Romeo is a Dead Man

If anything else, Romeo is a Dead Man is incredibly sincere, which definitely amounts to something and lets you sidestep some of the more meddling parts of the whole experience. Plus it's really hard to refuse the offer to kill the past once again.

Romeo is a Dead Man proves that Suda51 is still at the top of his game: classic action with a bizarre tone, loaded with references of all kinds. Even with its minor issues, if you like Suda51, you know what you're getting into: you're going to love Romeo is a Dead Man.

I don’t know if Romeo is a Dead Man always works. I don’t love how repetitive its action can be, and the story is both endearingly bonkers and hard to follow. I wish there was more depth to its combat. I wish it explained how crucial things like Bastards were sooner, I wish things like the curry minigame mattered more, and I wish I’d felt compelled to do more of its optional content. Even after writing all this, I’m not sure how I feel about Romeo is a Dead Man. Like the Fractured Universe Romeo is in, it’s a whole lot of disparate parts that don’t always add up to a coherent whole. But I’ll be damned if I can stop thinking about it, and I respect how it tells its story through its gameplay. Is it good? Maybe. Did I enjoy the act of playing it? Sometimes. Did it stick with me? Yeah. Yeah it did. Enough that I might go back. And so we reach the end of the sphere, and start again.

Romeo is a Dead Man is a wild fever dream, you probably won’t experience again. Not everything works, but a lot of it surprises.

Romeo is a Dead Man is an absolutely wild ride, and although it has some duller moments I'm seriously glad I saw it through to the end.

Romeo is a Dead Man is exactly what you're expecting it to be if you're familiar with Suda51, which means you are expecting the unexpected. It's as weird as possible from the very beginning and features a collection of influences that combine into a unique and surreal journey. Actually fighting stuff is the least interesting part of the game, which is good because I find the combat a bit weak, but if you can see through that – and maybe start of the lower difficulty so it's less of a burden – this is a rollercoaster of the peculiar that you'll want to stick with to the end.

Romeo is a DeadMan is a product that has sparked deep reflection in us: we're happy that a figure like SUDA51 is still active in the global gaming scene and that he's still capable of infusing his creations with such a recognizable stylistic imprint, but it's also true that Grasshopper Manufacture seems anchored in an outdated, almost anachronistic, game development philosophy that needs a breath of fresh air to compete, or even survive, in the ever-changing action genre. While on the one hand, we find a manneristically varied yet solid gameplay structure and an artistic direction that oozes style from every pore, on the other, we must point out a less than rosy situation in terms of level design and the presence of poorly crafted gameplay devices.

Like a recently resurrected corpse, parts to ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN’s gameplay and story are cold to the touch, as it occasionally stumbles trying to grasp all of its ambitions. Yet there are just as many moments of genuine warmth, exuding confidence when expressing its boundless imagination. For my first foray into the unhinged mind of Suda51, the consistently bonkers creativity is the beating heart that gives this title strength. Creativity doesn’t automatically make for the smoothest experience. Nonetheless, this is a DeadMan I’ll look back on with both affectionate fondness, and conflicted frustration.

Romeo is a Dead Man is a loud and inventive action game that prioritises style and spectacle. Its combat may be basic by today’s standards, and its systems occasionally bloated, but the confidence behind its strangeness may carry it for some. It can feel very dated, but it’s unapologetic and unmistakably Suda51, and for the right player (you know who you are), that’s more than enough.

Romeo Is A Dead Man is a fever dream of a title that you'll want to wake up from. It starts off strong, but before long, it falls victim to a repetitive nature that even its flashy and bloody combat can't save it from.

Romeo is a Dead Man is yet another bizarre and absolutely crazy title by Goichi Suda, a fine example of a video game by an author that displays all the insane methodology of its creator. It's not the best technical game, it doesn't have the best gameplay you'll find, but it's an absolutely out-of-the-box experience.

Romeo is a Dead Man has many fundamental issues, which is a shame because its sense of style and allure make for a uniquely surreal adventure.

Great visual concepts and wacky characters don't make up for the underlying issues of its repetitive encounters and tedious level design.

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is a unique, intriguing, and at the same time unfocused and frustrating experience. It's a difficult game to recommend, as I imagine a niche audience will love the title and ignore its worst quirks, while the vast majority will find themselves confused about what exactly the game wants to be.

Just as enjoyable as it is frustrating, Romeo Is a Dead Man is an incredibly uneven experience. You’ll love it one minute and hate it the next. Persevere with its more annoying elements, and you’ll discover a unique and entertaining hack and slasher at the end of it all. It just takes a lot of effort and restraint to get there.

A collection of cool shit laid out on a shaky foundation, Romeo is a Dead Man is as admirable and occasionally brilliant to witness as it is borderline boring to play. It’s a punk rock demo tape, an imperfect showcase of violent profundity scattered amongst a bunch of noise.

Romeo is a Dead Man has the style and swagger of a much better game. The combat is nothing you've not seen before, the level design is uninspired, dated and often frustrating, and the story isn't as funny or clever as it thinks it is. But, still, there's fun to be had and the game can be compelling. It just needs to get out of its own way more often than not.