Introduction

Suda51—real name Goichi Suda—a name that when I hear it, I know I’m in for a wild ride. Creator behind No More Heroes, Killer7, Lollipop Chainsaw and The Silver Case games, Suda51 just knows how to make some of the most absurd but fun games. I won’t deny I am a very big fan of his works and that’s why I was extremely excited for ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN. Published and developed by Suda51’s studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN screamed Suda51 from the trailers and I knew as a die-hard fan, this was going to be a good game.

However, as a reviewer I know that my love for Suda51’s works needs to be quelled a bit and kept in check so I’ll be brutally honest in my review. Thus, we have to ask these questions. Is ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN worth playing even for non-fans of Suda51 or is this where Suda51’s greatness finally meets the end of the line? I’m about to tell you all in my review of ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN for the PS5! Big thanks to Grasshopper Manufacture for this early review code.

Oh and one of the running jokes in ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN happens to be when Romeo is called by his other name Dead Man…I’m going to mirror that joke. Let me know if it got tiring while reading.

Gameplay

Romeo was a simple rookie deputy sheriff until he wasn’t. While on patrol, Romeo and his partner encounter something abnormal leaving our deputy at death’s doorstep. Luckily, a crazed scientist—who just so happens to be his grandpa—saves Romeo by giving him a new lease on life. Now a half robot and semi-dead man, Romeo or better known as Dead Man must fight zombies, time traveling oddities and whatever else Suda51 decided to make up in his head.

At its core, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a third person action title where you will be hacking up zombies via several weapons and/or blasting them with several odd guns. Dead Man…Romeo is able to swap freely between 4 different melee weapons—my favorites where the gauntlets and the starting sword—each presenting their own strengths/weaknesses in combat. Whatever you choose, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a simple action title. You have a light attack, a heavy and the ability to dodge out of harm’s way. Theres also the ultimate attack that builds up as you collect blood from your foes (aptly named Bloody Summer) which deals a ton of damage and restores health. Health is often in short supply so using your ultimate if you run out of methods of healing can save you in a bind.

Romeo AKA Dead Man, can also use various ranged weapons—which often felt more situational than useful—such as a machine gun, pistol, shotgun or rocket launcher. ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN doesn’t ever tell you how to best approach a fight or boss and while the combat isn’t extremely deep or Ninja Gaiden-esque, it works enough for some solid old-school fun.

Aside from weapons in combat, players can also use Bastards seeds—yeah they are called that—which give Romeo…Dead Man his own personal side attack. Bastards can due numerous acts like acting as if they are stationary turrets, little mini explosion devices or create odd effects that will help Romeo in battle. These Bastard Seeds aren’t a necessity in battle—I forgot about them sometimes to be honest—but they help add some additional depth to the combat and are good for harder bosses.

Your main threat in ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN are zombies or strange otherworldly creatures. These things can be…easy to kill and sometimes absurdly annoying. What I liked about ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN’s gameplay is it never felt one note for too long. Sometimes, you are just hacking away at dozens of zombies while other times taking down huge bosses and trying to survive. Yes, it can be quite simple 90% of the time but as a fan of older action titles, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN hits that itch for nostalgia even if I wished combat could be a bit more.

When you aren’t slashing up enemies and seeing their digital blood cascade on the screen—a cool effect but sometimes would be a bit annoying—you’ll be running around locations such as the gigantic FBI space base. Here ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is retro beyond words with an almost Super Nintendo look. You can participate in mini games like frying up Katsu, leveling up your abilities and/or raising your Bastard Seeds via a farming simulator. Yes…Suda51 games are weird but ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is even weirder than some of his past games and I loved that.

The most glaring issue sadly in ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is…the bugs. Let it be known…in the current gaming age most bugs can be fixed via updates so I’m not going to reduce the score of ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN by a lot just because of these bugs. However, as of writing this review, I ran into a decent amount. Some made bosses almost stay stuck in place or led me to having crashes randomly. They are annoying but I didn’t experience anything too overly frustrating. Still, be aware they are there currently.

Graphics

Where ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN succeeds above everything is the visuals. I have never played a bad looking Suda51 game and ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN makes sure to keep that trend going. The designs in ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN are excellent melding anime with a sci-fi theme perfectly. I do wish some of the various background settings were a bit more detailed—the mall for example feels and looks lifeless…which is odd when you mix in zombies and space monsters—but I never felt they looked bad.

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN screams visual treat and I loved it. The comic book styled cutscenes are sharp and very detailed, the weird retro art is unique and Romeo…Dead Man is my anime dream MC with his robot head and arm while wearing a cool jacket straight from the 80s. ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is beautiful and while not perfect in terms of the modern gaming era, screams Suda51 and Grasshooper Manufacture.

Sound

When it works (this was one of my many glitches/bugs was sound just being muted or cut off) Romeo is a Dead Man has a great soundtrack. The various beats range from rock to almost Japanese pop (J-Pop) which might sound odd but it works very well. The voice acting in ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is also great with that nice Suda51 mix of corny, serious and occasionally over the top. You never know what to expect in ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN which isn’t a detriment to the game just something else to keep you on your toes.

Story

Those who know Suda51’s strange narrative style and form will equally know what to expect from ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN. From anime themed moments to sci-fi homages, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN appease that strange but unique storytelling brand I’ve come to expect from him. For those unfamiliar with his previous works, I won’t deny the story is very convoluted and crazy.

One minute we have our normal rookie sheriff Romeo with his partner investigating a strange corpse on the road, the next his super scientific grandpa is resurrecting him and turning Romeo into Dead Man…half robot and human hybrid. Then, we have a strange spatial oddity take place in a fictional location, Deadford, PA, wiping out the planet and forcing the FBI (FBI Space-Time Police) to step in and help search for a means of reversing the damage done from this event.

Oh and let me not forget, Romeo falls in love with a girl he finds on the streets named…you guessed it…Juliet who just so happens to be a mysterious being that may be causing issues across space time. Yeah… ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a Suda51 game without missing a beat.

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN’s story is wild and frantic but works oddly enough. There’s tons of references to past Suda51 games—good luck finding them all—but as its own tale, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a sci-fi hodgepodge of weirdness and I loved it. Even those new to Suda51 and his bizarre stories will find plenty to love in ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN as long as you realize not to take this story too seriously. Literally, Romeo’s grandpa ends up as a talking badge on the back of his jacket…yeah this isn’t meant to be a serious tale.

Overall Impression

Reviewers will always claim to be able to split themselves into two parts when it comes to a game they love but know isn’t perfect. The reality, it’s a daunting challenge to love a game but know it has flaws. ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN isn’t perfect and I can assure you, there’s going to be many that will agree.

However, as a Suda51 fan and as someone who likes traditional action titles, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN has appeal on many levels. What Suda51 does right with ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is simple, this is a game meant to be for those who don’t want just another action RPG…but something unique.

Conclusion

Is ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN perfect? As a fan, yeah I love it and equally as someone who lived on older action games that were simple, this format works perfectly for me. Newer age gamers.. ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN might be a bit of a turn off at times due to the gameplay and oddness but if you can look past that, there’s a lot to love here.

From the visual flair to the absurd but fun story, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a game I can recommend to those who just want something different. This isn’t your typical action RPG, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN feels original and shows how Suda51 doesn’t care to just appeal to the masses but to those who want something more from their gaming experience.

Fans, you’re going to love ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN and I also believe even newer gamers can love this title too. Just don’t set your expectations too high and you’ll find a fun, enjoyable title that oozes with personality and tries to break the norm of action games.

—Aaron