I can see it now… in the near future, the review embargo for Suda51’s next game Romeo is a Dead Man, and as far as the eye can see the digital realm is scorched with 7/10s. Its maximalist shenanigans, techno-blasting soundtrack, and ridiculous premise puts it in a position where it couldn’t possibly be for everyone, even if such a score is actually ideal for such a game, but when has that ever been the case for a Suda51 game? However, as I said, this vision I have is in the near future, because the hyper-violent action game now has a release date.

This release date comes as part of an as always over-the-top new trailer, locking it for launching February 11, 2026 (as locked in as any game can be these days). There’s a line in said trailer that I think perfectly encapsulates my feelings of everything I’ve seen of Romeo is a Dead Man so far, from the titular character himself: “Am I supposed to understand what you’re talking about?” I pose this question in return to Grasshopper Manufacture, though to be honest I don’t particularly need a response.

There’s enough in the trailer that intrigues me enough to pull me towards that February release date; stylish as hell combat with so many particle effects you’ll probably start to feel dizzy, bombastic special attacks that transport you to another dimension, a blank, empty, Nier-as-hell room, a zombie woman for some reason, an unexplained fusion between a Metal Gear and a Gundam, it has it all and more.

It’s entirely possible that this all ends up being style over substance, the substance in question being the combat more than the story, I don’t need the story in a game like this to sing the highest of emotional peaks. I need it to commit to its outlandishness, and deliver on its crunchy melee swings and punchy gunshots. I’ll find out if it manages to do that in a couple of months!