Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture Inc.
Platforms: PC, PS5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Action, Adventure
Publisher: Grasshopper Manufacture Inc.
Romeo is a Dead Man is a 3rd person action game that is hyper-realistic and surreal at times. I would classify the experience closer to a playable film with a crazy story and odd characters. The game is story-driven and action-packed, too! It’s hard to pin it in one genre as it draws inspiration from movies, comics and other games.
The story is that space-time has been ruptured, and you are in a world that is dealing with the aftereffects. Romeo is a special agent who works with the FBI to get villains who have managed to use this event to their advantage. Romeo and a whole array of characters travel the furthest ends of the galaxy in the past, present and future.
This game creates a strange and crazy world for the player to be in; it’s odd, quirky, and just mad at times. The story and the action all play into this. The game feels absurd and wacky, violent and hyper-violent at times. Graphically, the game veers from ultra-realistic to 8-bit Nintendo glory, where you move from a 3D third-person action shooter to a 2D dungeon scroller. Ignoring all the time-related themes, you are in space at times and shift between the real world and subspace. There is a lot going on all of the time, and it’s in your face, brash, no-nonsense action gameplay is a different and fun experience. The humour is lewd, quirky, funny, and tongue-in-cheek. This game probably covers the most amount of themes and gameplay options, but it doesn’t feel like a cohesive, singular game; it feels like many games smashed into this wonderful game.
Now, the gameplay is a pretty standard 3rd person action shooter, where your primary weapon is a melee weapon, a sword, and your secondary is a gun. There are a few options you will unlock in each class, and each weapon has its own skill tree. You will fly a spaceship, too, and then there is a 2D top-down element in the ship, which acts as your base. In terms of gameplay, there is a lot going on, but the majority is a hack-and-slash where you navigate levels to meet some frankly amazing and equally disgusting bosses. Stylistically, the game is a mix of movies, neon, and comic-book look and feel. The game’s art direction is a mix of so many cut scenes that place in a comic book form. The visuals, soundtrack and voice-overs complement the narrative of the story, which is crazy at times. I find so much to like in the game, but you will find issues at times. I found the level structures and the level gameplay not dynamic enough at times; there was a transition from the real world to subspace, which I felt at times broke the game. With so much going on at ALL times, you may find it overwhelming, but I loved the chaotic action.
It’s hard to summarise the game. I can see why some people would love this game, and others hate it. It’s a truly unique and ultimately fantastic gaming experience; there could be more variety in level structures. I enjoyed the crazy, wacky, and fun gameplay with a sense of humour. I can’t really compare it to anything else. I would give this a solid 7.5/10. The game isn’t perfect, but it has a lot going for it and is fun; the boss fights are amazing, too!
Overall: 7.5/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
