I just played Lollipop Chainsaw, it was pretty poor and it got me thinking whether I should pay attention to his work anymore.

From the arc I've witnessed he's gone from: "Killer7" to "No More Heros" 1&2 to "Shadows of the Damned" to "Diabolical Pitch" to "Lollipop Chainsaw."

And I HAVE to wonder what is going on with him. His games have declined in ambition and uniqueness even to the point that Shadows and Lollipop not only share similar premises but a similar soundtrack, senses of humor, loading screens, tangential peppered in mini-games and a the same sense of crude irreverence. To me this might not have been an issue until Lollipop Chainsaw confirmed a deep, dark, unhappy suspicion in me that there was actually nothing behind it. At all.

Like: At All at all.

I was happy enough with NMH after the deep, dark insanity that was Killer7 and I was happy enough with the hit or miss humor and action of Shadows of the Damned. But I don't think he has anything to say anymore. The guise of dry and self-aware humor in Lollipop hides only a complete lack of ideas or creative ambition in the project. It only acts as a way to give gamers in-the-know a wink and a nod with the promise we can play the game understanding some other level of meaning at work in the frilly-pop aesthetic. But it's not there! There is nothing there!

After Lollipop Chainsaw I really just believe that not only does Suda think he's got his niche and can happily stick to it but that he's now just phoning it in for the most part. He works on and attaches his name to so many projects now-a-days it would be hard to expect more involvement but it's disappointing considering the truly vapid nature of his work.

I don't want to hate. I like the guy. And if I had the choice I'd still more rather him be a part of this industry than have him not be. But when I first played Killer7 it confused and surprised me to such an insane degree that I have never forgotten that experience and I really think it stands head and shoulders above all his other work. For all it's lack of fluid and familiar game mechanics it was ambitious and unique beyond almost any other game I've played. I love that game.

And I just finished Lollipop Chainsaw. "I'm going to masturbate to you tonight!" and "I'll rip your choad off!" are lines uttered in that game and, though the low end, don't exactly misrepresent the level the game is working on.

I understand the realities of the industry now-a-days but with the rise of successful tier'd gaming there HAS to be a way for this man to not stoop to this kind of project exclusively while still getting good games out there.

best to all

bluefish