There is no shortage of games about zombies, but Stupid Never Dies has found a rather unusual way to stand out from the crowd. Developed by GPTRACK50, the studio founded by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, this action RPG follows Davy, a timid zombie who falls head over heels for Julia, a human girl who died during the Great War and is being kept frozen. Hoping to bring her back to life, Davy ventures into a monster-infested dungeon to take on KOM, the King of Monsters. It is a premise that sounds like a rejected pitch for a particularly strange teen comedy, and that is precisely where much of the game’s charm lies. Its mixture of ridiculous humor, unconventional characters and over-the-top action gives it a personality that is difficult to mistake for anything else. However, while the concept provides an excellent foundation, not every aspect of this lengthy adventure lives up to its potential.
The relationship between Davy and Julia provides the motivation for the adventure, but the storytelling is at its best when it embraces the absurdity of its post-apocalyptic world. Davy is hardly a conventional hero, and the eccentric assortment of characters he encounters, including an obsessive scientist and a werewolf Chihuahua, makes the journey entertaining even when the dialogue becomes deliberately silly. There is also more to the story than its initial romantic comedy setup suggests, with the abandoned shopping mall that serves as the central hub offering opportunities to learn more about the characters and their world. Reading Julia’s old social media posts and looking through her photographs adds an unexpected dimension to Davy’s infatuation, although the fact that he falls in love with someone he has never actually known makes the romance feel rather one-sided. The game largely treats his obsession as endearing, which will not necessarily work for everyone. Nevertheless, the narrative has enough personality to make its world worth exploring, even if the slow introduction takes a while to get everything moving.
The real attraction, however, is the combat, which combines fast-paced hack-and-slash action with roguelite progression. Each expedition sends Davy into the depths of the dungeon, where he battles increasingly dangerous monsters, collects upgrades and attempts to reach his next objective before time runs out. Defeat or completing a run sends him back to the shopping mall, where permanent improvements allow him to become stronger for subsequent attempts. This creates a satisfying cycle in which even an unsuccessful expedition can contribute to future progress. As Davy gains experience more quickly over time, early struggles gradually give way to increasingly powerful runs, making it rewarding to revisit the dungeon with a better understanding of its systems. The structure is familiar, but the way the game combines rapid character growth with relatively short bursts of arcade-style action gives it a distinctive rhythm. Unfortunately, the constant repetition can become tiresome, particularly when progression later demands additional grinding and resource collection.
Davy’s greatest strength is his ability to devour powerful monsters and temporarily assume their forms. With eleven different styles to discover, including werewolves, vampires, harpies and golems, there are plenty of ways to approach combat. Each transformation comes with its own abilities and characteristics, encouraging experimentation rather than relying on a single preferred fighting style. A werewolf, for example, is well suited to fast attacks and aerial combos, while a golem can dish out heavy damage and withstand more punishment. These abilities complement the Body Hack system, which allows Davy to replace parts of his body with technological equipment that unlocks additional attacks and passive bonuses. Between the transformations, equipment and randomly offered upgrades, there is considerable room to experiment with different builds and discover useful combinations. The Davy Burst ability adds another layer of spectacle by temporarily boosting his capabilities and turning the battlefield into a colorful, almost psychedelic frenzy. There is a learning curve to contend with, and the sheer number of systems introduced early on can feel overwhelming, but the payoff comes when everything starts to click.
Unfortunately, the combat is also where Stupid Never Dies shows some of its most frustrating weaknesses. The emphasis on relentless offence is understandable, especially when the game rewards aggressive play with opportunities to recover health by biting enemies. The Stupid Parry also encourages players to meet incoming attacks head-on, creating openings for powerful counterattacks when timed correctly. Yet the lack of a reliable manual lock-on system makes it unnecessarily difficult to direct attacks towards specific enemies. This is particularly noticeable when dealing with flying opponents, which can be awkward to hit, while crowded encounters sometimes cause Davy to target the wrong creature when attempting to bite an enemy and restore his health. Camera behaviour can compound these problems, especially during boss encounters, where an unfortunate angle may obscure incoming attacks. The combat can be exhilarating when everything works as intended, but these control issues undermine the precision that an action game of this kind needs. A little more refinement would have made the fighting considerably more satisfying.
The dungeon design is similarly a mixed bag. Although the environments and enemy encounters change as the adventure progresses, most levels follow a fairly linear arrangement of interconnected rooms filled with monsters. There are occasional secrets and branching paths, including areas that require particular transformations to access, but exploration rarely becomes the main attraction. Instead, the game wants players to keep moving, thanks in large part to a countdown timer that puts pressure on every expedition. Once the clock expires, Davy begins losing health, making prolonged encounters increasingly dangerous. This creates some interesting decisions about whether to tackle additional enemies for experience and upgrades or head towards the next objective as quickly as possible. The ability to skip certain floors also introduces a useful risk-and-reward element, allowing players to push deeper into the dungeon at the expense of arriving less prepared. However, the timer can be more irritating than exciting, particularly when it interrupts an otherwise successful run or discourages players from taking the time to explore. Being forced back to the hub after completing certain objectives can also break the flow just when things are getting interesting. The result is a system with worthwhile strategic ideas that occasionally feels too restrictive.
Visually, Stupid Never Dies is far more confident. Rather than pursuing realism, GPTRACK50 has opted for a vibrant pop-punk aesthetic that feels heavily inspired by the colorful, rebellious spirit of the early 2000s. Bright colors, graffiti, stickers, exaggerated typography and unusual character designs give the game an identity of its own, while its menus and combat interface reinforce that style instead of feeling disconnected from the world. The presentation becomes particularly striking during enemy introductions and Davy Burst sequences, when illustrations, visual effects and splashes of color turn encounters into miniature spectacles. The monster designs also draw on familiar horror imagery, but reinterpret it through the game’s deliberately exaggerated visual language. Not every environment is equally memorable, and the visual effects can occasionally make already chaotic fights harder to follow, but the overall direction is distinctive enough to make the game stand out. The PlayStation 5 version also benefits from stable performance, with the action remaining fluid even when numerous enemies and effects fill the screen. It is a strong example of how a clear artistic vision can do more to distinguish a game than another attempt at photorealism.
The audio complements this presentation with an energetic soundtrack rooted in punk rock, giving the dungeon encounters an appropriately rebellious edge. The music fits the game’s fast pace, while the more eccentric moments benefit from its willingness to lean into the absurdity of the situation. Voice acting in English and Japanese captures the exaggerated personalities of the cast, although some performances and dialogue can become grating if the game’s particular brand of humor does not appeal to you. The soundtrack is enjoyable rather than consistently memorable, but it works well alongside the colorful visuals and frantic combat. Together, the audiovisual elements help establish a coherent identity that remains one of the game’s strongest assets.
Ultimately, Stupid Never Dies is an entertaining debut for GPTRACK50, even if it occasionally struggles to turn its ambitious ideas into a consistently polished experience. Its unusual premise, varied monster transformations and extensive upgrade systems give the combat loop plenty of potential, while its bold presentation ensures that the adventure rarely feels generic. There is genuine satisfaction in mastering Davy’s abilities, developing a stronger build and pushing further into the dungeon with each attempt. At the same time, imprecise targeting, inconsistent camera behavior, restrictive time limits and repetitive progression prevent the game from reaching the heights its best moments suggest are possible. The story’s deliberately bizarre romance will also be an acquired taste. Those looking for a tightly controlled action RPG may find these shortcomings difficult to overlook, but players who enjoy experimentation, arcade-style combat and unapologetically eccentric worlds will find plenty to appreciate. Stupid Never Dies may stumble over its own ambitions, but it has enough personality to make this undead adventure worth taking.
Score: 7.0/10