E3 2015: Suit Up In Your Two Piece And Stop The Zombie Apocalypse In ‘Onechanbara Z2: Chaos’

Zombies are such a hot commodity these days, that it seems like just about every city is having an outbreak. We’ve seen plenty of takes on the undead in the last few years, especially in gaming. Yet, with so many versions of the zombie apocalypse out there, I can’t say that I’ve played any others with bikini clad samurai chopping hordes into pieces, but that’s exactly what we get with Onechanbara Z2: Chaos. We stopped by Xseed’s booth at E3 to find out how stylish the end of the world can be.

The last time I played an Onechanbara game, it was Bikini Samurai Squad on the Xbox 360. With a slow, plodding combat style and tedious exploration, it’s safe to say that I wasn’t a fan. With Z2 however, the developers at Tamsoft seem to have taken a page from their popular Senran Kagura series, cutting out the filler and getting straight to the zombie killing action. Playing much like your Dynasty Warriors’ of the world, your team of girls uses stylish combos to wipe out hundreds of enemies at one time. Attack strings are as easy as alternating between the weak and strong attack buttons, yet still looks cool enough to feel satisfying despite their simple execution. As the blood flies and the limbs scatter, your weapon becomes weaker when your blade becomes stained. Serving as a way to force players to take a break and find a safe spot between button mashing, a quick shoulder button tap will shake off the blood, looking like a badass in the process.

Speaking of badass, the demo contained four different heroines, all of which could be swapped out on the fly to extend combos. From twin katanas, to their fists, to a chainsaw that would make Ash Williams proud, each girl has their own strengths, weaknesses and speed to consider. Depending on the situation, a more powerful character might be more suited when bigger enemies show up. When you need to cut through giant waves in a hurry, one of the faster characters might be what you need. Being able to swap them out whenever you want makes adjusting easy, whether you’re doing so for tactical reasons, or if you just want to play as your best girl.

As expected from Tamsoft, Onechanbara Z2 is looking like an enjoyable hack and slash for someone who wants a less depressing take on the zombie infestation we’re all so afraid of. Launching exclusively for the PS4 on June 30th, it won’t be long before you can bring these monsters to your knees, and look good doing it!