New Action RPG Feels Straight Out of the Xbox 360 Era — And It Looks Amazing

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It’s amazing to think the Xbox 360 came out over twenty years ago! I have so many great memories of playing both well-known and hidden gem games on it, and like a lot of people, I still consider it one of the best console generations of all time. A big reason for that was the sheer number of unique, creative, and ambitious games released for it, from Microsoft’s own studios and many fantastic developers – some of whom, unfortunately, are no longer around.

We’ve definitely moved past the style of games seen on the Xbox 360. While a few titles, like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, still capture that era’s unique energy and design, most modern games don’t. I think that’s a shame, because many Xbox 360 games were some of the best the studio ever made, and often better than what they release now. Thankfully, occasionally we get a game, like Space Marine 2, that brings back that classic feel with a modern twist. That’s exactly what Stupid Never Dies does – it’s a really over-the-top and vibrant RPG that feels like a blast of the action-packed game design from the early 2000s, and it’s exactly what we need.

Stupid Never Dies Truly Embraces The 360 Aesthetic

GPTRACK50 Inc.’s first game, Stupid Never Dies, fully leans into the over-the-top style of early 360-era games with its bright graphics, silly story, and straightforward gameplay. It would feel right at home next to titles like Suda51’s Lollipop Chainsaw or Killer Is Dead. In fact, its focus on action and linear progression is surprisingly refreshing, especially when compared to the large, open-world games that are so common now.

This isn’t to say open-world games are a bad thing, or that Stupid Never Dies will necessarily be better than games like Crimson Desert or Assassin’s Creed. It’s impossible to truly judge a game based on just a few trailers, so I won’t claim it’s superior to other upcoming titles, even though it looks like one of the most promising action-RPGs of 2026. What’s really nice to see is a focus on a classic game convention, even if it’s just a temporary trend.

Despite being made by some of the creators of Dragon’s Dogma and Devil May Cry, I don’t think Stupid Never Dies will be a big hit. If it had come out around the time Catherine was popular, it might have done better. But today’s gamers seem to prefer complex RPGs, and this game is too simple and unusual to stand out.

Stupid Never Dies isn’t about vast worlds, stunning graphics, or a deep, complex story. It’s a simple, fast-paced, and quirky action game, similar to recent titles like Romeo Never Dies and the classic Wanted: Dead. I think we need more games like this – games that prioritize fun over huge budgets and complicated designs. In fact, a return to the kind of creative, enjoyable, and lower-stakes game development we saw during the Xbox 360 era would be a great thing.

We Need More Games Like Stupid Never Dies

The PlayStation 2 era was a time of huge creativity in video games. Improved 3D graphics moved games away from the blocky look of previous consoles, giving designers much more freedom with how games looked. The console’s increased power also allowed for more complicated and innovative gameplay. This is why we got memorable titles like Okami, Magic Pengel, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

The Xbox 360 built on what came before, offering significantly improved power and graphics. While game design started leaning towards the darker, grittier look of games like Gears of War, the creativity born from the limitations of the PlayStation 2 era still thrived. This resulted in unique titles like Spec Ops: The Line, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Deadly Premonition, Asura’s Wrath, Dante’s Inferno, and the original Nier, alongside more experimental games from creators like Suda51 and Atlus. If those same games were released now, they’d probably be seen as strange or unusual compared to modern titles.

It feels like games now need to be massive hits to even get noticed. A score that used to be considered decent—like a 50 or 60—is now seen as bad. We’re seeing this with games like Crimson Desert, where a 78% review score caused the developer’s stock to drop significantly. It’s frustrating that smaller, unique games are often overlooked in favor of huge, expensive titles that have to appeal to everyone to justify their costs. I don’t like this trend in gaming.

It’s hard to say if Stupid Never Dies will be a truly amazing game. It’ll likely be pretty good, probably scoring around a 60 or 70 on sites like Metacritic. And that’s perfectly fine, even better than expected, actually. We need more games like this – games made simply to entertain and offer some fun during tough times. I’m hoping we’ll see a return to the exciting, unpredictable era of the Xbox 360, when anything felt possible in gaming. Maybe Stupid Never Dies can kickstart that, but only time will tell.

Are you planning to play Stupid Never Dies when it comes out? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-25 01:42