| Romeo is a Dead Man | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Romeo is a Dead Man Review Overview
What is Romeo is a Dead Man?
Romeo is a Dead Man is an upcoming sci-fi action title developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XIS, and PC in 2026.
Described as an ultra-violent science fiction
action game, the story follows Romeo Stargazer, an FBI space-time investigator referred to as a Dead Man.
Players will track down criminals across various time periods and parallel universes, engaging in hack-and-slash combat as they navigate hostile environments and high-risk missions.
Romeo is a Dead Man features:
⚫︎ Suda51-Style Action Adventure
⚫︎ Space-Time Intervention Narrative
⚫︎ Space Navigation
⚫︎ Different Playable Weapons
⚫︎ Unique Progression Systems
⚫︎ Cosmic Body Horror
⚫︎ One-of-a-Kind Visuals
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Romeo is a Dead Man’s gameplay and story.
| Digital Storefronts | ||
|---|---|---|
 Steam |
 Playstation |
 Xbox |
| TBA | ||
Romeo is a Dead Man Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Over-the-Top Audiovisuals Unique Progression Systems Surprising Variety One-of-a-Kind Experience |
Extreme Visual Clutter Finicky Combat Design Hard to Avoid Technical Issues Tricky Subspace Segments |
Romeo is a Dead Man Story - 8/10
Romeo is a Dead Man’s narrative is as wild as how it's presented—over-the-top, meta, and, most of all, extremely entertaining. Its presentation also influences its storytelling and thematic elements, which is nothing short of remarkable. However, the erratic pacing and confusing direction can be problematic, especially when the narrative goes a little too crazy in too many ways at once.
Romeo is a Dead Man Gameplay - 6/10
The gameplay loop feels like a classic action-adventure title packaged in the craziest ways possible. Combat is heavily inspired by their older titles and is fun despite not having many battle mechanics. However, this also highlights the weaknesses of its gameplay, as the overall loop can feel dated and clunky. Additionally, there are issues with its enemy AI and exploration, as they’re not ideal for main missions where you have to backtrack a lot.
Romeo is a Dead Man Visuals - 10/10
The trailers and promotional material don’t do the game justice, given how much variety it actually has. The game's overall aesthetic and art direction look amazing and are a clear showcase of the unique style to be expected from a Goichi Suda game.
Romeo is a Dead Man Audio - 9/10
The music choice perfectly reflects the game’s thematic chaos, blending adrenaline-pumping rock with weird, zany tunes that match its overall style. Sound effects and voice acting are also noteworthy, as they enhance both gameplay and the narrative. Sometimes, though, the ambient music and overall audio can feel a little too muted or weak, which makes the game feel hollow.
Romeo is a Dead Man Value for Money - 8/10
In terms of content, the game certainly has decent replayability, as it encourages you to finish it on multiple difficulties. The campaign is decently sized, with 8-10 hours of gameplay to complete a playthrough, and it includes side content such as procedural dungeons and boss time trials to keep things interesting. The technical issues, however, can be a bit bothersome and tends to diminish the experience overall.
Romeo is a Dead Man Overall - 82/100
Romeo is a Dead Man is the epitome of going overboard, thriving on the chaos it brings, as its ultra-violent combat matches the unpredictable narrative and stylish visuals to a tee. While it may not be executed perfectly every time, it’s still a great reminder of how creative a video game can be when armed with an extremely cool concept behind it.
Romeo is a Dead Man Review: Creativity Isn't Dead, Man
Conceptual Chaos Given Form
There are things that you tend to expect from a series, franchise, or even a developer when you’ve already played some of their prior games. Be it gameplay, visuals, or even narrative concepts, it just comes with familiarity when you’ve experienced enough of their product. So when I heard that the legendary Suda51 was going to release a new IP, I already expected something crazy.
And even with that in mind, my expectations were still shattered.
Romeo Is a Dead Man is an action-adventure game that I can’t imagine being pitched in a brainstorming session. To the point where I’d even say they were probably working on this idea even before the release of No More Heroes 3. It’s such a crazy concept that showcases Grasshopper Manufacture at its best, creating an action game that oozes style using a range of different art directions.
That said, I played this game wanting to know one thing: Is it worth the people’s time and hype? And I’m glad to say that it definitely does.
Space-Time Romantic Tragedy
Romeo is a Dead Man puts you in the shoes of Romeo Stargazer, a sheriff’s deputy who was on the brink of death after a run-in with a White Devil, an alien humanoid creature that eats humans and turns the dead into something akin to zombies. Close to death, he is reborn as Deadman after being revived by a futuristic mask called the Deadgear.
He is then recruited by the FBI’s Space-Time police force and is now on the hunt for villains who took advantage of the chaos brought by the destruction of space-time with the arrival of the White Devils. Coincidentally, he learns that his girlfriend, Juliet, is missing and is a suspect linked to the destruction of space-time.
In an attempt to bring justice back to the universe and find his girlfriend, Romeo must traverse through space and time to look for clues and cut down any evil-doers that stand in his way.
I’m not going to lie, there were many moments when I found myself bewildered and confused about certain story segments. One thing’s for sure, though, I found myself thoroughly enjoying its narrative despite its erratic nature.
To summarize it without spoiling too much, it’s a romantic tragedy told through bloody action wrapped in science fiction. But honestly, that’s still a pretty weak summary of the narrative, as the whole thing feels like a rollercoaster from the start, with how unpredictable the story progresses. It’s not a perfect story, as it does have problems with its pacing, writing, and humor, but it’s undeniably a fun experience that has a bit of everything, even horror at some point.
As for Romeo himself, he’s a pretty good protagonist, as he’s not as animated and wild as you’d normally expect. He’s like a much more restrained, chill version of No More Heroes’ protagonist, Travis Touchdown. Additionally, the inclusion of his grandpa Benjamin as a color commentator who lives on the back of his jacket also adds to his character.
Simple Bloody Combat
As for gameplay, it isn’t particularly complex. It’s a classic action game through and through, and doesn’t even have any complicated mechanics like parrying and such. If there was one thing that was completely unique to it, it would probably be the Bastards system. You can summon a cultivated zombie to do a unique action for you, whether it’s to buff you, attack enemies for you, or heal you (yes, it’s as wild as it sounds).
Combat is obviously inspired by No More Heroes, with fighting centered on light and strong attacks and dodges. But even with its simplicity, the game does offer you multiple options to choose from in the form of different accessible melee and ranged weapons. There are eight weapons in total: four melee and four ranged.
Each of the weapons offers a different experience, as they each have varying strengths and weaknesses that you want to make use of. For instance, the Spazer sword offers a good balance of speed and strength, making it a very good all-rounder for any situation. However, my preferred weapon of choice is the Juggernaut fists, which are a faster alternative at the cost of weaker single-hit damage.
Though you do have the option to switch weapons on the fly, meaning you can use all four melee weapons, hell, even all eight weapons if you really wanted to. And that’s where the combat shines the most, as you definitely want to be able to take advantage of each weapon in different situations. Like, using the sword’s horizontal swings to take care of groups instead of sticking with the fists.
One example of this is capitalizing on an enemy's specific weak points using ranged weapons. While the pistol is the easiest ranged weapon to use, you might want to use the launcher instead to deal much more damage in one shot. And since each ranged weapon doesn’t share ammunition, you’re very much encouraged to cycle them in fights.
Unique Progression Systems
The game's progression systems are very different. Gearing in the game is separated into two parts: the Weapons and Badges. Upgrading weapons is straightforward; you need materials named Sentreys to upgrade one aspect of a weapon, and the cost of this climbs as you upgrade each aspect to a higher level.
Badges, on the other hand, are equippable passive buffs. They range from utility-based ones, like earning more currency on kills, to offensive ones like gaining more ranged weapon damage at the cost of less melee weapon damage. This is where my brain clicked when it came down to its gameplay, as I was surprised that the game actually had builds that you can create.
And that’s not even talking about the game’s unique leveling system, which is a sort of Pac-Man and Snake-type arcade game. You literally "eat" stat upgrades like stronger melee weapon damage, more potion charges, and even additional health in the arcade game, and this reflects on Romeo. The best part is that you’re free to re-spec anytime, so you can explore
the arcade game to find the best route for the most upgrades.
Visually One of Its Kind
We can’t really talk about the game without discussing its visuals, because I have never encountered a game with this much variety of graphical elements. The trailers definitely did not do justice to how good this game looks or how varied the assets are. But if you wanted a summary of the visual style they went for, I can sum it up as everything you’d expect in a Suda51 game.
And I mean everything.
While the game primarily uses 3D-rendered art in gameplay, certain segments and cutscenes shift to different visual styles. Exploring the FBI ship The Last Night, for example, renders the game in a pixelated style, with stylized animated sprites and portraits, while certain cutscenes are shown in a comic-book style, complete with speech bubbles and unique animations.
And if you thought that the game in motion isn’t impressive, it actually also is. The animations in the game are very detailed, especially given just how much is happening on the screen. For instance, the animation of Romeo’s special attack, Bloody Summer, is already a visual overload, as it changes the entire screen into a pseudo-comic book flash frame before impact, complete with speed lines and everything.
It’s a true showcase of how amazing their graphics team can get, especially since the game's aesthetic and art direction completely match its chaotic energy. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever see a game with this much variation in visual style, let alone one that looks good and is cohesive with its concept.
Not Immune to Problems
As much as the game looks good, it’s not without its problems. The combat can feel dated and clunky, especially during huge enemy encounters. There are times when you can get stunlocked to death, and there are some enemies that are huge nuisances to deal with, even early on. One specific example is the enemy type that leaves mines on the floor, as the activation range is much larger than intuitively expected.
There’s also the issue of the enemy AI being omniscient, as one particular save point or teleportation point attracts enemies to that seemingly safe area. They also don’t stop chasing you, and it feels particularly bad when you backtrack to certain areas.
It also doesn’t help that the game has performance issues during said encounters. For context, the review was conducted on a base PlayStation 5, and the game noticeably slows down when there are too many enemies on screen.
It’s not as if it’s totally unplayable; it goes back to normal after dealing with the crowd, but it does make combat more burdensome than it already is with the combined issues said earlier. Lastly, the exaggerated visuals also become a problem during these encounters, as there can be so much visual clutter on screen that it's hard to understand what’s going on.
Is Romeo is a Dead Man Worth It?
Worth For the Visuals Alone
Regardless of the gameplay issues, Romeo Is a Dead Man is a worthwhile purchase. Its excellent audiovisuals, paired with its unpredictable narrative, make it a memorable game to experience.
Emphasis on the visuals part, as there’s probably nothing like it in terms of how much they crammed inside of one game in terms of different styles. Sure, the gameplay isn’t perfect and isn’t as engaging or as complex as newer action games, but it still offers a decent gameplay loop thanks to its variety of weapons and builds.
It’s an easy recommendation for fans of Suda’s older games, as the game’s style is a familiar sight to see. It’s also a good recommendation for those who appreciate unique visual styles and are looking for something distinctive in its graphics. As for action game fans, it may be best to wait for a sale, as the simplistic combat may not be their cup of tea.
| Digital Storefronts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Steam |
Playstation |
Xbox |
| TBA | ||
Romeo is a Dead Man FAQ
What are the System Requirements to Play Romeo is a Dead Man on PC?
The System Requirements listed on Steam are as follows:
| Specifications | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 64-bit | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8400, AMD Ryzen 3 3100 | Intel Core i7-10700F, AMD Ryzen 5 4500 |
| Memory | 12GB RAM | |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti, AMD Radeon RX 7600 |
| Storage | 60 GB | |
| Additional Specs | Direct X12 | |
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Romeo is a Dead Man Product Information
 |
|
| Title | ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN |
|---|---|
| Release Date | February 11, 2026 |
| Developer | Grasshopper Manufacture |
| Publisher | Grasshopper Manufacture |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, Adventure |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | M17+ |
| Official Website | Romeo is a Dead Man Official Website |
