If you’ve ever played a game that makes you both confused and entertained, chances are it’s one of Suda51’s titles. Whether it’s the classic No More Heroes series, Killer7, Lollipop Chainsaw, or Shadows of the Damned, the Japanese gaming icon has been making the most bizarre games for decades. His latest idea, Romeo is a Dead Man, fits quite well with his resume.
The plot of Romeo is a Dead Man is one you’d expect from Suda51: You play as Romeo Stargazer, a half-man/half-robot rookie FBI agent traveling various timelines to take down notorious criminals and save your ‘complicated’ love interest, a god-like being called Juliet. There are a lot more details than that, but I doubt I’d do it justice considering how wild everything in this game gets.
One of the ‘real-life’ scenes from Romeo is a Dead Man featuring Romeo and Juliet (not the Shakespeare kind!)
The insanity of the game’s story muddles some of its delivery, with themes of bonds and truth getting lost at times. It can be hard to take what it’s saying seriously when the presentation is so over-the-top, as is the delivery. On the other hand, it does make the plot engaging and fun. It’s just annoying that it doesn’t really sit still, always having to do something. Either way, it’s fun to see how it progresses and keeps you motivated to continue to see it unravel.
In terms of delivery, it’s hit or miss. When it takes the time to explain certain story beats and let you figure things out, it’s a good time. Unfortunately, a good chunk of the plot in-mission is done via a 2D motion-comic. While the style is good, it detracts from the presentation, feeling rushed and pace-breaking.
There are a lot of moving pieces in Romeo is a Dead Man, with some stuff I’m still trying to figure out after beating it. The beginning of the game throws you in without much explanation and it can be overwhelming. It smooths out over time, but it still leaves you to your own devices, which can be frustrating. Throwing tons of elements, like genre-bends and gameplay changes (like Pong and a dating sim), has its charms but muddles the pacing.
One of the four bloody weapons in the game, allowing for an adaptable play style.
What separates Romeo is a Dead Man from others is its frenetic action gameplay. Using both guns and swords, you’ll be slicing and shooting your way through many creatures. Its combat is flashy, tight, cool, and easy to get into. Plus, getting enough blood to do a wide-ranging “Bloody Summer” attack never gets old. Combat can sometimes be a bit too flashy with particle effects obscuring the screen and slowing the game’s frame rate down, though.
In addition to the sword/gun combat are Bastards, which act as Romeo’s special moves. Starting off as collectible seeds dropped by enemies, you’ll plant them on your ship, and it’ll grow different zombies, Bastards, that you can name. Each comes with a unique ability, like a poison shooter or a healing buff, when summoned on the battlefield. They can help in a pinch or to thin out the many enemies coming your way. I tended to go more offensive, having Bastards with abilities like slowing time and spin attacks, but kept a healer just in case. Leveling them up via fusion is key to survival, especially in the latter half. Even still, it really demonstrates how fun the combat can get and unlocks a cool dynamic that makes each battle that much more interesting.
The game’s graphics are befitting of Suda51, mixing style with realism. It can, at times, look like something from an older generation, though it’s a double-edged sword. Most of the time, it feels nostalgic, reminiscent of older action games from the 2000s. However, it can feel a bit muted and clunky, with textures lacking depth and levels feeling subpar. It all still works within the puzzle-oriented Subspace, which has this vaporwave aesthetic that works well.
The music accompanying these gigantic boss fights go hand-in-hand with the frenetic action.
It’s undeniable that the sci-fi genre, and the media that made it great, played inspiration in the game. Various references to Back to the Future and Blade Runner are interspersed within its 12-14 hour playtime. It can be a bit tongue and cheek, but it works. In a way, the game is like an adrenaline shot from the 90s in a good way.
Fortunately, the soundtrack for Romeo is a Dead Man is great. Blaring rock guitars and vocals fill battles and add that hardcore action aesthetic. It fits perfectly within the title, rarely feeling out of place in all the chaos.
I played on Xbox Series X and while it didn’t crash, I did run into a few bugs. Some slow texture-loading and frame drops were common, as well as stutters when loading, which were frequent. As expected, frame dips were common during combat, with it usually pertaining to tons of on-screen elements at play, but the game never got unplayable.
Romeo is a Dead Man has a good base, but needed more time.
Ultimately, Romeo is a Dead Man doesn’t hit all the notes it hoped to hit. When the action is on high, it’s thrilling, but its heavy-handed outlandishness and muddled graphics detract from it. That’s not to say what Grasshopper Manufacture crafted is bad in any way, as it is an endearing love letter to sci-fi and one of the most out-there titles on the market. It’s more so that it feels like the studio could do more to fine tune things, but didn’t get to. Hopefully, the journey doesn’t end here and more is on the horizon. If so, there are good bones within it, it just needs some shine.
If you’ve ever played a game that makes you both confused and entertained, chances are it’s one of Suda51’s titles. Whether it’s the classic No More Heroes series, Killer7, Lollipop Chainsaw, or Shadows of the Damned, the Japanese gaming icon has been making the most bizarre games for decades. His latest idea, Romeo is a Dead Man, fits quite well with his resume.
The plot of Romeo is a Dead Man is one you’d expect from Suda51: You play as Romeo Stargazer, a half-man/half-robot rookie FBI agent traveling various timelines to take down notorious criminals and save your ‘complicated’ love interest, a god-like being called Juliet. There are a lot more details than that, but I doubt I’d do it justice considering how wild everything in this game gets.
One of the ‘real-life’ scenes from Romeo is a Dead Man featuring Romeo and Juliet (not the Shakespeare kind!)
The insanity of the game’s story muddles some of its delivery, with themes of bonds and truth getting lost at times. It can be hard to take what it’s saying seriously when the presentation is so over-the-top, as is the delivery. On the other hand, it does make the plot engaging and fun. It’s just annoying that it doesn’t really sit still, always having to do something. Either way, it’s fun to see how it progresses and keeps you motivated to continue to see it unravel.
In terms of delivery, it’s hit or miss. When it takes the time to explain certain story beats and let you figure things out, it’s a good time. Unfortunately, a good chunk of the plot in-mission is done via a 2D motion-comic. While the style is good, it detracts from the presentation, feeling rushed and pace-breaking.
There are a lot of moving pieces in Romeo is a Dead Man, with some stuff I’m still trying to figure out after beating it. The beginning of the game throws you in without much explanation and it can be overwhelming. It smooths out over time, but it still leaves you to your own devices, which can be frustrating. Throwing tons of elements, like genre-bends and gameplay changes (like Pong and a dating sim), has its charms but muddles the pacing.
One of the four bloody weapons in the game, allowing for an adaptable play style.
What separates Romeo is a Dead Man from others is its frenetic action gameplay. Using both guns and swords, you’ll be slicing and shooting your way through many creatures. Its combat is flashy, tight, cool, and easy to get into. Plus, getting enough blood to do a wide-ranging “Bloody Summer” attack never gets old. Combat can sometimes be a bit too flashy with particle effects obscuring the screen and slowing the game’s frame rate down, though.
In addition to the sword/gun combat are Bastards, which act as Romeo’s special moves. Starting off as collectible seeds dropped by enemies, you’ll plant them on your ship, and it’ll grow different zombies, Bastards, that you can name. Each comes with a unique ability, like a poison shooter or a healing buff, when summoned on the battlefield. They can help in a pinch or to thin out the many enemies coming your way. I tended to go more offensive, having Bastards with abilities like slowing time and spin attacks, but kept a healer just in case. Leveling them up via fusion is key to survival, especially in the latter half. Even still, it really demonstrates how fun the combat can get and unlocks a cool dynamic that makes each battle that much more interesting.
The game’s graphics are befitting of Suda51, mixing style with realism. It can, at times, look like something from an older generation, though it’s a double-edged sword. Most of the time, it feels nostalgic, reminiscent of older action games from the 2000s. However, it can feel a bit muted and clunky, with textures lacking depth and levels feeling subpar. It all still works within the puzzle-oriented Subspace, which has this vaporwave aesthetic that works well.
The music accompanying these gigantic boss fights go hand-in-hand with the frenetic action.
It’s undeniable that the sci-fi genre, and the media that made it great, played inspiration in the game. Various references to Back to the Future and Blade Runner are interspersed within its 12-14 hour playtime. It can be a bit tongue and cheek, but it works. In a way, the game is like an adrenaline shot from the 90s in a good way.
Fortunately, the soundtrack for Romeo is a Dead Man is great. Blaring rock guitars and vocals fill battles and add that hardcore action aesthetic. It fits perfectly within the title, rarely feeling out of place in all the chaos.
I played on Xbox Series X and while it didn’t crash, I did run into a few bugs. Some slow texture-loading and frame drops were common, as well as stutters when loading, which were frequent. As expected, frame dips were common during combat, with it usually pertaining to tons of on-screen elements at play, but the game never got unplayable.
Romeo is a Dead Man has a good base, but needed more time.
Ultimately, Romeo is a Dead Man doesn’t hit all the notes it hoped to hit. When the action is on high, it’s thrilling, but its heavy-handed outlandishness and muddled graphics detract from it. That’s not to say what Grasshopper Manufacture crafted is bad in any way, as it is an endearing love letter to sci-fi and one of the most out-there titles on the market. It’s more so that it feels like the studio could do more to fine tune things, but didn’t get to. Hopefully, the journey doesn’t end here and more is on the horizon. If so, there are good bones within it, it just needs some shine.
by Michael Murphy
