Romeo is a Dead Man
Early in Romeo is a Dead Man a character decides to tell the Rakugo tale Shinigami, aka God of Death. For the uninitiated, Rakugo is a Japanese traditional storytelling art that typically involves comedic tales even if Shinigami is one of its more horror-infused offerings. It’s also striking for its being influenced by European stories; the titular God of Death is a Grim Reaper figure as opposed to a Buddhist or Shinto entity, although it ends up being for morbid humour rather than moralising.
Romeo is a Dead Man, the latest from Grasshopper Manufacture, can easily be dismissed as a “whacky” Japanese game. This is a fair assessment, what with its title, clash of visual styles, and at times incoherent take on storytelling. However this style applied to Suda51 and company’s love of Western culture, as the game revolves around American characters, with the protagonist ending up enrolled in the FBI, and a small midwestern town. Twin Peaks with zombie slaying, anyone? Then again Grasshopper was never subtle with its references, be it to movies, TV, videogames, or wrestling, and while the blend is never as elegant as Shinigami there’s no denying the love poured in the process.
But what about the game aspect of Romeo is a Dead Man? It’s an example of that most Western of forms, the third person action game. Romeo can slash and shoot through large amounts of generic zombies, a handful of “special” monster types, and the occasional boss, jumping and dodging as he does, and that’s just about it, really. Well there are the “Bastards,” temporary turrets you can place on the battlefield to turn the tide of the action in your favour, but really your main concern is how the particle effects can, and will, obscure your view.
Here’s what Romeo is a Dead Man lacks from the modern action game toolbox:
- Unlockable combos
- Skill trees
- Blocks
- Parries
- Perfect dodges
- Perfect blocks
- Counters
- Invincibility frames
Yes, it’s basic. Yes, the camera misbehaves. Yes, the lock on function is useless. But it’s a pleasantly mindless affair, a throwback to the PS2 days that’s even less sophisticated than Grasshopper’s own No More Heroes series. Sometimes a light attack, a heavy attack, a gun, a special attack that refills as you hurt enemies, “Bastards,” and an upgrade system that involves a minigame where you drive what looks like an alien around a maze are enough, you know?
What Romeo is a Dead Man is about, beyond killing zombies (sorry, “Rotters”) is another question entirely. Maybe it’s about death. Maybe it’s about Grasshopper’s love of Americana. Maybe it’s about how the phrase “Space Time FBI” is very silly. Does a game need to be about anything? Here you have a title where the difficulty select screen is a box of chocolates, where you can cook curry with your mum, or indulge in conversations about Manchester United strikers with a character from No More Heroes 3.
Romeo is a Dead Man is scruffy, incoherent, and at times aggravating. But I’ll have to admit that I ended up loving it all the same. It’s like a lot of games, but then again there’s nothing else like it. I’m glad Grasshopper Manufacture are still around, and I’m even more glad they’re still making games like this one.
