Review: Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad (Xbox 360)

Games like Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead have shown that killing zombies can be fun and exciting.

Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad, on the other hand, makes the elimination of the undead repetitious and eventually monotonous.

This import from Japan features two sisters who are skilled in killing zombies, all the while dressed in the skimpiest of outfits.

Aya, the older sister, fancies bikinis to go with her sword and katanas, while Saki is a little more demure (very little) in her schoolgirl uniform. They tag-team their way through hundreds of zombies, killer dogs, crows, crab things and other evildoers, earning points to upgrade character skills.

Along the way, they meet up with Annna, a fellow zombie killer equipped with guns and they take on assorted miscreants from both sides of the whole “zombies are bad” debate.

As the sisters stab and slash their way through zombies, their swords become soaked in blood and they earn various powerups, cures and mystical jewelry. If they become completely soaked in the red stuff, their weapons begin to stick in the zombies, leaving them vulnerable to attack while trying to extricate themselves.

All they have to do to prevent this, however, is to sling the blood off the blade by using the left bumper button.

Eventually, the sisters can fill with “adrenaline,” and unloose a rage ability that allows much faster killing of zombies and better abilities against the tougher foes.

The only respite from the running from zombie to zombie is the occasional drive from zombie to zombie on a motorcycle. OK, not much of a respite, in reality.

In addition to the standard story mode, gamers can play in “Survival” mode, facing a gauntlet of enemies to help in upgrading character abilities and to replay levels already completed. Two players can also battle the zombies in coop mode.

The character modeling is simplistic and the levels are generic.

In addition to the blood and gore main focus, gamers can also take time out from their busy mayhem to “dress” their protagonists.

In the dress up mode, the sisters can be stripped down to their underwear and then re-dressed in clothing that is unlocked by finishing levels. You can add or subtract skirts, tops, hose, hats and other garb. Or they can be left to fight in their underwear, if that’s what floats your boat.

It’s an odd diversion that really doesn’t fit with the rest of the game.

The bland character models, the repetitive nature of the game and the lame storyline don’t add up to much, in the end.

Platform: Xbox 360 Rating: Mature Manufacturer: D3 Publishers Score: 6 bloodsoaked chilies