Stupid Never Dies earns an NGC Rating of 70 from five verified PS5 reviews, but the average hides an unusually useful disagreement. Some critics enjoy its repeated dungeon dives more than its fighting. Others like the combat and wish it weren't wrapped in so many repeated runs.
That distinction matters if you're considering the game for its monster transformations. A review calling the whole thing uneven doesn't tell you which part will bother you. This roundup compares published criticism, not our own hands-on testing, and separates the reasons behind similar scores.
Five PS5 reviews behind the rating
| Critic / platform | Original score | Score /100 | Normalized bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPGamer (PS5) | 4/5 | 80 | |
| GameSpew (PS5) | 7/10 | 70 | |
| Insider Gaming (PS5) | 7/10 | 70 | |
| TheSixthAxis (PS5) | 7/10 | 70 | |
| Noisy Pixel (PS5) | 6/10 | 60 |
The unweighted mean is 70/100, with every outlet counted once. We normalized overall game scores, not category scores or reader votes. These five reviews were verified on October 21, 2026, at 10:55:14 a.m. PT. The sample covers PS5 only: it isn't a PC assessment, a technical benchmark or a claim that all reviewers used the same build.
Three identical sevens also don't mean three identical recommendations. The most useful way to read the table is to choose the complaint you'd find hardest to forgive, then follow that review rather than treating the average as a buying instruction.
The timer is both an attraction and a complaint
RPGamer is the most positive of these five. Its reviewer finds that accelerating experience gains keep subsequent attempts engaging, while changing monster forms gives battles enough variety. There are reservations about late-game balance, but the repeated-run structure is part of the appeal rather than an obstacle to it.
Noisy Pixel reaches a different conclusion. It appreciates the interaction between aggression, parries and recovering health, yet finds that familiar dungeon floors and growing stats don't consistently change the way you play. The timer adds pressure without making those returns sufficiently interesting for its reviewer.
Those two accounts describe a meaningful choice. Do you enjoy watching a familiar challenge become easier as your character grows, or do you need each attempt to force a substantially different approach? Neither preference is wrong. It does mean that “there's permanent progress” won't answer the question on its own.
TheSixthAxis complicates the picture in a helpful way. Its reviewer likes the brief, fast-moving dungeon loop and the generous experience system, but finds the fighting clumsy. Noisy Pixel's relatively positive view of the combat doesn't cancel that criticism. Together, they show why the overall number can't tell you whether you'll enjoy the individual battles.
GameSpew sits closer to the middle: it likes the changing forms and rapid growth, while finding that repeated returns to the mall interrupt enjoyable runs. That isn't quite the same complaint as disliking repetition itself. You might enjoy another attempt but still resent being pulled away when the current one has found its rhythm.
Judge the controls separately from the look
Targeting deserves particular attention. GameSpew and Insider Gaming both report frustration around focusing attacks on the enemy they want. TheSixthAxis also finds lining up defensive actions awkward. These are reviewers' accounts of control feel, not measurements from our own testing or a promise that every encounter behaves identically.
Insider Gaming's enthusiasm for the music, visuals and oddball cast helps explain its seven despite those reservations. TheSixthAxis is less convinced that the writing and soundtrack deliver on the visual style. A memorable trailer can tell you whether the aesthetic appeals; it can't settle whether you'll enjoy controlling Davy through another fight.
There is a practical way to narrow that uncertainty. The official game site advertises a free demo, and the Steam listing identifies it as First Bite Demo. Check availability on your own platform and use it to assess targeting, defensive timing and how you feel when a run ends. A short demo can't prove that the full progression stays rewarding.
If those controls click and repeated improvement is what you're looking for, read the positive reviews closely. If the return trip already feels like an interruption, don't assume faster leveling will change your mind. Decide around the friction you can tolerate, not the average alone.