Wanted: Dead

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 646 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Wanted: Dead Game Cover
Wanted: Dead is a sneaky love letter to the PS2 & OG Xbox era of gaming. It's tough as nails, charming, and addictive as hell. What more could you ask for?
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"Wanted: Dead" is a hybrid slasher/shooter game set in a cyberpunk world, where players control Lt. Hannah Stone, a member of the elite Zombie Unit police squad. The game features brutal hack-n-slash melee combat, intense third-person shooter action, and over 50 unique finishers. As players progress through the game, they will uncover a massive corporate conspiracy in this gripping storyline. It is recommended to play with a controller for a better gaming experience.

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Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 646 reviews
story42 positive mentions
optimization8 negative mentions
  • The combat system is fun and challenging, requiring players to learn and master various mechanics.
  • The game has a unique charm with its quirky characters, humor, and nostalgic references to PS2/PS3 era games.
  • The finishers and execution animations are satisfying and visually appealing.
  • The voice acting is poor and often feels lifeless, detracting from the overall experience.
  • The story is disjointed and incoherent, making it difficult for players to follow the plot.
  • The checkpoint system is frustrating, with long stretches between saves that can lead to repetitive gameplay.
  • story247 mentions

    The story of "Wanted: Dead" is widely criticized for being disjointed, incoherent, and lacking depth, often overshadowed by its gameplay mechanics and combat. While some players find charm in its quirky characters and nostalgic vibes reminiscent of 90s action films, many agree that the narrative feels incomplete and poorly executed, with several plot threads left unresolved. Overall, the game seems to prioritize action over storytelling, leading to a mixed reception regarding its narrative quality.

    • “A couple of scenes in particular, (about halfway through and the after-credits scene) are wonderfully done and show a real understanding of narrative and visual storytelling.”
    • “The off-kilter energy of the storytelling and unconventionally delivered voice-acting hide an actually interesting plot, and the strange sense of humor the game carries had me grinning and laughing pretty hard.”
    • “The story surprisingly has some depth and the characters are extremely likable, although the writing is terrible and the story structure is wild.”
    • “The story is nonsensical, lacks direction, and has no satisfying conclusion.”
    • “The story and cutscenes are an incoherent mess, but the direction and flair put into these exudes love and care, even when it's absolutely not firing on all cylinders.”
    • “The plot feels like a translated-to-English dubbed bootleg DVD, and I am freaking here for it.”
  • gameplay205 mentions

    The gameplay of "Wanted: Dead" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the engaging combat mechanics that blend melee and gunplay, reminiscent of classic action games. However, criticisms abound regarding its repetitive nature, clunky controls, and a frustrating checkpoint system, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the gameplay enjoyable and challenging once mastered, others feel it lacks depth and polish, leading to a janky and sometimes unenjoyable experience.

    • “It's a mixture of hack n slash and shooting mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay (when you start focusing on melee) really comes into its own and is a ton of fun to start chaining wonderfully animated executions with.”
    • “The core gameplay and mechanics are quite good.”
    • “But fuck me, the gameplay is terrible.”
    • “The controls are way too clunky, gameplay feels so bad and enemies are not fun to kill; it feels like a chore.”
    • “The gameplay is glitchy, enemies will sometimes go invisible, weapons will clip through geometry...”
  • graphics66 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique art style and retro aesthetic reminiscent of earlier console generations, while others criticize the visuals as lacking polish and detail, often comparing them to PS2 or PS3 quality. Many noted that while the graphics can be charming in their oddity, they suffer from stiff animations and technical issues, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as a blend of quirky charm and retro nostalgia, but they fall short of modern standards.

    • “The graphics are pretty decent, easily better than God of War: Ragnarok. The effects and the screen space reflections were very well used, and you can destroy things in the environment.”
    • “The graphics, gameplay, scenery, and funny yet serious story is definitely awesome to watch.”
    • “The art style and character design are pretty unique, as is the world the developers created.”
    • “Graphics, music, voice acting, all just bottom of the barrel.”
    • “Right off the bat the audio engineering is pretty bad, dubbing is bad, story is nonsensical and not cohesive, graphics look like generic Unreal Engine assets, just overall it would not be appealing to the mainstream.”
    • “Graphics outside of cut scenes look like a PS3 game.”
  • humor60 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of intentional and unintentional comedy that often results in laugh-out-loud moments, particularly due to the bizarre voice acting and absurd dialogue. While some players appreciate the quirky, offbeat humor and find it charming, others criticize it as poorly executed, leading to a "so bad it's good" experience. Overall, the game offers a unique comedic style that resonates with fans of campy, retro action games, though it may not appeal to everyone.

    • “On the other end, there are scenes which routinely made me laugh, actually laugh out loud at the line delivery or the script or the visuals.”
    • “The off-kilter energy of the storytelling and unconventionally delivered voice acting hide an actually interesting plot, and the strange sense of humor the game carries had me grinning and laughing pretty hard.”
    • “The characters are hilarious and I've had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments.”
    • “The humor in this game feels forced and cringy, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “The dialogue is not funny at all; it often comes off as awkward and poorly written.”
    • “It seems like the developers aimed for humor but ended up with a terrible story and unlikable characters.”
  • music53 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the eclectic and enjoyable soundtrack, particularly highlighting its 80s influences and catchy tracks, while others criticize it for being repetitive or glitchy. Many players appreciate the integration of music with gameplay, especially in rhythm-based mini-games, but some express disappointment over limited song variety in certain features like karaoke. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as a standout element, technical issues and inconsistencies detract from the experience for some players.

    • “The soundtrack and aesthetics are absolutely amazing.”
    • “The music is great too, with a mix of instrumental tracks and Stefanie Joosten's foray into music serving to liven things up with disco beats and 80s pop.”
    • “The soundtrack is all killer no filler.”
    • “The rest of the audio is pretty bad too, with the OST sounding like one-minute loops of royalty-free tracks and all of the sound effects sounding cheap and repetitive with no variation or modulation.”
    • “Music fails to play or two music tracks play on top of one another.”
    • “The visual was boring, the music used was the equivalent of what you'd hear in an elevator, and the gameplay was irritating due to button commands and no discernible rhythmic beat.”
  • optimization28 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering and freezing, particularly in specific levels like the police station and club. While some users experienced smooth gameplay on higher-end hardware, others found the overall optimization lacking, describing it as "half-baked" and reminiscent of older console games. Despite some patches improving performance during playthroughs, the consensus suggests that the game is not well-optimized for PC, leading to a recommendation to wait for a sale before purchasing.

    • “Performance for me was great; I had no issues on that side, thankfully.”
    • “It reminds me of an old-school Dreamcast or PS2 game optimized for today's hardware.”
    • “Performance: I'm not much of a settings diddler, but it runs smoothly at 4K 60fps DLSS-performance with RTX 2070.”
    • “It should be noted that in addition to a similar amount of jank to games like Baldur's Gate 3, the game is also rather poorly optimized.”
    • “Good idea, janky gameplay, awful performance.”
    • “It seems half-baked and partially unoptimized.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs, glitches, and a generally unstable user interface. While some players experienced smooth performance after recent patches, others noted issues with cutscenes, sound glitches, and inconsistent gameplay difficulty. Overall, a high tolerance for technical flaws seems necessary for an enjoyable experience.

    • “I spent $20 during the sale, and after the December '23 patch, it runs great.”
    • “It's a lot of fun; it runs great on my laptop with a 2060 system.”
    • “If you want to play something like this but actually good, play Wet (2009); it runs great on Xenia Canary.”
    • “Buggy UI.”
    • “The gameplay is admittedly repetitive and occasionally buggy.”
    • “Cutscenes are buggy, have weird animations, and pop-in.”
  • character development11 mentions

    Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with players appreciating the unique and stylish character designs, particularly in the context of the cyberpunk setting. However, some feel that the depth of the characters and their stories is lacking, with certain personalities coming off as generic or stereotypical. Overall, while the visual appeal and character aesthetics are praised, the narrative and character arcs could benefit from more depth and context.

    • “The art style and character design are pretty unique, as is the world the developers created.”
    • “Hannah is a sexy tall woman with violent tendencies, Herzog is a likable idiot, the captain is a stereotypical hard-ass police chief, and I loved the pointless diner and ramen shop discussions.”
    • “I love the character designs and general vibe of the game.”
    • “Some parts of the game are very stylish (such as the character designs and anime-style cutscenes), but some are too generic (such as the location design).”
    • “Although I like the art style of the game and the character designs, I couldn't really get into the story much.”
    • “Like there is a lot of content, context, and character development that was taken out.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, drawing inspiration from 80s aesthetics, cyberpunk elements, and unique, often surreal vibes that create an engaging experience. While some players appreciate the vibrant visuals and solid soundtrack, others feel that the atmosphere could be enhanced to better immerse players in the game's setting. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its originality, though it may not compensate for shortcomings in story and gameplay.

    • “If you like the 80s, cyberpunk, and Kill Bill, I can bet you will enjoy the atmosphere this game offers.”
    • “All in all, there's a lot of content here, and the game has a fun atmosphere that few games ever manage to capture.”
    • “Play this for the atmosphere and the often surprisingly solid soundtrack, for the cutscenes, or to scratch that God Hand itch, not for the story or the gameplay.”
    • “Truth is, this game has its own atmosphere; it's random, weird, and disconnected at times.”
    • “Don't hold your breath on the story or atmosphere.”
    • “But if the developer spent more effort to create a vibrant atmosphere so that the player can feel and live the everyday life of people in this police station, the later events would be more impressive.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as a mix of heartfelt moments and frustrating gameplay, with some players finding charm in its awkwardness and humor, particularly during karaoke scenes. However, others felt that technical issues detracted from their overall enjoyment, leading to a disconnection from the intended emotional experience. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings, from laughter to frustration, but its execution leaves some players wanting more.

    • “Messy and unpolished, but surprisingly heartfelt.”
    • “Despite these idiosyncrasies, the exceptional gameplay shines through, serving as a heartfelt homage to the challenging PS2 era games.”
    • “The karaoke was dumb and charming and heartwarming as Hannah and Vivienne awkwardly sing and dance while the boys are losing their minds.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, primarily due to low enemy variety and the necessity to replay sections after dying. While the initial challenge is engaging, it quickly devolves into monotonous encounters that lack depth, leading to frustration and boredom during extended play sessions.

    • “The low enemy variety, combined with being forced to clear several rooms again after a death, would make this tediously unplayable if it wasn't for the sheer absurd spectacle of this game.”
    • “The core combat system also lacks the depth of its contemporaries, which leads to repetitive, tedious encounters.”
    • “I watched a friend play it and watching him redo the same part of a mission for hours, just to do the exact same thing minutes later and to just rinse and repeat the process not only seemed tedious and boring but absolutely asinine.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some players appreciating the extensive marketing efforts and character development, while others criticize the prevalence of game passes, loot crates, and microtransactions in the industry. There is a sentiment that players are complicit in this trend by continuing to purchase these features, leading to frustration over the inability to toggle ads for a better experience.

    • “The industry has become a breeding ground for game passes, loot crates, microtransactions, season passes, and whatever else, and it's not entirely these devs/publishers' fault because we keep buying it and saying thank you.”
    • “Don't know why you can't toggle ads, which would make rebinding things better.”
    • “If you are advertising the game as having a 'gripping' story, I should feel immersed.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    "Wanted Dead" offers significant replayability despite its relatively short length, thanks to multiple difficulty levels and a diverse range of enemies. However, the lack of outfit unlocks or additional incentives may limit some players' motivation to replay. Fans of challenging games from the mid/late 2000s will likely find enough value to justify multiple playthroughs.

    • “Wanted Dead is a relatively short game, but it has a lot of replay value and multiple difficulty levels.”
    • “The replayable nature of the game and the enemy variety allows players to invest a significant amount of time into it.”
    • “If you were a fan of mid to late 2000s games like Wet, Velvet Assassin, and Wanted: Weapons of Fate, and you enjoy the challenges and difficulty that Ninja Gaiden and Souls games offer, then I would definitely recommend this game. Even at $60, there is so much replay value here.”
    • “There are also no outfit unlocks or much of anything to boost replayability.”
    • “Wanted Dead is a relatively short game, but it has a lot of replay value, and it has multiple difficulties.”
    • “The replayable nature of the game and the enemy variety allows for players to sink in a lot of time into the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

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Play time

9hMedian play time
15hAverage play time
2-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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