Shack Chat: What's your favorite video game chainsaw?

A tool normally relegated to clearing out tough and pesky flora and foliage, the trusty chainsaw has seen use in video games as a brutal and gory way to deal with enemies. Whether you’re using it with one hand, two-handed, or if it’s attached to another type of weapon, there are plenty to choose from. But the important question is...

Question: What is your favorite video game chainsaw?

The Lancer Assault Rifle from Gears of War - Ozzie Mejia, Senior Chainsaw Editor

I will never forget Epic Games (in the days before they were a store and publisher of the biggest battle royale shooter in the world) coming up with the quaint idea to cross over an assault rifle and a chainsaw. One might think it's putting a hat on a hat, but those who lived through the 2000s can't tell me there wasn't a visceral satisfaction that came with a melee kill that was pure chainsaw. Gears of War never hit those heights again for me or for a lot of other people, but it became one of the hottest properties in the world because of that chainsaw.

The Chainsaw Arm (MadWorld) - TJ Denzer, Likes his chainsaws artsy

An early win in the history and style of PlatinumGames, MadWorld was one of the first bizarrely violent games on a Nintendo console, in this case the Wii. In said game, players took on the role of Jack Cayman as he tried to survive a brutal game show in which the only way to win was to kill. To do this, Jack has a chainsaw attacked to his prosthetic arm for maximum visceral murder, and it leads to a delightful bevy of bloody beat’em-up action.

I’m always for a good chainsaw combo, and MadWorld is full of them. Add to that, the world was monochromatic in this game, with only shades of black and white. Only by spilling some blood did you get some further color involved in the situation. And boy howdy, nothing makes that kind of color like a chainsaw arm. Hats off to you, Jack Cayman. You wear your chainsaw like no other and aren’t afraid to use it either.

Bedazzled Chainsaw (Lollipop Chainsaw) - Morgan Shaver, Packs a chainsaw

I love just about everything from Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda51 and 2012’s Lollipop Chainsaw is no exception. There’s just something so endearing about the absurdity of the heavily modded Bedazzled Chainsaw that makes it both fun to look at, and fun to use in the game. Not only does it visually match protagonist Juliet’s attire (because of course it does), the Bedazzled Chainsaw also sports things like a cassette player and phone built into its base.

While having these things attached are convenient, the peak attributes of Juliet’s Bedazzled Chainsaw include its ability to slice through hordes of zombies without issue, and cool upgrades you can unlock for it as you progress like Chainsaw Dash and Chainsaw Blaster. It can even be used as a cannon (Nick Popper) to fire the decapitated head of Juliet’s boyfriend Nick at foes. What more could you want from a chainsaw, honestly?

The Chainsaw (Doom) - Blake Morse, *makes chainsaw noises with mouth*

If you’re going to rip and tear, why not do it with fashion and flair? Why punch things when you can render them into tiny little bits with a chainsaw? The original Doom answered those questions way back in the early 90s and has continued that fine tradition since then. Getting the chainsaw made a gory experience even better in what was already a pretty damn violent game for the time. Even today the chainsaw still finds its way into the modern Doom franchise. Although I honestly don’t find the new version as enjoyable as the original as it’s more of a quick-time kill animation nowadays. Still, we’ll always have our precious memories of the original, old-school chainsaw and all the things we turned into meaty chunks with it.

The Lancer - Sam Chandler, Chainsaw Expert

It’s a machine gun with a chainsaw attached to it. It spews bullets, if you reload it at the right time you get super bullets, and it’s GOT A CHAINSAW ATTACHED TO IT. I repeat for the third time: Chainsaw. Attached. To. It. This thing ruins the Locust’s day and it’s a great way to humiliate your opponent in PVP. Plus, mashing a button to rev the chainsaw for no other reason than it sounds awesome? C’mon.

Gears of War’s Lancer - Asif Khan, CEO/EIC/EIEIO

What’s better than a gun and a chainsaw? A gun with a chainsaw. While there might be some more traditional video game chainsaws out there, The Lancer is one of my favorite guns and chainsaws to ever grace the medium. The satisfaction of a well-timed Lancer attack in Gears of War is unparalleled. Whether you are playing in Horde Mode, Multiplayer, or the Campaign, the Lancer is an outstanding weapon to keep equipped. Out of ammo? Hit the B Button, and watch blood splatter all over the screen. Truly a legendary video game chainsaw.

Grand Theft Auto Chainsaw - Bill Lavoy, Queensguard

I’m going with the chainsaw from various GTA games for two reasons. One, I forgot it was a thing and that chainsaw brought me great joy over the years. Two, my colleagues will (rightfully) choose some more iconic chainsaws from video game history. Even so, no chainsaw has brought me greater joy than in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. You get to be your own horror film villain, and it’s wildly entertaining.

Chainsaw in Left 4 Dead 2 - Dennis White Jr., Prepared for the zombie apocalypse

There've been some great choices on the list so I figured I’d bring up a chainsaw that definitely makes you feel powerful while ripping and tearing through hordes of zombies in Valve’s classic co-op title Left 4 Dead 2. Yeah, it might take a bit of revving at first to get this bad boy going but when it is ready to roll, you become a human lawnmower capable of shredding the massive waves of undead easily.

House of the Dead Chainsaw zombies - Steve Tyminski, It’s a zombie with a chain!

What is my favorite video game chainsaw? I have to go with the House of the Dead zombies carrying the chain saws. I remember going on vacation to the Jersey shore and playing the House of the Dead arcade games with my Dad and brother. My father didn’t play too many video games but the House of the Dead games were some of his favorites. That being said, these zombies scared me when I was a kid as did most of the other zombies. The ChainSaw zombies were some of the most memorable from these games and have stuck with me to this day. You can’t forget the boss that handles the chain saw too. The House of the Dead series has it down when it comes to monsters holding chainsaws!

A few of us definitely seem to agree that the Gears of War Lancer is up there as one of the best. What do you think though? Do you have a favorite chainsaw in video games? Join us in the Chatty thread below and look over our Shack Chat page for all our discussions from previous weeks.

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.