'Wanted: Dead' Impressions
Launched earlier this year, Wanted: Dead is a slasher/shooter hybrid from the team behind Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive and published by 110 Industries. As the game is part of the Steam Summer Sale (50% off until July 13th), I decided to give it a go as I was intrigued by the title for its hybrid gameplay aspect but mostly because of its quirkiness; and boy is it full of that.
Campy would be one way to put it. The main cast involve an all-European team in Hong Kong in a plot whose script often feels loosely attached from one scene to the next. Cutscenes segue between CGI, anime-styled ones and live-action; and there’s a MGS4-esque vibe to the latter as they depict ads from a near future with the game’s own cast (Stefanie Joosten in this case, who was also the actor behind Quiet in MGSV).
The overarching narrative is set in a cyberpunk future and involves a group of ex-convicts, the Zombie Unit, on a mission to get to the bottom of a corporate conspiracy. The protagonist and team leader is Lt. Hannah Stone, who is accompanied by an… interesting cast who grew on me, despite their questionable sense of humour or a general lack of their background.
The main plot itself doesn’t wrap up in a satisfying way as it ends on a cliffhanger just when you’d think you were getting to know Stone more intimately. Then there are seemingly interesting characters who barely get any screen time. Wanted: Dead is littered with such instances and it will keep you bewildered (and maybe asking for more), as despite those (hopefully) intentional script acrobatics, there are some genuinely moving scenes.
On the publisher’s official website, Wanted: Dead is described as a “love-letter to the sixth generation of video game consoles”; and for better or worse, its gameplay is purposefully that. You’ll mostly be progressing across different areas while shooting and slashing enemies. Stone wields both a gun and a sword, which can lend to some satisfying combos and finishes while the character model literally bathes in blood. Wanted: Dead isn’t shy of gratuitous violence and there’s plenty of that to be found in this game.
While kills can be satisfying, they can also be very challenging, if not unforgiving, to achieve. Enemies are literal bullet sponges while a miscalculated move from your part can lead you to restart at a checkpoint much earlier than you thought it’d be. Lt. Stone does have a skill tree to up her stats and moves to help you progress but the opening sequences can be brutal. Even if developer Soleil Ltd. helps you out with a “Neko-chan Mode” (easy mode) if you die too much (or use a cheat code), the challenge persists.
Staying true to its early ‘00s inspirations, Wanted: Dead unfortunately relies on reused assets. You’ll encounter the same enemies in waves across a level (which can be painfully long), same movesets and NPC voice overs.
Wanted: Dead does attempt to provide a breather in-between action-heavy sequences with mini-games. There are QTE-styled karaoke and ramen-eating as well as a retro side scroller. But these are merely attempts to provide some downtime as they are not very varied (and honestly on brand for this game); but these additions barely help you overlook repetitive aspects like Herzog's nth announcement of an enemy grenade during combat.
These gameplay aspects make Wanted: Dead sound like a game to stay away from; and most gamers will and I don’t blame you. It’s almost purposefully made hard to stick to. But this game certainly has its own unique “so bad it’s good” charm. Is it worth getting during the Steam sale? Maybe if you’re up for a really challenging game but it might be even better to try it if it’s further discounted. If you do get it, it will subvert your expectations in more ways than one, often with a measure of frustration but also with a touch of uniqueness.
