“We actually have a surprise announcement for you all in this Grasshopper Direct…” he said. “It’s ALMOST 100 percent certain that we’ll be releasing one more game during 2026. What kind of game? When can we announce it? We’re not sure just yet… But if you wait a little longer, I feel like we’ll be able to make an announcement soon. Keep checking out various events, media, and videos like this, and sooner or later we’ll have that big announcement ready for you all. Please keep an eye out and look forward to it.”

In the same video, Suda also spoke about a physical release of Romeo is a Dead Man, as well as a port for the Nintendo Switch 2. Noting that Grasshopper Manufacture has seen several requests for it, he said that the studio is in talks with companies in its attempts to make it happen. Confirmation of a physical release of Romeo is a Dead Man will happen as soon as a deal is finalized, he said.

“The packaged version everyone is asking about… We call it a ‘physical version’ in the industry,” said Suda. “Anyway, lots of people have requested a physical version. We’re currently in talks with several companies trying to get a physical version out, and we’re doing whatever we can to make it happen, so please wait just a bit more for this, too. We’ll announce it as soon as it’s finalized, so we appreciate all your patience. Same goes with the Switch 2 version; we’re doing what we can to make it happen. So again, please give us a little more time.”

Romeo is a Dead Man was released just a few hours ago on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Hyping up its launch, Grasshopper Manufacture had released a trailer for the hack-and-slash action game yesterday showcasing the quirky sense of humor that the studio’s games are known for. The title was originally unveiled back in June 2025 with a trailer giving us a hint about its main story.

Protagonist Romeo was originally going to end up dead, but ultimately survives thanks to a life-saving device jammed into his head. Thanks to this device, he can now also pick up weapons and wage his own war against demons. More details about its story and gameplay were revealed through an extensive blog post last August, which confirmed that Romeo’s codename is DeadMan, and that he is part of a special FBI division known as the Space-Time Police.

For more details on Romeo is a Dead Man, check out our review where we gave it a score of 6 out of 10.

Nevertheless, I was utterly enthralled by Romeo is a Dead Man. Seeing how it would end is one thing, but also because of the utter sense of style and the killer music.

Let’s start at the beginning, though. Once upon a time, Romeo Stargazer, a member of the Deadford Police Department, encountered a woman on the road, simply named Juliet. The fateful encounter turns Shakespearean tragedy, however, as Romeo is beset by a monstrous creature that horribly mangles him. It’s only thanks to the intervention of his grandfather, Ben Stargazer, and a device known as DeadGear that he’s brought back to life, becoming DeadMan – still living but also dead.

"In the midst of all this is Romeo, who tries to make sense of it all, and more often than not, fails. Then again, the interactions feel so surreal and non-serious that I find myself circling back to digging deeper, searching for something, anything, more substantial."

That’s the least of his worries, however, as it seems Juliet’s presence caused the world to suddenly disappear from space-time. Working with the FBI Space-Time Police, he investigates anomalies and other notable events, helping to nab criminals while also seeking out Juliet. To what end – and the truth about her identity – is where the most interesting bits of the plot unfold.

And I do mean “bits” because in between, you’ll have to deal with a whole myriad of maniacs, not the least of which includes your crew aboard the spaceship, Last Night. Oh, and Romeo’s grandfather somehow died, but still lives on the back of his jacket, and don’t worry about it, please and thank you. The personalities of each crew member vary between one-note and endearing, whether it’s Deputy Director Kimberly constantly calling Romeo by his real name before correcting himself and saying DeadMan, BrownRed insisting she’s a cat despite looking very much like a person with a cat head, and GreenRiver whose aloofness and lack of care reflects her importance to the plot (which is to say, nil).

Look, it’s not like I hate these characters. It’s just that they feel more like props than anything else, though Luna, Romeo’s sister, has a bit of heart to her. Even the villains oscillate between charismatic and inconsequential. In the midst of all this is Romeo, who tries to make sense of it all, and more often than not, fails. Then again, the interactions feel so surreal and non-serious that I find myself circling back to digging deeper, searching for something, anything, more substantial.

Of course, many may find humor in much of what’s happening or simply marvel at the imagery. Romeo is very UltraMan-esque in his design; cutaways and transitions evoke rock album art, and comic book covers (even Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting in one particular instance). Some key exchanges are presented in comic book form across a surprising number of styles, befitting the mood of the mission. Even the menus, from the Rotter farm with its Day of the Dead aesthetics to the machine that turns space scrap into upgrade materials, are bustling with charm and heart.

"This can result in some rather annoying fights in the beginning, and it doesn’t help that Romeo can’t dodge past enemy bodies. Get swarmed on all sides, and you may end up very dead, especially since he’s very easily staggered."

It’s almost enough to make you forget about the dreary environments that actually constitute the game’s levels. The texture work isn’t particularly impressive, and the anti-aliasing can look outright terrible in some places (do NOT shine a flashlight at all the chains hanging overhead in the dark). On the flip side is subspace – a blockier, trippier alternate location that feels almost as hypnotic as it does surreal. While it’s interesting to venture to and from subspace to traverse levels, it can feel downright annoying to backtrack in some places, especially when the man in the TV yaps on and on every time. A note on the final level: It’s easily one of the most tedious and frustrating in recent memory.

Things improve slightly with the combat, but only just. Romeo has access to four melee and four ranged weapons with the ability to swap mid-combat. You’ll more than likely stick to an option or two throughout, given that there’s only enough upgrade materials for a healthy chunk of the game. Each weapon has unique combos, but they’re all broken into light and heavy attacks, and depending on the recovery frames for the latter, good luck trying to dodge when you need to.

This can result in some rather annoying fights in the beginning, and it doesn’t help that Romeo can’t dodge past enemy bodies. Get swarmed on all sides, and you may end up very dead, especially since he’s very easily staggered. Bloody Summer, a super attack that also regenerates health, comes in handy. Just don’t use it against an early boss until you’re confident their combos have ended – there’s no invincibility window when it activates, meaning you’re still prone to damage.

Playing the PacMan-like Cannonball to spend materials and upgrade stats reduces this frustration, especially when every couple of hits feels less likely to endanger your well-being. Unlocking Rotters, who are essentially summons with unique abilities, also helps, and the mechanics for unlocking, upgrading, and improving them can be enjoyable (if not completely original). It would be nice if they weren’t so easily stunned, or took so long to unleash after certain actions, or blocked your attacks (and your movement in some places).

Further adding to the customization are Badges, allowing for improved damage depending on the weapon, shorter cooldowns for the Rotters, and more. Straightforward, but it works fine, and provides an incentive to dive into the optional dungeons dotting space-time. You could also cook some katsu curry with all the ingredients gathered, netting some time-limited buffs in combat.

"While some elements feel strictly “take it or leave it,” as expected with any Suda51 title, some much-needed polish and quality of life could make Romeo is a Dead Man into a far less annoying experience."

Aside from the iffy nature of combat itself, the bosses are pretty fun. Each one sports unique attack patterns and, more importantly, incredible themes that serve as more than blood-pumping excitement. It’s a testament to the excellent soundtrack that it throws in some fresh rock and roll beats alongside moodier and chill mixes, and ends up working great.

Performance is also, you guessed it, a mixed bag at times. While starting well enough, it starts to experience dips as more enemies and particles fill the screen. It’s downright horrendous in the optional dungeons, and coupled with the low lighting (even with brightness cranked up), can result in some headache-inducing action. As the environments become more intricate and larger in scale, you don’t need to enter combat to see the frame rate struggling to keep up.

Even with those caveats – and some others, like the overall repetitive nature of combat or the lackluster enemy variety – I can’t say that I entirely despised my time with Romeo. The plot compelled me to keep going, even in places where the sheer pretentiousness or seemingly unexplained twists threatened to lose me. And as one-note as the combat could sometimes feel, I can’t deny the joy of unleashing three stages of Bloody Summer to reduce my enemies into bloody puddles. While some elements feel strictly “take it or leave it,” as expected with any Suda51 title, some much-needed polish and quality of life could make Romeo is a Dead Man into a far less annoying experience.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

A catchy new title track accompanies the showcase, which highlights the game’s combat while also introducing us to some of the monstrosities that Romeo is going to be facing during his stint with the FBI Space-Time Police. With an arsenal of weapons in tow, his adventures look like they’re going to take him to some weird places.

The mysterious Dead Gear anchors him in place, but even as she seeks out the even more mysterious Juliet, the action plays out in Grasshopper’s signature over-the-top style. One thing’s for sure – wherever his journey ends, it’s not going to be your typical happy ending.

With a lot of dangerous fugitives to hunt down, and side missions to discover and engage with, Romeo is a Dead Man looks like it could very well be an excellent blend of compelling storytelling and some thrilling hack n’ slash gameplay. It’s out on February 11th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Resident Evil Requiem

The big one, the main event, the raison d’être for many survival horror fans. With the long-awaited return to Raccoon City, a fusion of first and third-person perspectives, and Leon S. Kennedy looking more fly than ever, Resident Evil Requiem is simply the game to watch out for in February. It’s been a long time coming – can you believe Resident Evil Village was almost five years ago? – but based on everything we’ve seen thus far, it will be worth the wait and then some. Look for its launch on February 27th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Nioh 3

“Let’s have a dream of everlasting peace,” said Tokugawa Ieyasu, probably, to which his younger grandson probably said, “No.” With a Kyoto beset by Yokai and no other options, it’s on Tokugawa Takechiyo, the rightful heir to the title of Shogun, to travel back in time and fix things. But even as it incorporates new open-field elements for non-linear exploration, seamless switching between Samurai and Ninja styles, and all kinds of nasty new enemies, Nioh 3 retains that addictive hack-and-slash gameplay and masocore difficulty that we know and love. It’s available on February 6th for PS5 and PC, with a free demo available for both now.

Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined

The art style, the music, the visual overhaul – everything about this screams old-school adventure. Granted, this isn’t the first “different” edition of Dragon Quest 7, but the developer isn’t just aiming for fancier graphics – it’s also streamlining the original story, adding new content and bringing quality-of-life features (like instantly defeating lower-level enemies in the field). Couple this with new activities and the new Moonlighting system for combining Vocations, and Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined could be the best possible version yet when it launches on February 5th.

Romeo is a Dead Man

Say what you will about Suda51 games, but one thing is for sure: You never know what to expect. So the concept of Romeo is a Dead Man, where one Romeo Stargazer dies, revives, and hunts criminals across space and time with the special Dead Gear? Not exactly on everyone’s bingo card. Nevertheless, the surreal presentation, bloody hack and slash combat – with a delightful assortment of weapons to wreak havoc – and over-the-top bosses will more than suffice when it launches on February 11th for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

BlazBlue Entropy Effect X

If you enjoyed Dead Cells, then BlazBlue Entropy Effect offers one of the more low-key enjoyable – and addictive – rogue-lite side-scrolling experiences out there. For its console release, however, 91Act is going bigger, adding a new story centered around the Sea of Possibility, with Ace seeking the Shards of Possibility to save the world. If none of that matters to you, don’t worry – Entropy X adds Naoto Kurogane as a new playable character alongside new bosses, enemies, stages, and more.

Mario Tennis Fever

I’ve got a fever, and the solution? More Mario Tennis from Camelot. I don’t think any campaign can ever match up to Mario Tennis: Power Tour, but Fever’s set-up of having Baby Mario and friends re-learn their tennis skills is at least somewhat enticing. Beyond that, the real hook is the new Fever Rackets, each with unique abilities called Fever Shots that can turn the tide of a match. Couple that with “Mix It Up” Mode’s unique twists and a whopping 38 playable characters, and Mario Tennis Fever could maybe, probably, be a sleeper hit when it launches on February 12th for the Switch 2.

Ride 6

Arriving about two and a half years after Ride 5, Ride 6 makes the jump to Unreal Engine 5 while packing over 250 bikes. The usual stars appear, but this time, players can also take Baggers and Enduro Bikes onto the track. And if you prefer something a little more free-form, off-road tracks finally properly debut in all their dirty glory. Couple all this with a new Career Mode, RIDE Fest, which sees you going up against Legendary bikers in their category of choice, and Ride 6 is looking packed ahead of its release on February 12th.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties

A visually improved version of Yakuza 3 probably would have been enough, but RGG Studio went the extra mile by revamping the combat mechanics, adding new activities (including managing a gang of bikers), progression systems, and even a whole new side story focused on Yoshitaka Mine. All this for just $69.99. Are we a little worried after the demo was rated “Mostly Negative” on Steam? Well, sure, but maybe there will be some improvements, at least visually, before its launch on February 12th for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Reanimal

How do you create something that’s somehow even more disturbing than Little Nightmares? Tarsier Studios apparently has the answer with Reanimal – a story about two siblings seeking to find their friends after an unknown event has brought overwhelming horrors into their lives. The mood, the aesthetic, the isolationism – it’s all here but darker and more expansive. Launching on February 13th for Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, Reanimal invites you to pick up the pieces of a fractured home, or die trying.

ASTROBOTANICA

Even after years of the same crafting, harvesting, farming, and building in this genre, ASTROBOTANICA’s premise has me intrigued. It’s set during prehistoric times, but this isn’t a Far Cry Primal situation. Instead, you’re an alien named Xel, who must study and collect plants to tolerate the atmosphere. From there, hijinks with neanderthals, mysterious sights, six skill paths, and more await. Of course, it won’t all be accessible – ASTROBOTANICA launches into early access on February 16th for PC – but it still promises dozens of hours of exploration.

Styx: Blades of Greed

Why send in an orc to tear down the front door when you could send, well, an orc to rob everyone blind? Styx returns in his third adventure, this time with a crew and a hankering for Quartz. Three massive sandboxes await, and based on the multi-level Wall, where you can jump down chimneys to infiltrate kitchens and poison meals, or mind control guards to do a flip, there are a lot of options for stealth sandbox fun. It’s launching on February 19th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Ys X: Proud Nordics

The original landed somewhat less ideally than I would have liked, especially compared to Ys VIII and Ys IX. Proud Nordics doesn’t look to severely overhaul its combat systems, so much as add new content in the form of the Aland Island and a story revolving around a mysterious Mana user. Regardless, if you’re hungry for more, from arena battles and new bosses to fresh Mana Actions, Ys X: Proud Nordics is worth watching out for when it launches on February 20th for PS5, Switch 2 and PC.

Aces of Thunder

Replaying Ace Combat 7 or diving into Project Wingman to prepare for Ace Combat 8 is nice and all, but what about flight combat in VR? That’s what Aces of Thunder promises when it launches on February 3rd for PC, PS5 and PlayStation VR2. Between an extensive range of WW1 and WW2 aircraft, full HOTAS support, and 15 maps – with War Thunder developer Gaijin Entertainment at the helm – it looks like it could be the most immersive dogfighting sim yet. And while VR is ideal, an optional non-VR mode is also available.

Tales of Berseria Remastered

Why a remaster of Berseria, especially when Xillia 2 is right there? A question for another day, perhaps, but at least it’s one of the more well-received entries in the series. Launching on February 27th for Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS5, Tales of Berseria Remastered adds the usual quality of life options, from turning off enemy encounters to accessing the Grade Shop from the start. You even get a healthy chunk of DLC from the original.

ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard

We won’t be getting Portal 3 anytime soon, but there are plenty of other first-person puzzles worth diving into, such as ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard. Aside from the obvious riff on certain plot elements, the concept of walls attracting objects (sentient or otherwise) of the same color is intriguing. Paint the world red, or blue, or orange, to progress, and hopefully not suffer agonizing death at the hands of many killer robots.

It’s here that the intergalactic time-bending adventure begins. Armed with Deadgear, Romeo joins the Space-Time Police to scour the universe and apprehend its criminals (while also searching for Juliet). If you’ve played No More Heroes, then the hack and slash combat will look very familiar, but unlike Travis Touchdown, Romeo can wield several different weapons.

Want to split enemies apart with a massive hunk of metal? How about splitting a blade staff into two separate swords? You can also use a gun, a beam rifle or some gauntlets to pummel enemies to death. By absorbing their very plentiful blood, he can unleash Bloody Summer for some screen-clearing goodness.

If that wasn’t enough, Grasshopper Manufacture teased a Gundam-esque robot. There’s already a spaceship for traversing the universe, so what’s a little mech combat on top?

Launching on February 11th, Romeo is a Dead Man will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

While we know about the story and how Romeo is recruited by the Space-Time Police after suddenly dying, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Like, “space-time as a whole is shattered,” complicated. As he brings criminals to justice using Deadgear, Romeo also learns that the missing Juliet could be linked to this whole disaster.

Much like No More Heroes, Romeo is a Dead Man offers third-person hack-and-slash combat, albeit with multiple different weapon types (check them out here). Alongside the main story, you can embark on side missions, and we can’t wait to see what signature weirdness director Goichi Suda has cooked up.

Since it was rated by South Korea’s GRAC and now has a release date, maybe there’s hope that Pragmata will receive the same, perhaps at The Game Awards. Stay tuned for more details.

Alongside the usual behind-the-scenes development shenanigans, you can look forward to “never-before-seen gameplay” for the title. The last Grasshopper Direct saw more details for Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, which launched last October.

What could Romeo is a Dead Man reveal beyond its release date (which could be early next year)? Perhaps some more combat. After all, we’ve already seen Romeo Stargazer, Space-Time Police’s newest recruit and expert killer, decimating foes with beam rifles, gauntlets, and a blade staff. Why deviate from what works?

Romeo is a Dead Man will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC at launch. Check out even more details on its puzzles and gameplay here.

Usually, such ratings indicate they’re that much closer to launch, but they’re much better at denoting release date announcements. With the lack of other major events remaining for the year, they could be dated at The Game Awards.

While Romeo is a Dead Man could easily launch anywhere in the first half of 2026, Pragmata is a bit trickier due to Resident Evil Requiem, which launches on February 27th. Capcom would ideally like to avoid releasing them too close together, especially given their importance. However, it may also opt to launch them both before the end of the fiscal year.

Both Pragmata and Romeo is a Dead Man are coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC next year. Check out the Shelter from the former and various new weapons from the latter until then.

Despite some semblance to No More Heroes, there’s a greater variety of weapons, from a massive two-hander to a blade staff that splits in two. Romeo can also use gauntlets, a gun (which unleashes charged shots), a beam rifle, and much more. A lot is going on, so beware of sensory overload.

Romeo is a Dead Man launches in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It follows Romeo, recruited by the Space-Time Police to apprehend criminals with the help of the Deadgear. Along with upgrading and modifying weapons, he absorbs the blood of his enemies to channel the powerful Bloody Summer attack. Check out more extensive gameplay, which includes boss fights and puzzles, here.

As Mountain describes, the main story of Romeo is a Dead Man will revolve around FBI special agent Romeo Stargazer, who is also known by his codename, DeadMan, and is part of the special FBI division known only as the Space-Time Police. Through this setup, Romeo will conduct investigations throughout space and time, and will take on strange enemies in weird locales.

One of the boss fights described in the post takes place against a boss known as Everyday Is Like Monday. Along with the boss, Romeo will also face off against more standard enemies known as Rotters, as well as “all kinds of other ultra-creepy, unique enemies waiting to bite your face off!” To take on these challenges, Romeo will have an arsenal of weapons, both katana-styled melee ones as well as gun-styled ranged ones, which players can freely switch between.

Romeo has access to melee, ranged, heavy, and light attacks, which will work in tandem with a “gratuitous amount of of blood splatter” to provide players with high levels of catharsis as they mow down enemies. Each location in the game has also been described as unique, with the action-heavy parts being done in “almost photorealistic 3D”, while the story-based parts will feature different art styles depending on the story beats. Mountain goes as far as describing the overall art direction of Romeo is a Dead Man as being “all over the place – but like, in a good way.”

While Romeo is a Dead Man will feature plenty of action as part of its core gameplay, the title will also have puzzles that players will need to solve in order to progress. The puzzles have been humoursly described as offering plenty of challenge for most players, while still maintaining a level of accessibility so that those drawn to just the action gameplay don’t get stuck on the puzzles for too long. The title will feature a range of puzzles and gimmicks “strategically or possibly just randomly strewn throughout the game.”

The announcement trailer for Romeo is a Dead Man had revealed that the game will be kicked off with the death of Romeo, who is only able to get back up and keep fighting thanks to a life saving device that has been jammed into his head. The trailer also confirmed that the title will feature the signature brand of humour and general insanity that the works of Suda51 is known for, as well as the fact that Ren Yamazaki is also involved in the development of the title.

Along with this, Suda51 is also working with SWERY on Hotel Barcelona, which got a new trailer earlier this month.