PLATFORM: PC, PS5, XBOX SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: 11TH FEBRUARY
When a new game from Grasshopper Manufacture appears, you pretty much immediately know what to expect. Goichi Suda’s notoriously demented company has been responsible for countless cult favourites over the years, including Shadows of the Damned, No More Heroes and Killer7, games that might not have quite fully broken into the mainstream but nevertheless are highly regarded in certain circles thanks to their wacky characters, memorable visuals, unique mechanics and steadfast refusal to adhere to accepted game design conventions. Romeo Is A Dead Man very much follows suit, although it definitely seems like a conscious decision has been made to rein in some of Grasshopper’s quirkier tendencies.
When young policeman Romeo Stargazer finds an injured woman lying in the road, events take a turn for the worst and he finds himself at the brink of death. Revived by his grandfather, who now exists as a cheerful emblem on the back of his jacket, Romeo has become a half-dead man – or Dead Man for short. If this wasn’t unbelievable enough, Romeo soon joins forces with the FBI Space-Time Police aboard an intergalactic starship known as Last Night, where his job is to hunt and eliminate space pirates who are hiding across time and space. At the same time, there’s also the small matter of Juliet, the mysterious lady who Romeo rescued on that fateful night that turned his life upside down and the person who ultimately becomes the centre of this entire story…
Each chapter of the game’s story is set in a different 20th century time period (well, almost each chapter…), although the gameplay mostly remains the same throughout. As Romeo, you’ll explore each location fighting countless Rotters – shambling zombie-like humans and grotesque mutants – dipping in and out of a neon-soaked wireframe alternate dimension known as subspace to track down keys that will eventually give access to the chapter’s boss. Romeo is equipped with a variety of unlockable and upgradeable melee weapons and firearms, giving you the choice of hacking and slashing away at close-up enemies or shooting out their weak spots from afar. Melee combat feels especially good, with weighty attacks resulting in noisy and colourful showers of blood. You’re also able to collect seeds from some defeated enemies, which can then be planted back on your ship. These seeds grow into Bastards, helpful friendly Rotters who can be equipped and used as special attacks, giving Romeo the ability to wield tornadoes, bowling balls, lasers and more.
Occasional puzzles break up proceedings now and again, but subspace might prove to be the game’s trickiest puzzle of all, with its labyrinthine corridors and focus on finding what appear to be giant marbles that will, after being manipulated into place, create new platforms allowing you to move further into the level. Adding in the need to enter and leave subspace through multiple portals that only open after completing specific objectives, these areas can be quite confusing at times and have an unfortunate habit of slightly outstaying their welcome.
Despite this minor grumble, Romeo Is A Dead Man is one of the more straightforward, accessible and mechanically sound games in SUDA51’s repertoire. The humour isn’t quite as brash and juvenile as something like No More Heroes, but the overall atmosphere retains the edgy punk vibe that the studio has become known for. Grasshopper Manufacture are clearly doing things on their own terms, creating games that stand out from the crowd by never quite doing what you expect them to do, and for that they should absolutely be applauded.
