Wanted: Dead Reviews

I just really, really did not like having to fight through a non-stop onslaught of glitchy jittery frame rate issues or other small and large performance issues. I want to give this game at least a 7.5, and if it is ever patched further we might be able to reexamine it, but I can’t overlook something so glaring as countable frames and frequent crashes. I hope that Soleil Ltd. is able to bounce back and stick the landing on the next one because I like everything else I’ve played from them. And I know they’re capable of more.

Wanted: Dead has truly been an experience. Combat takes center stage, though the fun of hacking and slashing away at lesser enemies is soon overshadowed by getting pummeled into oblivion during boss fights. Some aspects of the game could use some ironing out, but, otherwise, it’s a fun enough experience to pass the time and wrack up achievements & trophies.

Wanted: Dead is as befuddling as it is bloody. Players will find the plot of Soliel's slasher/shooter hybrid varying levels of coherent depending on their interpretation. What's undeniable is the fun to be had in its streamlined slaughter. Come for the demanding and gory action gameplay, and stay for the odd voice performances, anime flashbacks, and karaoke with Stefanie Joosten. It's sometimes frustrating, often satisfying, and almost always janky and weird; I can't stop thinking about it.

Wanted: Dead is a game truly for the old-school crowd. If you're a part of that, you'll really enjoy this game. If not, don't even bother. Its NES hard style will turn off many, but those who are able to handle a tough challenge will find a rewarding and satisfying action game experience.

Wanted: Dead's challenging settings, unique approach to battle, and visual presentation will attract some interest, but they certainly won't be adequate to hold most players' interest for very long.

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?

A fast-paced action game from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, Wanted: Dead is a chaotic police squad adventure, for better or worse. Soleil Ltd. has created a challenging slasher and shooter hybrid that offers exciting gameplay, not without an alarming level of jankiness.

Wanted: Dead isn’t as bad as the worst games to come out recently but sloppy game design and story-telling has let down what could have been a decent game to play.

Wanted: Dead has glimpses of greatness but is held back by mediocre systems and design choices that keep it from flourishing. Brief flashes of brilliance can’t help but be overshadowed by combat that feels repetitive, and voice actors that sound bored despite the surrounding chaos. Its difficulty, combat style, and visceral style will bring it some attention, but it more than likely won't be enough to keep most players enthralled for long.

There’s an action game underneath all of Wanted: Dead’s problems that is not half bad, especially if you liked games like No More Heroes, Devil’s Third, and Wet. It’s ridiculous in its context and action. Unfortunately, for everything good I could say about this game, there was at least one or two things keeping me from enjoying it. Between cringe-worthy dialogue, game crashes, clashing moods, random and ridiculously difficult moments, and broken mechanics, Wanted: Dead takes a lot of effort just to play, let alone enjoy. Here’s hoping they can smooth out some of the technical issues after launch, but even then, this might be a title only the truly dedicated will tolerate for long.

Despite its clear and comprehensive flaws, Wanted: Dead is still weirdly likeable, and will undoubtedly find a similarly strange and unique fanbase to worship at its feet.

As the game and its plot drew to a close, as characters conversed about the truth being revealed, we’re treated to a final cutscene before the credits rolled. Maybe there is more to it at higher difficulties? After being brought back to the main menu in a state of genuine bemusement, I considered pursuing another playthrough. I decided against it – I actually value my time, and the one saving grace of the game – it’s unique sword/gun combat – is not enough to suffer through it again. I’ll leave it to others to find out.

Violent, ridiculous, and occasionally fun, Wanted: Dead misses a lot of its marks but is still worth a look for the devoted.

Unapologetically over-the-top action games aren't as common as they were 15 years ago so Wanted: Dead is here to revive the genre.

Wanted: Dead is a game I’ve been following for a while. It comes from some of the developers from the fantastic Ninja Gaiden 2 and Dead or Alive franchise (yes, including Xtreme Volleyball, as they have so proudly stated in one of the trailers). It’s a low-budget unashamedly PS2-era action game that promises to be tough as nails whilst delivering a great action experience.

It's without a doubt that Wanted: Dead is oozing with style and glamor thanks to its immaculate art direction and addictive hybrid combat system. The cherries on top are the included shmup, claw machine, and karaoke minigames that simply add more drip to the overall experience.We don't get enough games like these nowadays and I'm all for it. Unfortunately, there's just a ton of technical performance issues at launch that need to be addressed immediately.

Wanted: Dead has the briefest, briefest glimpses of good, but this third-person action game is a frustrating mess in almost every regard.

It reminds me of old PlayStation action games, but not always in a good way.

Wanted: Dead may not hit the mark in every area, but it still serrates the cut between hybrid slasher/shooter gameplay perfectly and I knew that it would be revisited by me for a long time to come even after the credits had rolled.

From the creators of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive comes Wanted: Dead — a throwback to the PS2-era of tough-as-nails melee-heavy single-player action games, but with a mixture of gunplay thrown in for good measure. The time has come to see if this hybrid of genres has done something fresh and exciting, or if it carries too much of that era’s faults to be worth your time and money.

Wanted: Dead is an incredibly disappointing action effort that presents some decent ideas but fails to execute any of them properly. The idea of fusing hack and slash combat with shooter mechanics has lots of potential here, and the cyberpunk setting is initially intriguing. However, in practice it's all very clunky and janky and frustrating and beset by performance issues. There's a bunch of odd side activities thrown in to try to lighten the mood between battles, but it's just not enough in the end. With a very weak narrative, poor voice-acting, rubbish action and drab level design, this is one game that's best avoided.

Hack-and-slash games have come a long way since the early days of gaming, with Devil May Cry serving as a good measuring stick for the genre. Wanted: Dead would've worked fifteen years ago, but even then, it would've been hard-pressed for this project to find a footing in that era as the demon-slaying saga served up a better product in every single way. Wanted: Dead tries to rekindle that flame of passion for gaming's earliest titles, and while it might resonate with some who unconditionally loved this era of gaming, the final product is very unsatisfying and a reminder of why going back in time is a double-edged sword.

Wanted: Dead may be delightfully weird, but its held back by extremely inconsistent combat, a nonsense story, and an all around lack of any direction.

On paper, Wanted: Dead has everything you could possibly want from an action game, but it’s mired in poor execution, ropey presentation, and more than a few unusual design choices. Wanted? We’re not so sure.

It's not often that the promotion campaign might be more enjoyable than the final product, but Wanted: Dead may have to grin and bear this ignominy. Despite some effort to subvert genre norms with its characters and amusing mini-games, the core action is bogged down by low production values, imbalance, and repetition. For every moment it hits its stride, there's another where it stubs its toe, and some slick execution animations are as imaginative as it gets.

Not your grandpa's Ninja Gaiden, for better or worse.