Romeo is a Dead Man Review A Creative Dreamlike Action Experience
The evaluation of Romeo is a Dead Man presents an enchanting yet imperfect dreamlike experience. The names Killer7, No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned and Lollipop Chainsaw have already established an understanding of what you should expect from Romeo is a Dead Man. The new project from Suda51 and Ren Yamazaki marks their first release of a new intellectual property since five years. The game operates as a blender which blends Dark Souls Devil May Cry arcade classics and a Returnal element while producing a manic laugh track.
The experience delivers creative content which produces strange results through its portrayal of pre 2000s pop culture. The fever dream experience requires both time and money from you. Let's dive deep.
The narrative premise is as unhinged as you would expect. In this role you will play as Romeo Stargazer who is a small town police officer that dies after a monster attack and transforms into Dead Man which is a cyborg undead superhero with a robotic helmet. His grandfather who resembles Doc Brown brought him back to life through a digital existence which he now occupies as a scientist living on a digital patch of Romeo's jacket.
Romeo becomes a member of an intergalactic space time FBI team to find his ex girlfriend Juliet. The twist Juliet becomes an interdimensional threat because multiple versions of her exist throughout the space time continuum. The story includes references to Back to the Future, Ultraman and Evil Dead.
The storytelling shows creativity but delivers an inconsistent experience. The dialogue often feels like a poorly translated anime, oscillating between intentional camp and genuine confusion. The game suffers from tonal whiplash; one moment you are talking to a cat man on a spaceship, the next you are uncovering brutal experimentation in a mental hospital. For fans of Suda51 his chaotic non sensical narrative creates an attractive quality. The story will confuse newcomers because it uses confusing storytelling methods to present its information.
The game Romeo is a Dead Man operates as a basic third person hack and slash action title. You have light and heavy attacks, ultimate moves (Bloody Sunday), and a variety of melee weapons ranging from swords to punchy gauntlets and a staff. Combat operates as a basic system because players can execute button mash attacks that create visually satisfying results but the game fails to deliver advanced gameplay mechanics.
The game offers players its most distinctive mechanic through the Bastard system. You can cultivate zombies (called Bastards) in a garden on your spaceship hub. You find seeds during missions which you plant to cultivate and subsequently pull out of the ground. The zombies function as battle summons which players can use to create turrets that heal allies or draw aggro to themselves. You can breed the creatures to create new ones who have combined abilities. The combat system creates strategic depth through its engaging mechanics which produce an unusual experience.
The combat delivers entertaining experiences, but it suffers from major operational problems. The game has animation locks that occur throughout because players lose control during reloading or summoning or even walking in poison. The camera system shows frequent problems because it gets stuck in corners or fails to properly lock onto targets. The shooting mechanics have poor performance because missile launcher weapons lack effective splash damage while operating as ineffective long range shotguns that provide minimal impact.
The game delivers its best experience through this particular aspect. The game Romeo is a Dead Man employs nine distinct artistic styles throughout its visual design. You will transition between 3D gameplay and hand drawn comic book cutscenes including motion graphic novels and 8 bit pixel art and claymation and retro VHS aesthetics. The visual elements create an unbalanced appearance, but they achieve their intended effect through their design as a chaotic showcase of different artistic styles.
The level design, however, can be repetitive. You move through linear levels to eliminate groups of enemies while activating Subspace which is a virtual TV realm. The Subspace areas primarily present puzzle platforming challenges which many players found to be tedious because they disrupted the game's pacing. The game uses Dead Rising style mall sections and survival horror elements to create diversity in gameplay.
The progression system begins at The Last Night hub world which serves as your spaceship. The game shifts into a 2D visual style which resembles the Game Boy Color aesthetic. The crew members provide you with items while you use creative mini games to level up.
Players must complete the arcade game Deadgear Cannonball to develop their skills, which requires them to consume health and ammo capacity upgrades instead of traditional fruit. The game includes cooking mini games and pong style scanning mechanics. The system creates a creative method for character development through its use of thematic elements which distinguishes it from standard action RPG games.
While it works fine on PS5, the game runs exceptionally heavy on PC. High-end graphics cards such as the RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 need to rely on frame generation to maintain consistent frame rates at maximum settings. Steam Deck users should also be cautious, as the game is currently poorly optimized for the handheld, with frame rates dropping into the teens during more intense moments.
The game contains bugs that include broken cutscenes toward the end of the game and the mentioned camera problems.
The Pros
- The combination of 9+ different art styles and multiple media presentation creates a unique artistic style.
- The soundtrack presents an extraordinary combination of classical music and metal tracks and electronic music.
- The mechanic Bastard allows players to develop zombie minions through breeding which provides deep gameplay.
- The Pac Man leveling system and Pong scanning system create an enjoyable experience through their retro game progression.
- The boss fights create breathtaking visuals which remain unforgettable because of their simple gameplay design.
- Suda51 presents its most ambitious work through this title which appeals to fans who appreciate the studio's strange games.
The Cons
- The game experiences repeated gameplay problems because its linear levels and Subspace puzzle areas become boring after a short period.
- The combat system experiences serious problems because of animation locks and camera problems and shooting mechanics which provide no impact.
- The narrative becomes disorganized because tonal whiplash and nonsensical dialogue create a confusing experience which alienates players.
- The game suffers from three major technical problems which affect Steam Deck performance and require high PC specifications and result in unpredictable errors.
- The standard enemies do not provide any interesting characteristics because they become uninteresting during combat.
The game serves as a essential experience for fans while general audiences should wait until its price decreases.
The game Romeo is a Dead Man creates a flawed experience which delivers both outstanding gameplay and multiple gaming genres. The game includes bullet hell and farming and retro gaming and horror and comedy which successfully creates an amazing gaming experience. The movie lacks the high quality finishing that characterizes major studio productions because its repeated elements and unrefined combat system create an unpolished experience.
The Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture duo provides their best work through this game which fans must experience. The game exists as a strange experience which becomes more enjoyable when people acquire it for less money.
Ps5 and Pc Version Tested.
