Bikini Zombie Slayers ends up being much better than it first looks... (Onechanbara - Bikini Zombie Slayers (Wii))

Member Name: eisbrecher

Product:	Onechanbara - Bikini Zombie Slayers (Wii)
Date:	18/06/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Suprisigly great graphics, catchy soundtrack, Absorbing, Excellent longevity.

Disadvantages: Rather mediocre multiplayer, sometimes translated poorly.

Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers, is unsurprisingly, exactly what it says on the case. You play a scantily clad woman who slays zombies, primarily with a sword. There is a detailed storyline which spans several previous games in the series, but it is not necessary to understand any part of the storyline to fully enjoy the game. At first sight it is easy to dismiss Onechanbara as a budget hack and slash, upon closer inspection it has more than a few tricks up its sleeve.

Gameplay

As one might expect, the wiimote is used as a sword, though other moves can be used depending on the character, including guns and fists (which is not the weak fighting style as it might sound) In story mode you will follow your chosen character across multiple chapters, through many various environments such as the subway station to the zombie filled streets of Tokyo. Sword swipes are not the only attack, each character has secondary attacks unique to themselves and also has special moves such as ripping the heart out of your opponent via a certain button combo.

You have 4 meters, a health meter along the bottom of the screen, you can withstand a surprising of damage before dying. There is an ecstasy meter which is displayed left of your character icon, which when filled allows you to unleash a deadly combo. There is also a berserk gauge where your character icon is, it fills a little each time you kill enemies and when full, you go into berserk mode where you are stronger and faster but you gradually lose health. On the sword on the left side of the screen is a blood gauge, which increases the more you use it to kill zombies, the higher it gets the weaker the sword gets and it becomes slower to use, eventually it gets stuck into zombies bodies leaving you exposed to attacks.

These meters add an extra dimension to the gameplay, making it more than just a thoughtless hack and slash. Onechanbara is a game that can be played for long periods at a time but can also be picked up and played for a short period of time. The gameplay is fun and addictive whilst also deep and challenging.
5/5

Graphics

The graphics in Onechanbara are of a high standard, everything has been well structured and refined. The characters are of a high graphical quality, as are the enemies. Environments are very varied, from the interior of an abandoned hospital to the very attractive church interior. The blood from the inevitable slaying of zombies ends up going everywhere, including on the camera, Onechanbara is not a game for the squeamish. Even when surrounded by dozens of zombies there is no noticeable slowdown or choppiness in the graphics. Whilst it will not be winning any awards for graphical innovation, Onechanbara is graphically pleasing and at no time did I feel that the graphics were of even a lacklustre standard.
4/5

Sound

Not the first thing you look for in a game of this type, the sound is, like much of the game, surprisingly good. The menu music is catchy and various menu sound effects are crisp. The in game music is also catchy and unobtrusive, whilst nothing special it certainly serves the purpose of building and supporting the atmosphere whilst not disrupting or distracting the player. The most satisfying sound though is the slicing sounds from your sword coupled with the sound effect of a zombie being cut in two. Whilst the sound effects are nothing special and the soundtrack is naturally not up to the class of Mario Galaxy or Resident Evil, I found the sound in the game to be of a high standard.
4/5

Longevity

Onechanbara has got surprising longevity. After the reasonably lengthy story mode with your chosen character, it can be replayed with the other character and also the two unlocked characters. 4 extra costumes can be unlocked for each character, a survival mode which sees you go through waves of enemies, a practice mode and a free play mode where you can replay any chapter you completed in story mode. There are also quests which you can complete in free play mode, 40 quests per character. These quests can vary from killing a certain number of enemies, not taking damage in the whole chapter or defeating bosses with a certain attack. The rewards for the quests are 3 extra costumes available for each character. There are various other things to unlock through quests, survival mode and story mode. Onechanbara certainly has surprising longevity and, if it is your type of game, will last a lot longer than some big budget titles.
5/5

Multiplayer

Multiplayer on Onechanbara is limited to two players, though two modes are available for multiplayer, free play and survival, both horizontal split screen. They are played identically to the single player versions of these modes, only there are two players. Whilst it is not a bad multiplayer mode, it is not fulfilling and is a bit of a letdown as multiplayer mode could have been so much better and more immersive.
2/5

Overall

Onechanbara is more than just a fun, indulgence purchase. There is real depth behind the workings of the game, especially the blood meter, berserk gauge, the kill combo system and the special attacks. There is enough in this game to keep the serious gamer happy whilst the obvious target audience who buy the game for the bikini clad women killing zombies will also be happy with the suggestive camera shots during cut scenes and the increasingly revealing costumes. As stated, Onechanbara has surprising longevity and the great gameplay will surprise those who bought it as a pure indulgence purchase, myself included. I have no trouble recommending this game.
4/5

Thanks for reading, any comments you have will be gratefully received. Also on Ciao.

Summary: I thoroughly recommend this, it is so much more than the title would suggest.