Stupid Never Dies, an action RPG steeped in punk ideology, offers a visually striking and mechanically deep experience where players embody Davy, a zombie protagonist on a quest to revive his frozen crush, Julia. The game's aesthetic is described as loud, brash, and aggressively colorful, managing to balance its busy visuals with a distinct punk style.
Gameplay revolves around a combat system that blends standard light and heavy attacks with a 'Stupid Parry' mechanic. Crucially, Davy's bite is central to his survival and progression. In his weakened base form, biting enemies is the only way to restore health. More importantly, consuming the 'cores' dropped by elite enemies allows Davy to mutate into monstrous forms inspired by those foes, effectively turning him into an "undead Kirby." Players can equip and switch between two of these absorbed forms at a time, drawing from a bestiary that includes creatures like werewolves, vampires, mermen, demons, and even a cyclops. The cyclops transformation, for example, emphasizes brute force and body weight for crushing opponents.
A Roguelite Structure Fueled by Player Choice
The game operates on a roguelite structure, where progress is made through repeated runs into increasingly difficult dungeons. While there is an overarching narrative, the core loop involves retaining Davy's acquired forms, temporary perks, and crafted weaponized body parts—such as chainsaw legs—between runs. However, these enhancements are lost if Davy perishes. Despite the potential for increased power, players must maintain focus and strategic awareness to avoid defeat, as a few missteps can quickly lead to Davy's demise.
When players manage to keep a cool head, Davy can become a formidable force. This momentum is built by chaining bites to acquire new forms, parrying enemy attacks directly, and activating 'Davy Burst,' a super mode that significantly enhances his abilities. The game encourages an offensive approach, similar to DOOM (2016), emphasizing forward momentum and continuous action over defensive play.
Director Eiichiro Sasaki noted the challenge in balancing the difficulty of arena choices after each run, but expressed confidence in the developers' success. The game's structure allows players to choose between riskier, more difficult arenas for greater challenges or safer, easier dungeons to build up Davy's strength for future attempts. This decision-making adds another layer to the roguelite experience.
Embracing Chaos and Emotion
Sasaki also highlighted the game's design philosophy, which prioritizes player emotion and a less calculated approach to action gameplay, a departure from more meticulously planned titles. This focus on tone and atmosphere was a team-wide effort. The concept of 'Blazing Fast Growth' ensures that Davy becomes significantly stronger with each run, maintaining a dynamic balance against the escalating enemy pressure. This constant sense of excitement and overcoming impossible odds is a core tenet of the experience. The developers aimed to create something new by focusing on the raw emotion a player can derive from the gameplay, even if it meant initial balance issues.
Stupid Never Dies confidently embodies its punk concept, extending it beyond art and music to its thematic and gameplay elements. Davy's struggle as a weak zombie gaining power by consuming his oppressors mirrors the punk ethos of fighting against systemic forces, albeit in this case, a literal horde of monsters. The game seems to revel in its own energetic and slightly overwhelming nature, promising a unique and emotionally resonant action RPG experience.
Despite the game's over-the-top premise, the narrative concludes with Davy's enduring, albeit perhaps futile, romantic pursuit. The developers provided travel and accommodation to Gamescom for preview purposes.
