Stupid Never Dies, the debut title from GPTRACK50 is here, bringing with it what might just be one of the best action games of the year and my favourite game to feature roguelike elements in a long time.
Like its rich and eclectic development team, Stupid Never Dies flaunts its pedigree from the moment you hit start. From its superimposed punk-rock aesthetic to its wildly disparate themes and story beats that somehow blend together, Stupid Never Dies is a potent cocktail of action game goodness.
Stupid Never Dies is a tale as old as time: you play as the hapless undead Davy, a low-ranking zombie who happens to fall in love with a girl named Julia, who also appears to be frozen solid inside a derelict shopping centre. What starts as a quirky take on the classic “save the princess” trope quickly mutates into a narrative about saving the world from a rogues’ gallery of iconic movie monsters. In other words, Stupid Never Dies‘ October release makes it a perfect Halloween-themed romp into the bowels of the underworld.
“Finding different synergies and playstyles that work for you in Stupid Never Dies is a lot of fun and stupidly addictive.”
And by the bowels of the underworld, I do mean quite literally the bowels, as entering the dungeon requires players to flush Davy down the toilet to start a run. Stupid Never Dies emphasizes the idea of delivering a satisfying gameplay loop in roughly 30 minutes or less, capturing the feeling of a complete experience in each attempt to get closer to KOM, the big bad responsible for all the chaos.
One of Stupid Never Dies’ biggest draws is its expansive roster of monsters and enemy types, with every Elite-level enemy in the game acting as a consumable power-up that our zombie hero can eat and transform into. The consumption and transformation mechanic is central to the gameplay loop, requiring players to constantly be on the prowl for monsters to munch on. Not only can Davy hold up to two transformations at once, but eating monsters also replenishes his health bar.
Eating has a cooldown, represented by two shark-fin icons on the screen. Engaging in combat and building up combos fills the meter, adding to the game’s risk-and-reward system. Stupid Never Dies encourages players to switch between monster types, as each transformation can only be used for a certain number of floors, indicated by a number next to its icon. Thankfully, players are free to switch between forms as many times as they want, provided they remain on the same floor.
Finding different synergies and playstyles that work for you in Stupid Never Dies is a lot of fun and stupidly addictive. The relatively short length of each run also makes Stupid Never Dies a great pick-up-and-play experience, ideal for those who don’t have the time to chip away at something that requires a significant time investment to fully appreciate. Speaking of time, Stupid Never Dies offers roughly 15 to 20 hours of gameplay, depending on your skill level.
Additionally, time plays a major role in Stupid Never Dies, with a strict countdown constantly ticking away as you play. At first, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the mechanic, but it ultimately grew on me, as the time limit encourages quick thinking and careful decisions about when to pick your battles during a run. Certain layers, or floors, within dungeons even offer time bonuses as rewards. There is also a late-game flower mechanic that allows Davy to trade goods for keys, which can occasionally reward players with additional time.
As Stupid Never Dies employs roguelike elements in its design, the game features a whole host of modifiers and randomized elements that keep things fresh and exciting, despite its rotting exterior. All of Davy’s major appendages can also be fitted with mods that grant him bonus passive abilities, in addition to a secondary attack that can shake things up during combat encounters.
“In a sea of remakes and overly familiar games that sometimes feel a little too safe, Stupid Never Dies feels like a breath of rotten fresh air that harkens back to the golden age of gaming.”
Eventually, players can skip layers during a dungeon run, which can be crucial for saving time and reaching the dungeon boss or objective faster. Of course, doing so also limits your overall level, which can sometimes lead to disaster when facing a particularly difficult layer. Mastering the parry system and knowing when to engage enemies are key to learning the game, as Stupid Never Dies does not offer a traditional blocking system. This encourages aggressive and frantic play, which can ultimately be both a blessing and a curse, especially when recklessness brings your run to a premature end.
Thankfully, if you’re ever truly struggling or stuck during a run, Stupid Never Dies offers a “Go Nuts” toggle, essentially an easy mode that boosts the player to the point where most encounters become trivial. However, I encourage those playing the game for the first time to stick with the default settings, as Stupid Never Dies can be immensely satisfying once you overcome a particularly tough encounter or scenario.
In a sea of remakes and overly familiar games that sometimes feel a little too safe, Stupid Never Dies feels like a breath of rotten fresh air that harkens back to the golden age of gaming. For its debut title, GPTRACK50 has crafted a game that longtime fans of Japanese-made titles will love, making for what I truly hope is a bright future for the still-budding studio.
