Romeo is a Dead Man Review – Kill the Past

by

Okay, so everyone’s wondering what’s up with the story in this new game from Grasshopper Manufacture and Goichi Suda. They’re being super secretive, but trust me, there is a reason for all the craziness! It’s one of those games where everything eventually clicks… if you actually try to follow it. But let’s be real, this is a Suda51 game, so don’t expect a relaxing, brain-off experience – you might need to actually think to enjoy it!

I was completely captivated by Romeo is a Dead Man. Knowing the ending didn’t matter – the show’s incredible style and amazing music made it fantastic.

Okay, so the story starts with me – I mean, Romeo Stargazer, a cop with the Deadford PD. I was just driving along when I met this woman, Juliet. Things took a really dark turn fast, though. This huge monster attacked, and I got absolutely wrecked. Luckily, my grandpa, Ben Stargazer, showed up with this crazy tech called DeadGear, and somehow brought me back. Now I’m… well, I’m DeadMan. Basically, I’m alive, but also dead, which is… weird, to say the least.

Romeo is at the center of everything, struggling to understand what’s happening. However, the scenes are so strange and lighthearted that it makes me want to look for a deeper meaning, for something real beneath the surface.

He has much bigger problems, though – Juliet’s arrival somehow made the world vanish from existence. Now, working with the FBI’s Space-Time Police, he’s investigating strange occurrences, catching criminals, and searching for Juliet. The real mystery – and what Juliet is really like – is where the story gets truly captivating.

Prepare for a wild ride filled with eccentric characters! You’ll encounter a whole host of oddballs, including the crew of the spaceship, Last Night. There’s also the strange case of Romeo’s grandfather, who’s somehow still around as a patch on his jacket – just go with it. The crew members themselves are a mixed bag, from the somewhat simple Deputy Director Kimberly, who keeps accidentally using Romeo’s real name, to BrownRed, who insists she’s a cat despite clearly being a person with a cat head, and GreenRiver, who doesn’t seem to care about anything – or the plot, for that matter.

I don’t dislike the characters, but they mostly feel like tools used to move the plot forward. Luna, Romeo’s sister, is a slight exception – she feels a bit more developed. Even the villains are inconsistent, sometimes interesting and sometimes forgettable. Romeo is stuck in the middle, trying to understand everything, but he usually doesn’t succeed. Despite the story feeling strange and lighthearted, I keep hoping to find something deeper and more meaningful.

Many viewers will likely enjoy the playful and visually striking elements of the game. The character Romeo is designed to resemble a classic superhero, and the game uses creative transitions and imagery inspired by things like rock album covers and comic books – even referencing Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks at one point. Important conversations are often presented as comic panels in a variety of styles, matching the overall tone. Even the menus are full of personality and detail, from the Day of the Dead-inspired Rotter farm to the machine that recycles space junk into upgrades.

Early on, this can lead to frustrating battles, and it’s made worse by Romeo’s inability to quickly move through crowds. If enemies surround you, you’re likely to be defeated, as Romeo is easily knocked off balance.

Honestly, sometimes the game’s atmosphere is so strong it almost makes you ignore how…plain the levels themselves actually look. The graphics aren’t anything special, and the smoothing can actually look really bad in certain spots – seriously, don’t shine your flashlight on the chains in the dark! But then there’s subspace, which is this cool, blocky, and trippy alternate world that’s almost mesmerizing. It’s neat going back and forth between the normal levels and subspace to get around, but it can get really frustrating when you have to backtrack, especially with that guy on the TV constantly talking! And the last level? Ugh, it’s easily one of the most annoying and drawn-out levels I’ve played in a long time.

The combat is a little better, but not by much. Romeo can switch between four close-range and four long-range weapons during battles. However, you’ll probably find yourself using only a couple of them, as there aren’t enough resources to upgrade everything. Each weapon has its own special moves, but they all rely on basic light and heavy attacks. Be careful with the heavy attacks though – their slow recovery can make dodging difficult when you really need to.

Early in the game, you might find yourself in frustrating fights, partly because Romeo isn’t very good at avoiding attacks. Getting surrounded is dangerous – he’s easily knocked down, and it can quickly lead to defeat. Thankfully, the ‘Bloody Summer’ special attack restores health and can be a lifesaver. However, don’t rely on it during boss fights until you’ve learned their attack patterns, as it doesn’t protect you from damage while activating.

Spending resources on the *Pac-Manstyle Cannonball game to improve your character and abilities makes the core gameplay less frustrating, particularly since each hit feels less threatening. Collecting Rotters – which are like helpful summons with special powers – is also beneficial, and managing them can be fun, even if the system isn’t groundbreaking. It would be better, though, if the Rotters weren’t so easily stunned, took less time to activate after using their abilities, and didn’t sometimes block your attacks or movement.

Players can further customize their experience with Badges, which offer benefits like increased weapon damage and faster ability cooldowns for Rotters. It’s a simple system, but it encourages exploring the optional dungeons throughout the game. You can also use ingredients you find to cook katsu curry, granting temporary combat bonuses.

Like most games from Suda51, some parts of Romeo is a Dead Man are inflexible. However, a little refinement and some improvements to the gameplay could significantly reduce frustration and make the game much more enjoyable.

Even though the fighting can be a little awkward at times, the boss battles are enjoyable. Each boss has its own distinct attacks and, even better, a memorable musical theme that adds to the experience. The soundtrack is fantastic, blending energetic rock with calmer, atmospheric tracks, and it all comes together really well.

The game’s performance is inconsistent. It starts smoothly, but the frame rate can drop when there are a lot of enemies or visual effects on screen. This is especially noticeable – and quite bad – in the optional dungeons. Combined with the dark environments, even when the brightness is turned up, it can be straining on the eyes. Even outside of battles, the game struggles to maintain a steady frame rate as the levels become bigger and more detailed.

Okay, so Romeo is a Dead Man isn’t perfect, that’s for sure. The fighting did get a little samey after a while, and there weren’t a ton of different enemies, but honestly, I was still hooked by the story. There were moments where it got a bit too weird or confusing, and I almost gave up, but I had to know what happened next. And even though the combat could be simple, unleashing the Bloody Summer moves? So satisfying! It’s definitely a bit of a wild ride, as you’d expect from a Suda51 game, and while some parts felt optional, a little extra polish would really make this game shine. It’s annoying at times, but I didn’t hate it!

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Read More

2026-02-10 20:49