Game Reviews

Chop Chop Slicer

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Chop Chop Slicer

Chop Chop Slicer is the latest game to be released under the Chop Chop banner, but unlike its stablemates it doesn’t really need a suffix, as the game is literally just about chopping things.

Boasting the trademark art style and simple controls that fans of Gamerizon's popular mobile series have become accustomed to, Chop Chop Slicer pushes forward the slice-'em-up genre with the addition of complex 3D objects.

Space Cowboy

Whereas iPhone titles such as Fruit Ninja feature simple objects that slice perfectly regardless of where you touch them, the damage dealt out to the space-themed targets in this game depends on the incision point.

For example, cutting an asteroid near its top will only damage it, whilst slicing it through the middle will split it in two.

Another important characteristic of these 3D foes is their varied trajectory, as they swoop towards you at a manic pace. This means you have to make a quick decision on when to strike. Slicing something further away may be more difficult, but allowing it to get too close runs the risk of it being missed.

Although these objects may be complex, the game does not abandon the Chop Chop series’s straightforward controls: rockets, robots, and aliens are all severed with a swipe of the screen.

Cutting It

Three modes of play are available in Chop Chop Slicer: Arcade, Time Attack, and Perfect Slice.

In the first of the trio, your objective is to score as many points as possible before you lose all three lives. Bonuses are awarded for completing certain achievements and chaining together perfect cuts.

Time Attack is similar to Arcade except you have a time limit of 60 seconds, with missed objects resulting in a ten-point penalty. Finally, Perfect Slice tests your ability to perform the greatest number of textbook chops as you can.

Slice of Heaven

Because Chop Chop Slicer feels far less predetermined than many of its contemporary slice-'em-ups, it requires a more deliberative approach, where timing and accuracy are rewarded over touchscreen button bashing.

However, all is not entirely rosy in this space garden: Loose fragments are often difficult to detect, and a more obvious animation or notification for when an object has been destroyed would make this less of a problem.

The purple octopus, meanwhile, is an unwelcome sight, for slashing him will immediately end your game, regardless of lives left. This eight-armed fellow often jumps in the way of incoming objects, meaning that even if you manage to avoid cutting it, you may have to take a hit rather than risk ending your game. Although these frustrations seem rather unnecessary, this latest instalment in the Chop Chop series manages to successfully update the genre with concepts that involve a greater deal of thought and patience.

Chop Chop Slicer

An innovative take on the slice-'em-up genre whose new ideas and simple controls will endear it to fans of the Chop Chop series and newcomers alike
Score
Steve McCaskill
Steve McCaskill
A crippling addiction to Football Manager threatened Steve's education and social life for much of the past ten years, but he has come through it with a history degree and an unparalleled knowledge of zonal marking.