In early December, Suda51’s Grasshopper Manufacture introduced that it could be self-publishing its subsequent recreation, Romeo is a Useless Man.
Whereas an announcement like this might be notable for any developer, it was a very monumental one for Grasshopper given the present scenario it finds itself in, and the way that has arguably felt at odds with the studio’s ethos.
Again in 2021, the No Extra Heroes developer was acquired by the monolithic NetEase Video games – the second-largest video games firm in China behind Tencent – and regardless of assurances from the corporate that it wouldn’t mess with Grasshopper’s distinctive type, it nonetheless felt like an uncommon partnership for a studio identified for its punk rock mentality.
In my dialogue with Suda following the announcement, he was eager to emphasize that Grasshopper continues to be a part of NetEase, but it surely’s however odd to see such a cash-rich firm – particularly one which in 2025 had a behavior of shutting down among the worldwide recreation studios it had acquired – selecting to not publish Romeo is a Useless Man and leaving it to Grasshopper to deal with itself.
If there are any unconfirmed points behind the scenes, you wouldn’t understand it from the sport in query. I performed Romeo is a Useless Man at Gamescom and my hour-long session went some strategy to convincing me that it will likely be one of the Grasshopper-like video games – in the absolute best means – that the studio has put out to this point.
When it comes to gameplay and tone, it sits someplace between No Extra Heroes and Shadows of the Damned, with extra of an emphasis on the previous. Protagonist Romeo Stargazer was seconds from demise when he was saved by a time paradox created by a scientist, and now he works for the FBI’s House-Time division beneath the codename Useless Man.
Romeo has to journey by means of a number of universes seeking the FBI’s most needed space-time fugitives, and convey all of them to justice. In that sense, it appears very very like the principle plot construction of the No Extra Heroes video games, the place Travis Landing needed to work his strategy to the highest of the United Assassins Affiliation leaderboard by killing all the opposite assassins ranked above him.
Whereas No Extra Heroes was very a lot a hack and slash recreation, nevertheless, Romeo is a Useless Man guarantees extra selection. Romeo is armed with a katana sword, so copious (and comical) quantities of blood can nonetheless be shed with melee assaults, however his arsenal additionally consists of a wide range of weapons, which means the texture of the fight can change between one thing just like both No Extra Heroes or the extra shooting-focused Shadows of the Damned relying in your weapon of alternative.
If nothing else, Romeo is a Useless man makes no bones about the kind of recreation it desires to be. Grasshopper and Suda51 have constructed a popularity on making video games which can be hyper-violent (although extra in a comical than disturbing means) and intentionally offbeat, and this newest providing unequivocally lives as much as that popularity. Whenever you’ve received a recreation that names its particular skills ‘Bastard Expertise’, it’s clear that no compromise is being made right here.
“Romeo has to journey by means of a number of universes seeking the FBI’s most needed space-time fugitives, and convey all of them to justice”
What stays to be seen is whether or not that confidence will proceed to translate right into a satisfying, coherent expertise all through the whole thing of the sport. Suda based Grasshopper 27 years in the past, and over time what was initially thought of a transgressive type has virtually developed into an aesthetically acquainted language, albeit one which solely this studio can converse fluently.
Grasshopper can not depend on “ha ha, that is ridiculous” reactions – in a world the place numerous indie video games provide offbeat, absurdist plots and designs it additionally has to ship gameplay that can maintain the participant engaged lengthy after the novelty of the sport’s eccentricity wears off.
Fortunately, we received’t have lengthy to seek out out. Romeo is a Useless Man is ready to launch on February 11 – simply earlier than Valentine’s Day, fittingly – so you possibly can count on a evaluate on VGC early in 2026.
Extra 2026 recreation previews:
