This zombie has the runs
There are too many games. That is a statement that I have blurted out too many times over the past few years. It becomes more and more difficult for games to be remembered next week, let alone ten years from now. So, when a game comes along that does something different, it tends to snag my attention. Stupid Never Dies feels like a game that was lost somewhere around 2007 and has finally resurfaced. It gives off those PS3/360 era vibes where games came out, and they just oozed with style and forgettable game play mechanics. It also tosses in everyone’s favorite game genre these days to create a title that people will likely vaguely remember a decade from now.
Stupid Never Dies is made by ex-Capcom developers and comes across as something from the mind of Suda51. In fact, when I first saw the trailer, I thought it was his newest game. It is indeed a roguelike, which if anyone who knows me knows, I am not the genre’s biggest fan. Players take on the role of Davy, a zombie who is roaming his local mall eternally for some reason.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: PlayStation (reviewed), PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
At the start Davy runs into a mad scientist who has a magic toilet that transports Davy into dungeons filled with zombies he must defeat in a set amount of time. Davy has a secondary objective of trying to defrost his girlfriend who is stored in a freezer. Yes, this is about as ridiculous a plot as it sounds but is also the main reason the game intrigued me. The concept is sound, and it almost feels like an arcade version of Dead Rising, complete with stupid humor and characters.
As you might imagine, this is a run-based game with each journey into the magical commode is a frantic, time-based adventure that sees Davy mowing down tons of enemies and gaining plenty of new skills. In fact, there are probably too many skills. The game moves at such a breakneck speed it almost feels like it has too much content to settle into anything long-term. Davy levels up so fast that by the end of the first run, I was well into double digits. If the timer runs out, you start the run over, but it rarely comes to that as the ability to skip layers opens up fairly early.
The combat here is fine, nothing special. Davy has basic attacks and a parry called the Stupid Parry, which is apt as it feels like it only works half the time. Thankfully, it isn’t needed for long as I mentioned the game moves so fast that he quickly becomes a powerhouse. That is one thing that keeps the roguelike portion from becoming too annoying to me, you get so strong so fast, it is rarely an issue. He can bite enemies to regain health and even take over some enemies to obtain their powers.
After each run you return to the restroom and new shops open up. Here upgrades can be made, which feel arbitrary as they are miniscule, and stickers can be purchased. These are stat bonuses and again are in abundance. This game feels like the kitchen sink at times as it is throwing way too much at the player making most of it feel arbitrary. By the end of the game I could speed run most runs without issue, and the challenge drops off a cliff. It has so much to buff the character that half the mechanics fly out the window.
Visually I like the way the game looks as it has a crisp presentation, and the use of colors is outstanding. It goes for a more 90s punk vibe, but the performance is rock solid, at least on my PS5 Pro. The music is there, but nothing that stands out, and the voice acting is fine. The writing can be a bit cringe at times, but I am pretty sure that is intentional.
Stupid Never Dies is a game I am glad exists. In a sea of the same slop over and over, I love a good curveball. While it doesn’t do anything special, everything it does is fun. I am not a fan of roguelikes, but that mechanic here isn’t nearly as oppressive as it is in other games. This will be that game I bring up in conversation ten years from now talking about that weird zombie game nobody played, and sometimes, that is the best compliment.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.