Hack and Slash | Geekscape

E3 2015: Suit Up In Your Two Piece And Stop The Zombie Apocalypse In ‘Onechanbara Z2: Chaos’

by Josh JacksonJune 24, 2015

Zombies are such a hot commodity these days, that it seems like just about every city is having an outbreak. We’ve seen plenty of takes on the undead in the last few years, especially in gaming. Yet, with so many versions of the zombie apocalypse out there, I can’t say that I’ve played any others with bikini clad samurai chopping hordes into pieces, but that’s exactly what we get with Onechanbara Z2: Chaos. We stopped by Xseed’s booth at E3 to find out how stylish the end of the world can be.

The last time I played an Onechanbara game, it was Bikini Samurai Squad on the Xbox 360. With a slow, plodding combat style and tedious exploration, it’s safe to say that I wasn’t a fan. With Z2 however, the developers at Tamsoft seem to have taken a page from their popular Senran Kagura series, cutting out the filler and getting straight to the zombie killing action. Playing much like your Dynasty Warriors’ of the world, your team of girls uses stylish combos to wipe out hundreds of enemies at one time. Attack strings are as easy as alternating between the weak and strong attack buttons, yet still looks cool enough to feel satisfying despite their simple execution. As the blood flies and the limbs scatter, your weapon becomes weaker when your blade becomes stained. Serving as a way to force players to take a break and find a safe spot between button mashing, a quick shoulder button tap will shake off the blood, looking like a badass in the process.

Speaking of badass, the demo contained four different heroines, all of which could be swapped out on the fly to extend combos. From twin katanas, to their fists, to a chainsaw that would make Ash Williams proud, each girl has their own strengths, weaknesses and speed to consider. Depending on the situation, a more powerful character might be more suited when bigger enemies show up. When you need to cut through giant waves in a hurry, one of the faster characters might be what you need. Being able to swap them out whenever you want makes adjusting easy, whether you’re doing so for tactical reasons, or if you just want to play as your best girl.

As expected from Tamsoft, Onechanbara Z2 is looking like an enjoyable hack and slash for someone who wants a less depressing take on the zombie infestation we’re all so afraid of. Launching exclusively for the PS4 on June 30th, it won’t be long before you can bring these monsters to your knees, and look good doing it!

E3 2015: We Bro Up With ‘Super Dungeon Bros.’

by Josh JacksonJune 23, 2015

Any game that allows four player couch co-op is always welcome. Say what you will about online gaming, but there’s nothing like being able to settle in with your bros, (and bro-ettes?), grab a bunch of controllers, and go crazy. With local team ups becoming more and more rare, it’s always exciting to see a game get the full, team up treatment. In Super Dungeon Bros., both online and local “bro-op” are supported, allowing four players to rock out in this rock-and-roll inspired hack and slash. We sat down with the game at E3 to check in on how the game is coming along so far.

Tasked as choosing between Axl, Lars, Ozzie or Freddie, four knights with distinct personalities to match with their bright colored armor, game play relies less on who you choose, and more on what you choose! Each bro can choose a variety of weapons, including swords, bows and hammers. Aside from the typical differences between attacks, such as speed, damage and range, each one also has their own, unique abilities that help the team clear enemies from each room. For example, the sword unlocks what’s called the “Bronado,” where its user activates a prolonged spin attack, while stacking the partners he makes contact with on top of him, resulting in a spinning tower of pain for their enemies.

On that subject, stacking is important when progressing through the dungeons. A co-op game in every sense of the word, progression often requires partners to team up. Whether that means stacking and throwing bros over gaps, activating multi person switches, or opening distant doors for the rest of the team to go through, working together is key to advancing. With that in mind, the team has to make sure to be on the same page, since taking too long results in larger waves of enemies respawning. Taking too long to enjoy the scenery can result in a tougher dungeon, so you’ll always want to be moving. Then again, don’t move TOO much, since dodge rolling consecutively leads to your bro getting dizzy. It’s all a balance, you see.

Like a Call Of Duty E3 presentation, Super Dungeon Bros is bro from head to toe. Including plenty of co-op abilities, four player local and online modes, awesome music, unique abilities and characters with their own sets of wisecracks, and a fast paced play style, and you get what’s shaping up to be a very enjoyable multiplayer experience. With cross play between the Xbox One and Windows 10, or PS4 to PC, you’ll have plenty of ways to team up with your friends and rock out when the game is released late this year.

‘Code of Princess’ Gets A US Trailer & Release Date

by Shane O'HareSeptember 30, 2012

Atlus just popped a stiff trailer for the US release of the hyper stylized hack and slasher for the 3DS, and after watching it I got stiff too. Watch and be stiff with me.

It actually looks…really fun! Code of Princess comes October 9th! More info on the game can be found at the official website HERE. While you’re preordering the game you can get an accurate statue of the lead character!

code-of-princess-1-7-warrior-princess-solange — Sadly this is Japan only…I can still dream though, can’t I?

Geekscape Games Reviews: Lollipop Chainsaw

by Josh JacksonAugust 15, 2012

Zombies are all the rage lately, especially in gaming. Sure, you’ve got your Left 4 Dead’s, your Dead Rising’s, you have plants fighting zombies… Michael Jackson even danced with them once upon a time at the local arcade. So when making a video game surrounding the new, exciting idea of fighting off the undead, what does one have to do to make it stand out? The answer is to apparently make it as ridiculous and over the top as possible. With Suda 51 attached to the project, this goal seems sure to be effortless.

Enter Lollipop Chainsaw, the story of high school cheerleader, Juliet Starling, who is secretly part of a family of zombie hunters. Carrying itself with a grindhouse comic book style and storytelling reminiscent of a much more vulgar version of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, the the spunky teen’s school gets overrun with flesh eating monsters –it’s time to whip out the chainsaw and make them wish they were never reborn.

This hack and slash adventure constantly throws waves of enemies at you, many of which have different attack patterns and strategies if you want to take them down quickly. Mixing in pom pom attacks that stun enemies and more powerful chainsaw attacks that dismember or kill dazed foes, using a variety of moves based on who you’re fighting is essential for any successful hunter. Of course, as with cheerleading, style is just as important as execution, which is why dispatching multiple enemies with one strike achieves a sparkle bonus, earning Juliet extra zombie medals, including rare platinum ones that can be used to buy new outfits, music, unlockables and techniques.

Aside from the game play, when you see Grasshopper Studios or Suda 51 attached to a project, you know you’re going to be mind raped with some of the most surreal content you’ll find in a video game. Lollipop Chainsaw is no exception. I don’t know if it’s her boyfriend, Nick’s, living decapitated head on her hip, using it as a weapon using power ups called “Nick Tickets,” having a decapitated head for a boyfriend to begin with, having lights and rainbows litter the screen instead of blood when enemies are killed, or fighting off a group of bosses called Zombie Rock Gods who each do battle using different musical themes, but everything I experienced was so damn memorable. From psychadelic to punk to auto tuned, these bosses just has to be seen to be believed. Not to mention the soundtrack itself is full of great tunes mixed in with some hilarious choices. Come on, I dare you not to sing along with the 80’s pop hit “Mickey” every time her sparkle power is activated.

Hack and slash titles usually fail at keeping me engaged for long, running out of new tricks early into the game and becoming a redundant pile of boring a few hours in. Somehow, this zombie hunting tale seems to be the opposite, which is its only glaring flaw. A few stages in, having so many abilities and attacks unlocked, I had the flexibility to handle fights with many different approaches that made the game feel exciting, especially when trying to rack up those sparkle kills. But in the hour long prologue? You can hardly do anything, with most of the attacks at this point being slow, repetitive mash fests. The prologue actually left me feeling like the game could possibly be… dare I say, a disappointment. But man, am I glad I stuck with it. Once Juliet hits her stride, there’s nothing stopping her and her adventure from being one of the most memorable I’ve experienced this year. Or it would have been if the final chapter didn’t fall flat like a missed catch during a cheer meet, but it’s still pretty damn good.

Brings new meaning to talking out of your ass…

Technical problems like pop-in aside, the game remains fast paced, action packed and completely insane throughout with few problems past the prologue and ending. By the time I was done, I still hadn’t had enough of this universe, and I really hope we see more of this world where lollipops are a legitimate source of nutrition and zombies are all rock gods. Lollipop Chainsaw is easily one of the best hack and slash titles I’ve played in years, is a refreshing take on the zombie sub genre and gives you achievements/trophies for going for the upskirt. Yep, sounds like its catered to gamers to me.