Last Updated on Mar 13, 2026 @ 14:10:28 PM.
Whether you’ve been gaming for a short time, or most of your life, you’ll no doubt have encountered at least one of Suda51’s games. From the weirdness of Shadows of the Damned, to the kick-ass heroics of Lollipop Chainsaw, and many, many, more, the man is a weird and wacky creative visionary that has benefitted the gaming industry for decades at this point.
When first announced, his and Grasshopper Manufacture’s latest title, Romeo is a Dead Man, looked to have not only continued his penchant for being the ‘weirdest’ release of the calendar year, but in fact pushed the envelope further than ever before. After spending so many hours with it, some confused, some disgusted, but all-having-fun, I can safely say one thing; Romeo is a Dead Man may be the most Suda51 game of all time, and oh boy does it deliver in spades.
In the opening hour of Romeo is a Dead Man, you’ll be introduced to Romeo, our protagonist, he’ll be decapitated, his grandfather will die (and consequently end up as a sentient backpatch on your jacket), and you’ll go through a quick tutorial introducing to the basics of the game, ending in a fight against a behemothic version of Romeo’s girlfriend, Juliet. Throw in some multiverse-shenanigans, time travel and some handwavey physics, and that just about covers what’s in store for you… in the first hour. And it doesn’t let up.
Romeo ends up becoming an FBI Space-Time Agent, tasked with hunting down time criminals destabilizing the very fabric of space and time. If it sounds bonkers, it’s because it is. The gameplay, unlike the story, is much more grounded in its approach. Grasshopper Manufacture’s bread and butter has always been hack and slash genre games, and it’s no surprise here that Romeo is a Dead Man excels. Simple, satisfying but always progressing, just as you’ve mastered one weapon or newly unlocked technique, you’ll unlock another.
The entire time I was playing, it felt like a game designed based upon the design virtues of a 00s game. Some of the more powerful characters have very clearly-defined weak points, which upon shooting, you’ll seem them explode in a slow-mo-gorefest, while others are little more than cannon fodder for you to chew through with ease.
One of my favourite mechanics Romeo is a Dead Man employs is the Bastard system. Through your exploration you’ll find Bastard Seeds, which can be planted and then harvested after an allotted time, when they’ve finished growing into whatever twisted version the game can cook up. You can even combine these seeds, creating your own Bastards with special attributes and skills. Think of them like Pokemon, as they can only be deployed periodically, but they can help stem the tide of enemies in a moment.
While there were plenty to choose from, my personal favourite was a self-exploding suicidal zombie, which when summoned, would approach the nearest crowd of enemies or boss, moan a little, and then blow up in a shower of blood and guts. It never got old. Never got boring, and always elicited a little dopamine hit leaving me waiting for the cooldown timer to expire until I could set him on the next unsuspecting enemy. That said, having four slots for four different Bastards did, at times, make it feel like I was on easy street.
There’s plenty of substance here, and it also has a lot of style.
If you’re considering grabbing Romeo is a Dead Man, you might be expecting just another 3D, third-person action adventure hack and slash game. Well, you’d be right, but you’d also be missing several other art styles. Whether it’s the TRON-esque subspace you’ll enter to solve multiple puzzles, the comic book-like cut scenes that are strewn throughout the story, or the 8-bit space ship you intermittently explore, there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye. It can feel jarring at first, flitting between all these art styles in a drop of a hat, but I quickly came to appreciate the changes, and times when they were used. Plus, it’s all distinctly Suda51. His essence is pervasive throughout. And in his true style, it’s a story filled with heart, bizarreness, and lots of humour. I don’t know if I’ve laughed out loud at a game this much in months, if not years.
However, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows in Romeo is a Dead Man. There are some drawbacks. The story is at its base, cliched and overdone. The audio is a real dropped ball, although some voice performances do salvage something, and the occasional crash can prove annoying, like in any other game. The chimera of it all, with the multiple art styles, and many, many mechanics can prove overwhelming at times, and especially with the menus, it can be difficult to understand, even with tutorials, exactly what you’re doing. Are you levelling up a weapon? Increasing Bastard powers? Ranking yourself up? All of this is the case, but you may not even realise it at the time. The menu’s visuals are also something that need to take a backstep. Whilst I appreciate keeping with the aesthetic of the game, they’re an assault on your eyeballs, and not in a fun way.
All-in-all, Romeo is a Dead Man is a fun time, reminding me of games of my younger years, which is a sorely missed attribute of many releases these days. It’s humorous, great and satisfying gameplay, but let down with unnecessarily garish menus, some mechanics are overly convoluted and confusing to navigate. A patch might help there.
Romeo is a Dead Man
Paint the screen red and travel the cosmos in this bloodstained action adventure game! Witness the latest from Grasshopper Manufacture: the advent of ULTRA-VIOLENT SCIENCE FICTION!
Summary
If you’ve played any of Suda51’s previous games, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into with Romeo is a Dead Man. If you haven’t, you’re missing out on arguably the most insane and mind-boggling releases of 2026.
HOURS PLAYED: 18
PLAYED ON: PS5
- Satisfying hack'n'slash gameplay will quickly get you hooked.
- Great use of multiple different art styles.
- Laugh out loud funny at times.
- Some confusing mechanics and flat-out ugly menus.
- Audio drop outs and crashs can prove irritating.
For more from us, check out our review of Heart of the Forest, or the zombie-shooting, mayhem-having, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
