Goichi Suda, also known as SUDA51, is one of our industry’s most revered creators. The iconic developer is responsible for hits like The Silver Case, Killer7, the No More Heroes trilogy, and now, Romeo is a Dead Man. For the first time in a long while, Grasshopper Manufacture and SUDA51 are back with a brand new IP, and this one is probably Suda’s wackiest game to date.
Romeo is a Dead Man has pretty much everything you could expect from a Grasshopper Manufacture game, yet this is a big one for many reasons. It feels like the culmination of everything that the studio has learned over the years, and there is so much to celebrate here. I am very satisfied with the final product, and while Romeo is a Dead Man has a fair share of shortcomings, none were ever enough to take me out of this truly wild ride.
If you’re on the hunt for an unforgettable game in 2026, it’s hard to imagine a better pick than Romeo is a Dead Man.
Howdy, Mr. Stargazer
Oh, Romeo and Juliet. The classic story of a boy and a girl falling in love. The boy gets killed by a devil, his grandfather revives him as a “DeadMan”, and he joins the FBI as a Space-Time Agent to find his beloved Juliet, who is a wanted multidimensional criminal. Oh, and his grandpa dies and becomes a living being on the back of the boy’s jacket. While this might be almost too hard to comprehend, this premise makes complete sense after clearing the first hour of Romeo is a Dead Man. SUDA51 is no stranger to weirdness, and I’d say this game has more of it than even the biggest Suda fans can imagine.
Romeo is a Dead Man follows Romeo Stargazer, also known as DeadMan, on a journey through different eras of time in an effort to hunt down Juliet. All he wants is to reunite with the Juliet he stumbled across one day on the road while on patrol, but each timeline continues to paint the picture that there is more to Juliet than Romeo ever imagined. Alongside the rest of the crew on the Space-Time Police’s The Last Night ship, Romeo rides his time-traveling motorcycle to literally break through time to each area after a Dimensional Seer is breached. The game has a wonderful way of pointing you to different eras in time, such as the 2000s, 1960s, and more.
Admittedly, there are times when the story can whiplash you in one direction without much sense in the world. One second I’d be in complete understanding of the objective, and the next might bring something that can only make you look on in confusion. Storytelling can sometimes jump between the past and present, which can take you out of things if you aren’t closely following. There are so many ideas thrown around constantly that it can get a bit overwhelming to grasp, yet in the end, things somehow just worked. Go in expecting the weird, and you’ll have a great time with this beyond-words time-traveling adventure.
While I did have a great time with the narrative, the characters of Romeo is a Dead Man are what make this game. Romeo’s growth from the moment he was revived as a half-living being to discovering the truth of Juliet was incredibly entertaining, and I especially enjoyed Antony Del Rio’s performance. Without fail, Benjamin Stargazer had me laughing each time he decided to comment from Romeo’s back. Whether it was the reference to Back to the Future‘s Doc Brown or a chirp before a boss fight, this wildly strange character was a joy to experience throughout the game. The two’s dynamic feels similar to Doc Brown and Marty McFly or Rick and Morty, yet hilariously different at the same time.
And don’t get me started on the cast of characters that live on the Last Night. You’ve got WorstPink, TheBlack, TickTock Boy, BlueMountain, RedBrown, and others who all interact with Romeo on this time-traveling adventure. Many of these interactions are not very long, but each character’s personality shines through thanks to great characterization and writing. Fans of Grasshopper’s previous games will be thrilled to find references and nods thrown here and there.
As I sit here days after rolling credits, I am still thinking and laughing about this eccentric and ridiculous story. I had only seen the initial reveal trailer for the game prior to playing, and I think that only left me open to more of the weirdness throughout it. There is so much I could discuss with this narrative, but it’s best experienced yourself. Half of what I’d love to dive into would make no sense to anyone who hasn’t played the game yet, so you should probably just dive in as blind as possible for this wacky rollercoaster of a story.
It’s a Bloody Summer
So, Romeo IS a dead man, but what does that have to do with the gameplay? A lot, actually. Romeo is a Dead Man is an action game through and through, but there are quite a few twists thrown in to give it a unique feel. As Romeo, you have a good number of abilities and weapons at your disposal. The two main types of weapons include a long-ranged weapon and a melee weapon. You can switch between these freely, and there are four of each type to experiment with.
For melee, Romeo’s standard katana, the Spazer, reminds me of Chainsaw Man, and he’s even got a pair of knuckles that almost look Gundam-inspired that you can smash through enemies with. There’s also a longsword that’s heavier than the Spazer (but not too heavy), and a lance that can shapeshift or break apart. Variety is the name of the game, and different enemy groupings will require different weapons for best results. I really love the feel of each of these, as none felt similar to the other. The knuckles (Juggernaut) were a big surprise to me, as they packed a ton of damage and were a blast to combo with.
As for ranged weapons, the Discovery is Romeo’s standard pistol. You’ll also find a shotgun, an assault rifle, and even an RPG at your disposal. I like the variety and choices here, though I mostly switched between the shotgun (Disapsora) and the Discovery. In my experience, these had the most practical use, as the rifle took a while to reload and put me in a pinch multiple times against flying enemies. Since these are all swappable by holding the D-Pad and pressing a button, it’s easy to find the best ranged weapon for your situation. You can upgrade (and unlock) each of these weapons in the game, too, but more on that later.
Beyond standard weapons, you’ll also need to slash away to gather as much blood as you can. If anything, this is the key that can instantly turn a battle on its head. I can’t tell you how many times I was able to evade a tricky group of enemies by throwing down Romeo’s special move: Bloody Summer. This powerful attack deals massive splash damage to surrounding enemies, and you can charge this attack up by absorbing more blood. This is actually a stat you can upgrade on weapons, so you can prioritize gaining Bloody Summer attacks quicker if you wish.
Bastards are another key piece of combat. These creatures are growable in a garden inside The Last Night, and they can come in very handy against enemies. You will find quite a few different types to discover, such as a tornado, freeze, and laser Bastard. These are controlled by holding down the left bumper and choosing one of the four equipped to place down. Upon death, each Bastard will enter a timed cooldown that depends on how powerful they are.
The game does an alright job of introducing these at the beginning, yet they can quickly become an afterthought. You get seeds from defeating enemies or picking up items throughout each level, but you must remember to grow them in the ship. Sometimes, Grandpa will dish out a reminder if you are struggling. This is about as extensive as it gets regarding a reminder about the Bastards system. Especially for certain enemy types and later bosses, having a quality arsenal of Bastards is essential for victory. I found life to be quite miserable without a solid lineup of these in the late game, and you best believe you’ll find yourself at the wheel with Romeo’s mother to find a stat boost for your next life. Romeo is a Dead Man expects you to use Bastards.
Speaking of, bosses are a true highlight. While almost all the “mini-boss” type enemies are recycled repeatedly, the boss battles are spectacle moments of story, presentation, and gameplay. Each has a different moveset that requires you to control Romeo and think in different ways, with weak points and high-damage attacks that ask for different Bastards or weapons. You can quickly find yourself in a real challenge for survival, but I really enjoyed each of these segments.
Gameplay is structured through these different eras of time, but to fight the boss at the end, you’ll need to navigate through subspace, an alternate dimension filled with neon blocks that resembles normal space. Navigating between the two is done through this very sweet pixel-like TV, where a mysterious figure points at Romeo, turns him into pixels, and drags him in or out of the dimension. Your goal in subspace is always to find the keys to unlock the gate that holds the boss.
Generally, this structure can start to get quite repetitive after a while. I do respect the team’s effort to shake things up with some of the levels, but I was slightly fatigued with the loop by the time credits rolled. Subspace is filled with what are essentially different platforming challenges. Enemies are not here most of the time, with a focus on running around, solving puzzles, and traversing through different TVs between normal space and subspace to find all keys. Some new elements of traversal are added in later timelines, like a green orb you morph with the D-Pad until it is a perfect sphere, but it isn’t enough to truly make each subspace trip stand apart from one another.
Still, while the gameplay process of real space -> subspace and back can get repetitive, the levels/chapters themselves are very unique. One level occurs in an abandoned asylum, paving the way for an almost Resident Evil-style gameplay loop of crouching and avoiding enemies while moving electrodes connected to patients’ brains to progress. Another occurs in a bustling town hall with a DJ that commands enemies at the beat of the melody. You never know what you’re going to get when riding your bike through to the next timeline, and that alleviated most of my gripes with the repetitive nature of the game.
Arguably one of my favorite elements of Romeo is a Dead Man is The Last Night, which feels like an otherworldly extension of the main game. Here, everything is pixelated as 2D sprites, offering a unique experience that is wildly stylish and fascinating to explore. You’ll find all kinds of mini-games that correlate with Romeo’s stats, upgrades, items, and more. Upgrading stats is as simple as playing a game similar to PAC-MAN by using resources dropped by enemies to fuel a mini rocket ship, and you can also grow zombies (Bastards) to help you in battle.
There is much to do on the side of the main story, and even after 15 hours, I feel like I could have easily thrown another 10 into my playthrough. Want to experience a dating simulator? That’s here. How about frying some delicious katsu? Have at it. The Last Night is an electric hub that I quickly fell in love with.
Taken as a whole, Romeo is a Dead Man is an energetic blast to play. There are some moments of repetition that plague it, but the variety of weapon options, Bastards system, and Bloody Summer ability keep fights fresh. New ideas are frequently introduced, and The Last Night acts as a wonderful hub that it’s hard not to spend hours in. However, while things are mostly bright on the surface, the experience underneath can get somewhat murky.
Performance Woes
Unfortunately, as much as I loved the narrative and (most of) the gameplay of ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN, some serious performance issues must be addressed. While things ran fine for the most part with an occasional dip here and there for the first few chapters, Chapter 4 is where things began to really break down. Unreal Engine 5 has been notorious for issues, and unfortunately, Romeo is a Dead Man is no exception. From around the mid-point of the game onwards, I experienced frame rate drops at a pretty consistent rate.
Sometimes these would be very slight, only when running towards a part of the level loading behind the scenes, perhaps. Others, though, could tank the game a considerable amount, making combat a nauseating trip that I was forced to dodge away from. These harsher drops mostly occurred when facing swarms of bunched-up enemies, or in some of the later areas when entering rooms. As a result of these frame rate issues, some sections of gameplay can feel incredibly tedious. I was hoping some of this would be limited to Chapter 4, where I first encountered it, but I found it to continue in later chapters, depending on the area.
The game leverages this by offering both Quality and Performance modes, with the former targeting resolution and the latter frame rate. Still, I encountered dips I personally feel went below what Quality mode targets. Some moments really stood out, with the game choking up and becoming choppy. I believe some players will be more offended than others here, and while I normally can get quite frustrated with frame rate issues, I was able to move past them and enjoy the game despite it all. That’s not to say I was not frustrated by them—I was—but it did not detract too greatly from the experience Romeo is a Dead Man delivers.
Some good news on this is that I was able to confirm with Grasshopper Manufacture that a Day 1 patch is planned. It’s said to fix a few bugs and “ensure the best possible experience at release”, so we’ll see how things look at launch. I have faith this will eventually be remedied, but it was a disappointing blemish on what was a great game overall.
Style Heaven
If there’s one area that Romeo is a Dead Man does better than most games I’ve played, it’s art design and direction. The realistic style overall is enjoyable to look at, with some impressive moments, especially in subspace. The game itself in the moment looks great and all, but it’s everything past this that is so impressive. Each boss is narrated in with a comic-book-style intro that features painting-like drawings, making each a memorable encounter. The Last Night, designed all in 2D, has all kinds of unique mini-games that directly tie into gameplay, each with its own typography styles and designs. Each character even has portraits, similar to some of SUDA51’s older games.
And on characters, wow, I loved so much of the character design. Romeo has an amazing design that features two different masks throughout the game, and the whole idea of Benjamin being a living 2D being on his back is all the more fascinating. Juliet’s design is great, and I appreciated seeing her in multiple outfits each time she appeared in different timelines. Additionally, the cast of The Last Night is all wacky and eye-catching, with a suspicious cat-humanoid, a time-themed mascot, and much more.
Similarly, the soundtrack selection here is also astounding. I had a blast listening to the different tracks and sound effects throughout the journey, as they complemented battles and cutscenes well. There’s a certain sequence I won’t spoil that brings in Scha Dara Parr (SDP), and it’s probably my favorite of the game, all elevated by the music. Each boss fight has a different sound that immediately pulls you into the zone, and I love the eerie tones found in subspace, too.
All of these stylistic and design choices come together to reinforce the chaotic nature of Romeo is a Dead Man. This game mashes together so many ideas in such unreal and ridiculous ways that it should never work. So much of this game is unapologetic and confident in what it is, and these elements exemplify those values.
Kill the Past
ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a ridiculously entertaining ride from beginning to end, and despite the performance issues, I can’t help but praise what a wonderful game this truly is. I had so much fun traveling through time and hunting down Juliet as Romeo, and I cannot wait to jump back in with New Game Plus. There’s a reason SUDA51 is an auteur, and this game is once again a reminder of why. Art has to be striking, weird, and original, and Romeo is a Dead Man is just that.
Romeo is a Dead Man can be messy and occasionally frustrating, but its imaginative and sheer absurd nature makes it near impossible to stop thinking about. I have never in my life played anything quite like it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Disclaimer: Grasshopper Manufacture provided a PlayStation 5 copy of ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN for review purposes.
