Interview: An Inside Look Behind the Chaos of Romeo is A Useless Man

Romeo is A Useless Man is coming to Xbox Collection X|S on February 11, 2026!

On this third-person, motion journey, gamers will assume the position of Romeo Stargazer, a person trapped within the house between life and loss of life created by a mysterious time paradox. In his new position as FBI Area-Time Agent “Useless Man”, Romeo will uncover a wild, unpredictable story with intense battles, seek out among the universe’s most harmful fugitives, and seek for his lacking girlfriend, Juliet.

There’s quite a lot of strange themes at play inside Romeo is A Useless Man, and so, I sat down with Government Director Goichi Suda (Suda 51) and Director Ren Yamazaki to seek out the way it all got here collectively.

The sport is fairly chaotic proper off the bat. How’d it find yourself like that?

Suda Goichi (Suda 51): The opening specifically is full velocity forward, yeah. If we’re gonna trigger some ruckus proper off the bat, we’d as effectively equally get the participant within the thick of the motion as quick as attainable in order that they don’t should assume too lengthy about it. I’m simply glad if they will benefit from the motion proper from the beginning.

Ren Yamazaki:　I’ve been on the firm for fairly a while now, so I’m actually used to Suda’s storytelling fashion. I assume from that perspective, it’s nothing too uncommon for me. It’s, like, yeah, enterprise as common (laughs). After all, I perceive it’s in all probability complicated to first-time gamers, however that confusion itself is enjoyable to see. I’m particularly excited for a way individuals will react to the story as a complete.

Let’s discuss the principle character – what choices had been made when bringing Romeo to life?

Suda: I at all times needed Romeo Stargazer to be a personality that left a powerful impression not simply by way of his in-game expertise and weapons, however as a personality too. Our previous titles function all kinds of characters who’re cherished by players, so I actually thought exhausting about find out how to make Romeo a personality who’d be simply as praised. When Romeo acquired the “DeadMan” moniker alongside the way in which, he actually began to return to life in a approach that made me assured in him. I assumed to myself, like, “Romeo actually is DeadMan!” after which all of it type of fell into place. That’s why we made it the title, too.

The fight in Romeo is A Useless Man is intense and fast-paced from the beginning. Was this at all times a essential purpose for the sport?

Yamazaki: I used to be fairly agency in regards to the core motion components of the sport. So many various elements and techniques of the sport modified all through growth, however in my discussions with our essential programmer, Hironaka, we made positive the battle system delivered a powerful sense of enjoyable, fascinating motion from the start to the tip of growth.

Is there something in regards to the motion you paid specific consideration to, Suda-san?

Suda: The large finisher—Bloody Summer time—I paid quite a lot of consideration to how precisely it felt, and to that finish the overall motion of swords had been refined meticulously in order that it might really feel as genuine as attainable. I’m fairly positive I additionally made quite a lot of changes to the precise second of impression, however that was years in the past development-wise now and I’ve completely forgotten what precisely I requested (laughs). Motion video games higher and higher with every minor tweak.

 We additionally paid particular consideration to what number of enemies seem and the place in every stage. Every time I performed by way of the sport to make changes, I imagined myself to be enjoying it for the primary time and actually thought of the feelings that comes with that. Even on a primary playthrough, I actually needed it to really feel as clean as it’s difficult, and I believe we acquired a very good stability there. The top result’s clearly depending on the gamers, so I’m actually wanting ahead to seeing the way it’s obtained by the general public.

It’s robust to create a completely new IP, particularly with a rising staff – did you’re feeling that strain throughout growth?

Suda: I suppose it’s quite a lot of strain, however we’re a studio that has survived virtually solely on unique IPs, and we’ve quite a lot of long-running IP, so I don’t give it some thought an excessive amount of. There’s a level of strain concerned with team-building, particularly when employees come from all types of firm cultures and backgrounds, however that’s true of any growth staff. It’s when these two cultures reconcile that I really feel the studio’s personal identification evolves and matures into one thing extra complete, and that is an ongoing course of between each undertaking we’ve taken on.

Within the earlier elements of growth, we’d have these huge month-to-month the place every staff would present what they’re engaged on. General I believe it was fairly constructive, because it helped everybody perceive the course of the undertaking, and foster a way that that is “our” sport, so to talk.

Yamazaki: I believe that sense of “our sport” amongst each particular person employees member is precisely what turned the undertaking’s total energy, too. It fuels dedication in direction of each element; everybody approached it with a lot sincerity that at occasions I felt I needed to inform individuals to not go too far with what they had been engaged on.

How would you set Grasshopper’s growth fashion into phrases?

Suda: Our growth fashion is type of ad-libbed, I’d say. We convey a bunch of concepts to the conferences and develop them simply by way of speak, and choose aside what looks as if one thing price implementing, and for probably the most half we simply choose probably the most fascinating concepts and ad-lib methods to place them in. Particularly with regards to motion video games, they’re probably not one thing the place you determine an excellent inflexible spec sheet from the start and observe it right through—it adjustments all through growth. You mainly should preserve sprucing actually small elements to make the general product higher. It’s these sorts of processes the place the general Grasshopper fashion is developed.

Yamazaki: I’m unsure if that strategy is a bonus or an obstacle, however that’s exactly the place that daring taste distinctive to our video games comes by way of; I believe that actually works for the individuals who get pleasure from it, and is extra of an acquired style for a first-timer. It’s type of like a ramen store with a thick, sturdy broth.

There are undoubtedly occasions I contemplate making issues a extra normal, salty taste for the general public at massive; although, I’m unsure it really works out that approach even once I strive (laughs). Often what occurs is I begin out that approach, however someplace alongside the way in which I get uninterested in the blandness and find yourself placing a bunch of spice in with out even realizing.

Suda: There are already sufficient “orthodox” video games on the market to start with, and I don’t assume it’s our place to compete with them!

Romeo is A Useless Man arrives on Xbox Collection X|S on February 11, 2026.

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN

GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

“About ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN”
Take management of the protagonist Romeo Stargazer on this third individual singleplayer motion journey, cut up into varied chapters. His story is each unpredictable and plagued by intense battles, interspersed with facet missions to go well with the participant’s tempo.

“Battle blood with blood”
Romeo switches between swords and weapons to combat. Wipe out the waves of enemies that stand in your path to offer start to a brand new type of bloody motion, and take down the fearsome space-time criminals that await. Take up the blood of your enemies to unleash Romeo’s particular assault: Bloody Summer time, able to turning any state of affairs round. Romeo’s varied weapons could be strengthened and altered because the story strikes ahead as he takes on even stronger enemies.

“A narrative that transcends space-time”
This sport’s story begins with space-time itself being shattered by a sure incident. Romeo, too, getting ready to life and loss of life finds himself revived by a brand new type of tremendous know-how. Thus he’s recruited for the FBI’s Area-Time Police as a particular agent, and wanders the cosmos looking for criminals who’ve taken benefit of the state of affairs at hand in an try and convey justice again to the universe. On the identical time, he appears for clues regarding his lacking girlfriend Juliet, and rapidly comes to seek out each her disappearance and the destruction of house could also be extra linked than he thought. Donning the masks known as Deadgear, what awaits Romeo on the edges of space-time?