Stupid Never Dies review round-up: punk zombie RPG with rough edges
Sega’s quirky action RPG launches on 21 October for PS5 and PC. Critics praise its style, humour and music but criticise the simple combat. Metacritic: 68.
Photo: Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · SEGA · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: Metacritic 68 (PS5)
- Platforms
- PS5, PC
- Studio
- GPTRACK50 (SEGA)
- Release
- 21.10.2026
+ Pros
- Loud punk-pop look with a strong soundtrack
- Absurd humour and endearing characters
- Well-made boss fights
- Progress carries over even after failed runs
– Cons
- No lock-on and no universal dodge
- Sluggish opening hours
- Procedurally generated dungeons get repetitive
- Shaky late-game balance
Critics' verdict
A quirky, stylish action RPG full of charm, though its simple combat and slow start divide critics.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
Stupid Never Dies launches on 21 October for PlayStation 5 and PC, one day later in Japan. The action RPG was developed by GPTRACK50, a studio founded by veteran action developers, with Sega handling worldwide distribution. Players control Davy, a timid zombie at the bottom of monster society who rises through a monster-ruled dungeon, steals enemies’ abilities and tries to revive Julia, a frozen human girl. The standard edition costs $49.99.
Early reviews range from mixed to positive: on Metacritic the PS5 version scores 68 from 14 reviews, the PC version 65. RPGamer gives it 4 out of 5, praising the colourful pop-punk presentation, music, voice acting and eleven combat styles, as well as the fact that experience carries over even from failed runs. Wccftech (7.5/10) calls the story and characters eccentric and charming, while Insider Gaming (7/10) highlights the soundtrack, humour and boss fights.
The main criticism is the lack of lock-on and a universal dodge, which makes combat feel clunky, especially early on. Wccftech warns that the first five to seven hours are slow and restrictive and that the procedurally generated underworld feels stale later. Insider Gaming finds the combat repetitive, and RPGamer notes shaky late-game balance.