Romeo is a Dead Man preview: Brilliantly baffling

by

Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture have returned with a new game, and it’s exactly what you’d expect: wildly entertaining, visually striking, and delightfully confusing – which is perfect for fans like me.

I was hooked after just 15 minutes of playing Romeo is a Dead Man at Gamescom last August. Now, after getting a 2-hour preview, I’m a huge fan.

Romeo Stargazer, who almost died, was brought back to life by his eccentric scientist grandfather. Now, as a ‘Dead Man,’ Romeo works with the FBI’s Space-Time Police, tracking down criminals who jump between dimensions – and that includes different versions of his girlfriend, Juliet.

You’ve probably heard the writing advice ‘show, don’t tell.’ However, the beginning of Romeo and Juliet actually does a bit of both – it shows you what’s happening, and then explains it, seemingly to make sure you understand everything.

Following a cinematic introduction explaining Romeo’s transformation into a spirit known as the Dead Man, the game begins. You’ll be guided by the reanimated spirit of your grandfather, Dr. Benjamin, who appears as a patch on your jacket and provides hints about your mission and its purpose.

Okay, the beginning is definitely info-dump heavy – honestly, it’s a bit much. But hey, it’s a Suda51 game, right? It’s so over-the-top and stylish that I stopped caring about a solid story and just went with it. It’s pure style over substance, and it totally works.

During our interview with Suda at Gamescom, where he also talked about his fondness for katsu curry, he revealed that Rick and Morty was the primary inspiration for the game. This influence is clear both in the game’s wild humor and its reality-bending, dimension-hopping story.

I started to lose interest in Rick and Morty after a while, so I was happy to discover that Romeo, while having a similar type of quirky humor, feels much more genuine and heartfelt. Rick and Morty can be pretty cynical, but Romeo has a sincerity that’s missing from that show.

If you’re familiar with the No More Heroes series, you’ll quickly understand how to play Romeo is a Dead Man – the core gameplay is very similar.

The game features straightforward levels where you’ll fight lots of enemies with melee attacks, and use a gun from time to time to target specific vulnerabilities.

Battles largely revolve around the ‘Bloody Summer’ attack, a powerful strike that instantly defeats most enemies directly in front of the player, leaving only the toughest monsters standing.

Okay, so I’ve been playing Romeo for a couple of hours now, and honestly, it’s not super complicated like some other action games I’ve tried. If you’re the type of player who really likes to show off crazy skills and combos, this might not be the game for you. It’s fun, but it’s not demanding a ton of technical play, at least not yet.

Despite everything, the game is genuinely enjoyable. The ability to switch quickly between close-quarters and long-distance fighting, and then choose from four different styles for each, keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting as you progress.

The bosses were a welcome challenge, thankfully more complex than typical enemies. They have weak points that encourage using ranged attacks, and they constantly mix up single-target and area attacks. This means you need to focus on dodging and strategy, rather than just repeatedly attacking.

The game features a central hub – the Space-Time Police’s ship – where you can improve your character. You’ll unlock new weapons, customize your look with collectible pins and badges that give you bonuses, and play fun minigames to boost your stats. Plus, you can even cook katsu curry, which provides temporary power-ups when you eat it!

Story and gameplay aside, perhaps my favourite aspect of Romeo is its presentation.

I told Suda this when I interviewed him, and I really mean it: Romeo is a Dead Man is just a fantastic blend of different art styles. It sounds weird, but somehow it all comes together perfectly and it’s such a joy to experience!

The game shifts dramatically between realistic gameplay visuals and a variety of other styles. You’ll move from detailed in-game scenes to a pixel art hub, comic-book style storytelling, animated cutscenes, and even real-world effects like blooming flowers or tiny town models.

In this game, when you die, you see a disturbing video of a realistic human head being melted with a flamethrower. If a teammate revives you, you’ll see that same gruesome scene played backward as you return to the game. It’s a really impactful and memorable moment.

With so many new games looking similar thanks to the popular Unreal Engine 5, Romeo stands out as a refreshing change. It’s a diverse experience, offering a variety of visuals and sensations to delight players.

I hesitate to say Romeo is all style and no substance, because it does have good qualities. However, those qualities are easily overshadowed by how visually impressive the game is.

Like any Grasshopper game, Romeo is a Dead Man is certainly not going to be for everyone.

For fans of Suda51’s unique style, Romeo is a Dead Man is likely to be a big success.

If you enjoyed No More Heroes, you’ll probably love Romeo is a Dead Man. I’m really excited to play the finished version and see the wild, over-the-top action that Suda and the team have created for the rest of the game.

Romeo is a Dead Man releases on 11th February 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Want to see this content?

We can’t display this content because of a security measure from Google reCAPTCHA. To see it, please sign out of your Contentpass account.

Authors

Alex RaisbeckGaming writer
  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-01-06 17:35