Like many gamers, I’ve stumbled across a Suda51 project long before I knew who he was. After playing Killer7, I was led down the rabbit hole of b-horror and indie adventures packed with ambition from a development team that seems not know when to say stop. In the same way, we look at puzzle rooms or get lost in an ADHD cycle of playing a game on our phone while watching a TV show, games by Suda51’s studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, understand they aren’t going to win on graphical prowess or large budget quality-of-life testing, but what they do better than many others is dive headfirst into creative ambition and somehow manage to stick the landing, even Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes holds a special place in my heart.
Now, there’s more to unpack why that is, but I have a feeling it revolves around this studio’s consistent support in the Japanese indie scene. From Bitsummit to Tokyo Game Show, Suda51 and his developers can be found walking around, meeting developers, sharing ideas, and raising the bar for these types of games. When it comes to Romeo Is a Dead Man, the game expects players to go with the flow at every new reveal, which may feel overwhelming at first, but let’s unpack that in this preview.
Story Premise: A Wild Narrative Ride
Romeo opens with a tragedy: our hero is killed by a zombie, only to be resurrected and enlisted as an agent with the FBI Space-Time Police. Now, I know that’s already a lot to take in, but let me explain, Romeo is…I mean, was…a cop, until he met this girl “with a super dodgy” name, game’s words, not mine, named Juliet. She convinces him to leave town, and that’s when he dies. Well, through this early demo, I was treated to a brief sizzle reel of the events leading up to Romeo’s death, but it only gets more random. Oh, I forgot to mention, Romeo’s Grandpa was the one who resurrected him, and for specifics, Romeo was like 15 seconds from dying before being saved, so I guess he wasn’t dead-dead, but he was still pretty close. And I didn’t see it, but I think, right after healing Romeo, his Grandpa dies, and becomes a talking logo on his jacket that helps him out…I think… You know what? I’m not really sure about this game.
So we find out that Juliet is actually a “Space-Time Drifter,” which has led to her appearing in various timelines, and many versions of her are evil. This leads you to your first set of missions: take her out, along with other bad actors affecting the timeline. Now, these are the wishes of the Space-Time Police, but Romeo, now Deadman, is really only looking for Juliet, even if he’ll eventually fight other baddies. While this brings us into the details of the second chapter, I’m sure, by this general premise alone… You can expect the gameplay to balance everything out with a nice, straightforward action system… yeah, right.
Gameplay and Combat Systems
Romeo Is a Dead Man borrows from the No Man’s Heroes hack-and-slash action book, with a camera that mirrors what we’ve seen in Shadow of the Damned. The gameplay experience highlights the systems this team has prided itself on over the years, but doubles down with an upgrade system that seems to know no bounds in variety. First, you have melee weapons that each have their own combo tree and upgrades to increase performance and extend combos. Second, Deadman can pull out a gun, which really sucks in the beginning, but becomes an absolute beast once you upgrade and work it into your combos.
The pacing of the combat doesn’t mirror the insane pace of the story beats. Still, I feel this is by design because several nuances to your loadout would be heavily overwhelming if they were available from the get-go. Aside from combat, you also have access to a spaceship that takes the visual design of a 2D pixel adventure game. Exploring the ship reveals various mini-games and ways to improve your loadout, including a gardening mini-game where you can grow powerful zombie summons to help you in battle. If that wasn’t enough, you can also pilot the ship and then get your bike to “Kill the past,” all in a way that doesn’t really need to be in the game at all, but it’s really f-ing cool.
Early Impressions and Feedback
If I had to give feedback on these early chapters, I’d only clear up the opening of the game, as it is segmented in its current form. I’m also not sure whether this is due to it being a demo or to the actual opening of the game. Regardless, it feels like there are two intros, one from Romeo and one from his Grandpa, but they don’t really seem to be telling the same story. Anyway, I digress. I think the camera needs a little work during platforming sections found in this alternative reality… yeah, see, I’m not trying to confuse you all too much. Still, in these alternative dungeons, it’s tough to judge jumping distance. I felt slightly motion sick while exploring for an extended period. Now, to the developer’s credit, you don’t spend too much time in these areas, and there’s a ghost figure that pops up to guide you if you get lost.
Romeo Is a Dead Man looks to be the most well-rounded and digestible dose of Suda51 chaos we’ve seen in a while, but my early time with the game shows that this team isn’t slowing down in the slightest. Through the haphazard systems and “don’t ask too many questions” story, there are some truly grounded moments of enjoyment in this game that I didn’t expect. The spectacle is ever evolving, my approach to combat is constantly adapting to new hazards, and my desire to find Juliet and put a stop to the time-traveling villains is ever-present. Bring it on, it’s time to kill the past.
Romeo Is a Dead Man is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam on February 11, 2026.
