunting family members make brief appearances at certain points in the story, it's her boyfriend Nick that functions as her sidekick and confidant for the majority of Lollipop Chainsaw.

At the end of the epilogue, Juliet saws off Nick's head and proceeds to reanimate it using black magic - cementing the absurdity of Lollipop Chainsaw's tone in the process. Grasshopper should be commended for their characterization of NPCs, giving each one easily recognizable and identifiable traits, ensuring their uniqueness. Nowhere is this as true as with the antagonists summoned from another dimension to ours. They are the embodiment of a particular musical style, like, for example, the zombie viking Vikke is the personification of black metal. I was soundly impressed with how well Grasshopper utilized stereotypical interpretations of musical genres to inform the design and characterization of the antagonists - ensuring Lollipop Chainsaw has a cast of memorable, over-the-top villains to

battle.

As has become par for the course with Suda51 developed games, Lollipop Chainsaw's narrative chugs along at a relentless pace, and has an absurd, often crude, tone. Grasshopper's collaboration with James Gunn (of Super fame) lends an air of authenticity to Lollipop Chainsaw's American setting. Therefore, Lollipop Chainsaw could be considered an acquired taste; it's unapologetic in every facet of its design, and could offend more sensitive gamers. Lollipop Chainsaw is replete with sexual innuendoes, lots of curse words, and the hyper-violence one has come to expect from Suda51. When it all comes together, it gives rise to a bizarre, comedic take on the zombie apocalypse. A take that is all about the spectacle: elaborate and over-the-top set-pieces permeate the entirety of Lollipop Chainsaw.