Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush was one of 2023’s standout games, and it’s not hard to grasp why. Its rhythm-based combat system was easy to pick up but hard to master, as players needed to strike their foes on-beat with each level’s catchy music. Fun boss fights, memorable characters, a gorgeous visual style, and a rank system that allowed players to push themselves all contributed to the game’s popularity. Its lower-than-usual price tag of $30 USD was also beneficial. Ultimately, the game built such a passionate fan base that publisher Krafton saw a need to rescue the IP after Microsoft stepped away from the project, giving fans more Chai to look forward to. In the meantime, though, the Steam game Stupid Never Dies could keep action RPG fans waiting on Hi-Fi Rush 2 entertained.
With the tone of Stupid Never Dies being similarly lighthearted and the action being equally flashy, there’s only one major difference to point out between it and Hi-Fi Rush: the theme. Players won’t be finding themselves in a music-centric world with Stupid Never Dies, as instead of relying on music for their attacks, players will be leveraging the power of the undead. Instead of a blossoming superhero with the power to command music to their advantage, Stupid Never Dies puts players in control of “the weakest zombie in existence.” One look at the game will make it clear that it’s not the usual zombie fare, as instead of a gory and grotesque setting, players will be battling through a colorful punk rock world in search of love.
For Steam users wanting to check it out, Stupid Never Dies lists an October 21 release date for the game. It costs $50, but the Glorious Idiot edition offers 2 days early access for those willing to spend $60.
Stupid Never Dies Has An Eye-Catching Feature List
- EXPERIENCE the story of Davy, an incredibly weak zombie determined to become strong enough to revive his crush.
- TRANSFORM into 11 different creatures, each with distinct combat abilities.
- REPLACE Davy’s body parts with stat-boosting gear pieces that enable “endless build combinations.”
- UNLEASH an Ultimate ability called Davy Burst that transforms reality and boosts every attack.
- BATTLE werewolves, vampires, harpies, lizardmen, and more.
Turn weak zombie Davy stupid strong, stupid fast in this Blazing Fast Growth action RPG! Devour enemies, steal powers, transform, and brave a deadly dungeon to revive frozen Julia.
Stupid Never Dies’ Gameplay is as Stylish as Its Visuals
Not only do colorful damage numbers, movement effects, and environments ensure the moment-to-moment gameplay of Stupid Never Dies is visually stunning all the way through, but its cinematics seem similarly breathtaking. However, a good-looking game is only a piece of the puzzle, and thankfully, Stupid Never Dies seems set to deliver both style and substance. Developer GPTRACK50 touts that the studio was founded by veteran action game developers, which immediately bodes well for the title’s success.
The mechanics of Stupid Never Dies seem to take full advantage of the game’s premise, which sees players building up the weakest zombie in the world to be an absolute powerhouse. To accomplish this, players will take two paths to upgrading Davy, the zombie game’s protagonist. First, they’ll replace Davy’s zombified body parts with Overtech gear acquired from the many foes that they’ll come across. These Body Hack replacements will not only provide access to both passive and active abilities, but also stat upgrades, allowing for “endless” character builds. The second method is called Style Eat, and once again, it leans into the game’s core gimmick of controlling a zombie.
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As Davy cuts down waves of werewolves, vampires, harpies, lizardmen, and so on, he’ll occasionally come across elite foes and bosses. Giant Golems, wyverns, and so forth will attack Davy in mechanically diverse encounters, and once he takes them down, he’ll be able to eat their cores. Once the playable zombie has finished his feast, he’ll be able to transform into his defeated foe or use one of their abilities. Turning into a werewolf and summoning a skeleton army to fight alongside Davy are just some of the powerful abilities showcased, and all of them can be boosted even further via Davy Burst. Essentially, this game’s version of God of War’s Spartan Rage, Davy transforms the environment around him into a punk rock playground, and all his attacks deal increased damage during its activation. This feature, combined with Devil May Cry-like transformation styles, should keep gameplay fresh for the game’s entire runtime.
Stupid Never Dies’ Story Seems Poised to Deliver Plenty of Humor and Heart
While it remains to be seen if Stupid Never Dies can deliver well-written characters and dialogue that lives up to its fun premise, said concept is ideal for a video game. Stupid Never Dies is set after a Great War that ravaged humanity, with Davy being one of many zombies inhabiting the dead world. When roaming a shopping mall—likely a common hangout for Davy before and after the apocalypse, given his skater attire—he stumbles across a girl who died in a freezer. Instantly smitten with this icy girl (named Julia), Davy seeks the guidance of a creepy scientist named Dr. Frank to thaw out his dream girl, perhaps even taking a stab at the “women in refrigerators” trope. Davy soon learns that he’ll need to defeat the villainous KOM if he wants to bring Julia back to life, which will likely be easier said than done.
It’s easy to imagine this scenario leading to plenty of laughs—Julia being horrified by her zombie rescuer upon being thawed out seems just as likely as her returning his affections. Further, clips have showcased the “bizarre humor” promised by Stupid Never Dies’ developers, like a character with fiery wings randomly breaking out in a dance routine, a pre-undead Davy getting shot for (ironically) pretending to be a zombie, and more. Still, while there could be plenty of laughs, there’s also room for some more emotional storytelling within the game. Davy is confirmed to have been bullied by humans and monsters alike for his weakness, which could make him genuinely relatable for a lot of people if his backstory is handled with care. Still, regardless of whether the game’s story lives up to its potential, Stupid Never Dies’ combat seems poised to blow action game lovers away.
