![]() Instead, we’re meant to live in her skin for a bit and reflect a bit more deeply on why it is that she, a character who looks like the current Western Platonic ideal of a young woman, is still so insecure about the size of her butt. Juliet is written as a vapid sex object, but players are not allowed to be removed from her. The effect of playing as, rather than just watching, this character forces the audience to take on some aspect of her identity. Juliet is, essentially, Chainsaw’s way of putting players into the shoes of the same masturbatory fantasy that the generic (straight, adolescent-minded male) audience of videogames are usually asked to blindly objectify rather than relate to. The uncomfortable voyeurism of the game’s introduction never goes completely away (there is a frightening achievement/trophy that encourages peeping up Juliet’s skirt for example), but Lollipop Chainsaw saves itself by ultimately forcing the question of who - the game or the player - is passively denigrating whom. Surprisingly, after a few hours of play this type of creepiness has begun to subside, gradually becoming diluted by a stronger current of winking, seemingly self-aware, humour. Right from the opening frames, Lollipop Chainsaw invites players to view Juliet Starling, its protagonist, as an object rather than a robust character. The game’s introductory cutscene scrolls lasciviously over the body of a teenage girl (conveniently, on the morning of her 18th birthday) while she practices yoga, showers and supplies a monologue that introduces the game’s Buffy-esque plot. ![]() That’s a bit of a shame because, despite its many faults, Lollipop Chainsaw prompts a conversation about videogame sexuality that more people might benefit from engaging with. Its relatively shallow combat system, hit-and-miss humour and fairly forgettable end impression pretty much guarantee that the best legacy the game can hope for is as a cult curio of the current console generation. ![]() Lollipop Chainsaw will probably vanish from the videogame conversation very soon. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |