Romeo Is a Dead Man Review: A Chaotic Misfire from Gaming Provocateur Suda51
After a decade-long wait for a new original title from legendary Japanese developer Suda51, Romeo Is a Dead Man arrives with considerable anticipation but ultimately delivers a frustratingly incoherent experience. Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC, this latest offering from Grasshopper Manufacture and Marvelous Inc begins with promise but quickly descends into a mess of narrative confusion and technical shortcomings.
A Baffling Narrative That Never Coheres
The game opens with a slick animated sequence showing protagonist Romeo Stargazer being consumed by a zombie, only to be resurrected by his eccentric scientist grandfather. From this intriguing premise, players are immediately bombarded with what can only be described as an impenetrable wall of proper-noun nonsense that persists throughout the entire 20-hour experience.
Romeo emerges as a "deadman" - a being trapped between life and death - recruited by the FBI's space-time police to combat interstellar criminals terrorising the cosmos. Alongside wave after wave of zombies inexplicably called "bastards," players encounter a woman named Juliet who appears sporadically across different dimensions, haunting dreams in PS2-era 3D before emerging as end-level bosses. Despite Suda51 citing Rick and Morty as a major influence and expressing his love for chicken katsu in interviews, the narrative feels less like clever satire and more like juvenile nonsense without deeper meaning.
Stylish Combat Undermined by Technical Issues
Where Romeo Is a Dead Man initially shows promise is in its combat mechanics. Main missions feature Romeo wielding a legally-distinct lightsaber to carve through hordes of "bastards," playing like a souped-up successor to Suda51's seminal No More Heroes series. The hacking and slashing delivers genuine dumb fun, with stylish attacks creating screen-filling bursts of colour and satisfying chaos.
Boss fights prove particularly enjoyable, offering stylised encounters that showcase the game's visual creativity. However, as the nonsensical story drags toward its conclusion, even the game engine appears to surrender. Despite testing on a PS5 Pro, the frame rate regularly slowed to a crawl during later levels when mobbed by enemy waves, transforming an already flawed experience into something approaching unplayable.
A Visual Collage Without Cohesion
Between interdimensional killing sprees, players explore a charmingly retro hub world aboard an FBI-branded spaceship depicted in 16-bit era 2D pixel art. Here they can interact with Romeo's eclectic shipmates - including an ancient Roman god, a talking cat, and a Jamaican journalist - while purchasing upgrades, playing mini-games, and tending ability-granting plants inspired by defeated zombies.
Visually, Romeo Is a Dead Man remains consistently interesting, featuring more disparate artistic styles than most publishers' entire catalogues. From fully animated cartoon sequences to PS2-tribute polygons and sculpture-esque art, the game presents a constantly shifting visual landscape. Yet rather than feeling auteur-led, this collage ultimately resembles a child mashing together every toy in their collection without consideration for cohesion.
A Disappointing Return for a Storied Developer
Romeo Is a Dead Man certainly isn't predictable, and its anti-establishment attitude may appeal to diehard fans searching for irony-drenched celebration. Brief moments of baffled amusement occasionally surface, and the game's sheer audacity commands a certain respect. However, where No More Heroes maintained momentum through flowing combat and consistent humour, this latest offering feels disappointingly directionless.
Instead of coalescing into a kitschy universe-spanning epic, the sci-fi narrative unfolds with all the mastery of a rambling drunk in a Wetherspoons. While flashes of Suda51's distinctive style occasionally break through the chaos, Romeo Is a Dead Man ultimately represents a misfire from one of gaming's most celebrated provocateurs. Released on 11th February at $49.99, this long-awaited return sadly delivers more frustration than fulfilment.
