Juliet the undead slayer is back. More than 14 years after Lollipop Chainsaw first sent a cheerleader through a horde of zombies, the franchise is getting an official sequel, Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back. The game brings Juliet to Jaredwood, a city reborn as a metropolis built around the film industry, and traps her inside a distorted horror movie. That sounds like a premise worth returning to.
Juliet Returns to Jaredwood
The game’s official description sets the stage. Juliet finds herself trapped in a “distorted zombie movie world by a mysterious director.” She must team up with her friends to uncover the conspiracy hiding behind the chaos, and stop the looming threat of corrupt zombies. It is a fitting setup for a franchise that has always been about being out of place in a world gone wrong.
The game is being produced by Nada Holdings and Dragami Games, which made 2024’s remaster, Lollipop Chainsaw Repop. JP Games, led by Hajime Tabata, the former Square Enix exec and director of Final Fantasy 15, is also involved. Masahiro Yuki, the original scenario writer, and artist Nekoshogun return for the sequel.
A Demo With a Problem
An early build of Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back is playable at the Sega/Atlus booth at Tokyo Game Show. The demo offers a thin slice of gameplay, and much of it feels familiar to the first game. Juliet combines cheerleading moves and chainsaw slashes to take down slow-moving zombies. She can deploy roller skates to swiftly move through packs of the undead, and she can use her chainsaw to jam the blade into the ground, propelling herself forward while shredding anything that crosses her path.
The animation is quite fun. But the camera is the problem. It is unpredictable, dramatically and sloppily zooming in on cinematic kills. The effect almost works, but the game’s wonky camera is indicative of its early nature. This is a game that is still finding its footing.
The Silence Is Strange
Then there is the complete absence of voiceover work in the demo. Outside of a few zombie moans and groans, neither Juliet, her boyfriend Nick, who returns as a severed head, nor the zombified Barbie-inspired boss Zorbie has anything to say. The demo feels lifeless and repetitive as a result.
There is no small amount of promise if the developers are given enough time to polish the experience. Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back is slated for release sometime in 2027, so there is still time.
Comparing the Two Games
| Feature | Lollipop Chainsaw | Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | San Romero | Jaredwood, a film-industry metropolis |
| Camera style | Stable | Unpredictable, dramatic zooms |
| Voiceover | Present | Absent in the demo |
| Release | 2012 | Slated for sometime in 2027 |
| Developer involvement | James Gunn, Goichi Suda | Hajime Tabata, JP Games |
What We Know So Far
The sequel is confirmed for PlayStation 5. It is an ambitious project, bringing back a character that fans have missed for over a decade. The demo shows a game that shares the spirit of its predecessor, with the same mix of cheerleading, chainsaw slashing, and a dash of cheese.
But the demo also shows a game that is far from finished. The camera trouble and the silence suggest a project that needs time. Whether the final product earns its place beside the original remains to be seen.
The core loop is intact. Juliet still moves fast, still cuts through zombies, and still looks ready to fight. The question is whether the polish will arrive before the release date arrives.
Key Facts Box
– Lollipop Chainsaw: released in 2012
– Lollipop Chainsaw Repop: 2024 remaster
– Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back: slated for sometime in 2027
– Platform: PlayStation 5
Source material: “Lollipop Chainsaw 2 is Officially Bringing Back the Zombie-Slaying Cheerleader Cheesecake Franchise,” Polygon.
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