Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back is attempting to follow one of gaming’s most distinctive zombie-action games. After playing the early demo shown at Tokyo Game Show, however, the sequel appears to be struggling to define what it wants to become.
A sequel built on a familiar foundation
During an official Tokyo Game Show stage presentation, producer Joe Tung of Nada Holdings expressed sincere appreciation for the original game’s creators: Suda51, James Gunn and Yoshimi Yasuda. Tung described their work as “legendary” and said it inspired his efforts on the recent remake, Lollipop Chainsaw RePop.
That remake brought Tung and Dragami Games into the wider series revival, eventually leading to the first sequel in almost 15 years. The new project, notably, is being developed without the involvement of those three original creative leads.
The demo makes it clear that the team is not trying to reinvent the formula. Even before reaching the play area, the presentation leaned heavily on familiarity, including a photo opportunity featuring Juliet and three zombies. The original game’s cheerleader protagonist returns, as does the severed head of her boyfriend, still attached to her waist.
Those callbacks establish continuity, but they do not yet explain what fresh ideas Back2Back will bring to a series that needs more than a repeat of its predecessor.
An unfinished-feeling action game
The demo was extremely rough and arguably did not seem ready for a public showing. It offered little introduction to its setting and none of the fast, irreverent writing that helped the first game stand out from otherwise familiar hack-and-slash design.
Instead, players were dropped into a burning, grey city and asked to cut through successive zombie waves. The basic combat loop was present, but the satisfying physical feedback that should make each attack feel meaningful was missing.
Blood effects appeared and the combo counter climbed, yet the strikes felt strangely detached from the enemies. Attacks lacked convincing weight, while movement on roller blades felt sluggish rather than stylish or fluid.
The contrast is particularly noticeable because the original paired its combat with a high-energy soundtrack of licensed songs, strong animation and special attacks. Those elements gave its repetitive action a rebellious, exaggerated personality. The demo for Back2Back did not yet communicate an equivalent identity.
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Where is the humour?
The demo also contained none of the original’s comedic banter. Juliet’s boyfriend previously supplied a constant stream of jokes and interruptions, helping the game’s knowingly excessive tone land. His silence may simply reflect unfinished voice recording, but it left the vertical slice feeling especially bare.
The visuals did little to fill that gap. The first game was not technically spectacular, despite receiving substantial development funding from Warner Bros., but it had a recognisable look. Its rougher style worked alongside Juliet’s bright, bubblegum cheerleader aesthetic.
Back2Back currently lacks that same visual confidence. The burning city shown in the demo was drab, and without dialogue or stronger character direction, the sequel’s exaggerated premise had little energy behind it.
A promising idea undermined by execution
The showcased boss encounter should have been an immediate highlight. It centres on an unmistakable parody of Barbie, set in a pink dreamhouse-like environment where zombie Kens worship their princess. The boss even turns their severed heads into weapons, an idea that fits the series’ deliberately grotesque sense of humour.
Unfortunately, the fight itself became disjointed. Dragami Games appears to understand that absurdity is central to Lollipop Chainsaw, but the demo did not show the combination of visual design, pacing and writing needed to make that absurdity work.
There is still time for improvement, particularly if voice acting and additional story context have not yet been added. The team said during the showcase that the game is planned to launch in less than a year, though that window may be challenging given how much refinement the demo appears to require.
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At this stage, Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back feels less like a confident continuation and more like an early collection of familiar ingredients. The sequel may yet find its direction, but this demo was a long way from capturing what made the original memorable.
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