Wanted: Dead

 PlayStation 5
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 70 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 70
  3. Negative: 22 out of 70
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  1. frederik1478
    Sep 10, 2023
    4
    this is a bad game and I have completed Devil's third, but what is sad is that they have put so much effort into this game and it is just feels wasted.

    The worst part is the combat cannot really decide what it's Wanna Be I have the feeling. This is a slash kind of play game like devil's third , but then you pick up a shooter and have to shoot a lot of that time, but it doesn't feel    this is a bad game and I have completed Devil's third, but what is sad is that they have put so much effort into this game and it is just feels wasted.

    The worst part is the combat cannot really decide what it's Wanna Be I have the feeling. This is a slash kind of play game like devil's third , but then you pick up a shooter and have to shoot a lot of that time, but it doesn't feel responsive because you have to shoot an enemy about 10 times in the head to kill them.

    At the combo's just feel weak in melee. It is just nothing about what you're doing most of the time the gameplay that feels good.

    But the cut scenes and the animations and all of that stuff in the movie sentence of the game just looks so good and it is so weirdly done because I can hear it all of the actors have German accents. So just pulls me into find out what the f*** this miss is but the gameplay is so dreadful that I had to stop there was a time where I go to a park full of invoice with sledgehammers and yellow helmins and I just had to say f*** it. I hate this little stop playing.    … Expand
  2. d4ntes
    Aug 18, 2023
    7
    I had so much fun with this one. Sure, story and characters are somewhat weird, and game is little bit too short and sometimes repetitive, but it packed with action, good combat system, awesome finishers and some cool minigames. Overall, great package, especially if you can buy this after discount.
  3. J_R
    Aug 15, 2023
    7
    7.4/10
    Wanted: Dead is another game thrown under the bus or ignored by mainstream videogame reviewers. The importance placed on review scores and the metacritic number is not a good thing as it causes developers to create safe games that appeal to game reviewers. And we all know how good the big game reviewers opinions are – ignorant, shallow first impressions, pushed out quickly, written    7.4/10
    Wanted: Dead is another game thrown under the bus or ignored by mainstream videogame reviewers. The importance placed on review scores and the metacritic number is not a good thing as it causes developers to create safe games that appeal to game reviewers. And we all know how good the big game reviewers opinions are – ignorant, shallow first impressions, pushed out quickly, written by people that didn’t pay for it, didn’t learn to play it properly, or didn’t care and are in a position where they can’t be too critical as it may affect their access to the industry, advertising spending and connections with their peers. So then along comes a game like Wanted: Dead that they can ‘safely’ s**t on or do a really bad job reviewing. Most people won’t care but it hurts the game, the developers, the industry and gamers.

    Wanted: Dead is not a 4/10 or worse. Wanted: Dead is lower budget and rough around the edges but it is a really solid action game with plenty of personality. I honestly think it is an enjoyable, charismatic game made by developers earnestly trying to make something fun and challenging in their own style.

    The two big negatives I see in reviews here are low production values/ lack of polish and difficulty. There is plenty of truth to the first point. The graphics are not the best and the frame rate does drop at times. Objects and environments are not super detailed and the character models look dated. The enemies occasionally pass though surfaces they shouldn’t and the camera doesn’t always do a perfect job. During my second play through I had my first crash and I think one of the trophies may not be unlocking. However none of this is bad enough to make me stop playing or dislike the game but of course it does lower my opinion and I wish the experience was smoother and better looking. The difficulty on the other hand is a deliberate part of the game. If you don’t want to learn how to play and you don’t give yourself some time to get decent at it then you’re in for a frustrating time. Once you get the hang of things and unlock some skills the game becomes pretty great. Don’t get me wrong the game still throws some really hard sections your way, especially in the final stage, but the only part of the game that feels bulls**t hard is those damn minigames, which are generally optional.

    The story and characters of Wanted: Dead was something I didn’t think I was going to care for at first but overtime I got more into it. Especially the quirky cast of characters, they grew on me so much and by the end I was left wanting more. What helps a lot is that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously and has you regularly changing from one thing to another. One minute you’re watching a cutscene, then some ultra violent gameplay, then to the crane game, then an anime cutscene, then karaoke, then live action cooking lessons, etc. It’s a fun, wild time but the humour and style won’t be for everyone. Wanted: Dead may not have a ‘good’ story or ‘deep’ characters but that isn’t a problem. It is totally fine to make something that is just kind of cool and fun.

    Visually as I already said Wanted: Dead is not very technically impressive. I still like the look of it though because of the style, direction and character designs. The soundtrack was pretty cool and l liked the voice acting. It suited the characters and tone of the game.

    Now we’re at the meat of the game, the hack n slash/third person shooter hybrid combat. The problem with this is you don’t get the depth of a hack n slash or a TPS but you do gain the fun, interesting gameplay of mixing the two. Your main gun, second gun, grenades and cover work like a TPS. Your pistol is for counters, light hits and interrupting enemies. Your sword is for heavier hits, basic combos and charge attacks. You also have a block, parry, counter hit, side step, dodge roll, sprint, slide and sometimes a chainsaw. On top of that you have executions, slow mo and slow mo handgun attack all earned by playing well. You gain health back by hurting enemies too so it’s the type of game that rewards good play and pushes aggressive play. These elements mix so well together and once you get good and are in the zone it is a blast that looks so freaking cool. There is depth here or you can just get good enough to enjoy and finish it. Yeah it’s hard but worth it.

    Wanted: Dead’s flaws are not enough to drag down the fun too much. I was swearing and laughing throughout and it will be a cult classic, if it’s not already. If it were slightly longer, had higher production values and was more highly polished it would be a game of the year contender for me. It is really important to support games like this. If people didn’t buy and appreciate King’s field, Lost kingdoms and Demon’s souls we wouldn’t have Elden Ring and Bloodborne. I would strongly recommend Wanted: Dead to anyone that enjoys Japanese action games.    … Expand
  4. Adi2ro
    Aug 15, 2023
    0
    What a joke.

    If only they would spend more money on decent voice-over or plot instead of paying off critics and reviewers maybe this would be worth 10E.

    I don't think I ever saw a dumber story and worse voice over... maybe Star Wolves , but that gameplay was too awesome to care.

    I hope this goes down as one of the worse games in 2023. It's definitely worth it.
  5. Steyraus
    Feb 15, 2023
    0
    Dont insult the Ps2 and Xbox era of game by realting it to this trash. Good games from that era were ballanced and finish. Wanted Dead is just budget shovelware. This is a half finished unbalanced mess. It more of a beta test than a game...This game flopped financialy and criticaly but this studio also needs to be shut down, a product this bad should not hit the market. There are manyDont insult the Ps2 and Xbox era of game by realting it to this trash. Good games from that era were ballanced and finish. Wanted Dead is just budget shovelware. This is a half finished unbalanced mess. It more of a beta test than a game...This game flopped financialy and criticaly but this studio also needs to be shut down, a product this bad should not hit the market. There are many moments in this game where the whole screen is white from a flash or explosion and when your finally able to see wtf is going on your health has gone from 100 to zero and you have no idea wtf happend...This could have been a fun hack and slash game but the ridiculas difficulty mixed with awkward controls just makes for an expensive short game that you will drop out of frustration. This studio dosent have the skill or prestige to be making a game thuis cheap/ hard.
    There is an insulting Neko mode that makes the game slightly easier. But these devs can get lost , insulting the player for having problems progressing in their cheap, broken , badly ballanced game...A game that deserves the failure in sales it got.    … Expand
  6. BallzyDan
    Mar 28, 2023
    2
    Sad they call this a finished product. I got bored extremely quickly with this one. I could not get past the tutorial part where it wanted me to press 5 buttons in sequence, I did it exactly so about 10 times and then decided to try the story, which was also terrible. Absolutely terrible aiming system, I killed less than 10 enemies(with guns) before i decided shooting is useless. Same guySad they call this a finished product. I got bored extremely quickly with this one. I could not get past the tutorial part where it wanted me to press 5 buttons in sequence, I did it exactly so about 10 times and then decided to try the story, which was also terrible. Absolutely terrible aiming system, I killed less than 10 enemies(with guns) before i decided shooting is useless. Same guy killed me three times and when i finally got past him, I died shortly after and the game still wanted me to start completely over. is there no autosave system? or did i miss that this is another lame "rogue-like" or whatever they call it. Kinda reminds me of Ready or Not, but much, much worse.… Expand
  7. Jord96223
    Mar 11, 2023
    0
    This game is complete and utter garbage. Production values, AI, control, balancing, everything misses the mark. I really felt scammed.
  8. RedGallus
    Mar 8, 2023
    1
    How exactly they manage to make it so bad is a mystery. Game is beyond repair cause it's core mechanics are flawed.
  9. arkogames
    Mar 3, 2023
    8
    Had a blast playing through this game. I started on normal and had to move down to neko-Chan (easy) mode once I got to the last enemy before the boss on the first level because I sucked. Second play through on normal was much more manageable once I had beat the game on easy and knew the battle system. Wanted: Dead has a lot more potential and I hope they continue this series. It has aHad a blast playing through this game. I started on normal and had to move down to neko-Chan (easy) mode once I got to the last enemy before the boss on the first level because I sucked. Second play through on normal was much more manageable once I had beat the game on easy and knew the battle system. Wanted: Dead has a lot more potential and I hope they continue this series. It has a fantastic art style, the characters are intriguing enough just hope they add a setting that lets me listen to the characters in French with English subtitles since the voiceovers can be cringy. The game is fairly short for a full price tag but is definitely worth a try at some point.… Expand
  10. Soki5222
    Feb 23, 2023
    0
    One of the worst games this year! The game gets boring after couple of hours, clunky gameplay, ugly and unlikeable characters including the lead, stupid story, and bad grfx!!
  11. tim_cusack08
    Feb 22, 2023
    10
    Wanted:Dead is a very fun throwback action title but it comes with fundamental design flaws like a goth kid in school trying to look normal among his peers. Wanted:Dead is a not a normal game, not by a long shot. Very recently I played Valkyrie Elysium made by the same developer and both games feel very similar in terms of blandness. Valkyrie Elysium is a conservative RPG with good storyWanted:Dead is a very fun throwback action title but it comes with fundamental design flaws like a goth kid in school trying to look normal among his peers. Wanted:Dead is a not a normal game, not by a long shot. Very recently I played Valkyrie Elysium made by the same developer and both games feel very similar in terms of blandness. Valkyrie Elysium is a conservative RPG with good story and decent gameplay but it falls flat when creativity comes into play. There’s no creativity In Valkyrie Elysium, it feels tamed, most likely restricted by Square Enix. Like many other Square Enix titles these days, Valkyrie takes no chances and therefore loses its ability to wow.

    Wanted:Dead tries hard to be normal and very boring and stay in its lane but occasionally pulls the leash and delivers insane amounts of creatively satisfying content. The story is barely there and it’s very hard to follow and I was bored by the cutscenes until suddenly some artistic spark started coming out of the scenes at the cantina or the scene at the noodle bar. These moments make the game shine bright with charm and personality. Insane executions while wearing cat ears, face smudged in blood and then a quick smoke if you leave the controller idle. Real joy mixed with anger from the final mission that drags on forever.

    As a note I want to add that this game deserves way more love that it gets. Wanted:Dead is far from mediocre and this game has balls to be different in the day and age when all games are standardised and measured to feel exactly the same.

    7/10    … Expand
  12. DadsNotComnHom
    Feb 21, 2023
    4
    First off, the positive reviews are trolls or paid reviewers. The game in the state it is in, is just bad. Horrible frame rates (even when I'm in the police station in an empty room, crashes all the time, bugs where enemies that spawn get stuck in unreachable places, which stop you from proceeding since all enemies must be eliminated, sometimes I'll go completely invisible during combatFirst off, the positive reviews are trolls or paid reviewers. The game in the state it is in, is just bad. Horrible frame rates (even when I'm in the police station in an empty room, crashes all the time, bugs where enemies that spawn get stuck in unreachable places, which stop you from proceeding since all enemies must be eliminated, sometimes I'll go completely invisible during combat and then just get a game over screen.
    Enemies: holy hell they only included 3 death animations sounds for the enemies you'll hear the same 3 grunts from them, for the entirety of the whole game, not a huge deal but like come on lmao.
    yeah, bullet sponge is accurate the white ninjas are too strong to have to fight multiple at a time.
    The grenade launcher enemies are bs, ill get one shot from them off screen and die instantly.
    Upgrade system is boring, the weapons don't feel stronger as you progress, you cant even upgrade the sword at all. Which is the main weapon you use?
    The corny stuff is fine, the voice acting so bad is comical. ( I watch 80s cheese stuff everyday)
    Main reason why I'm leaving a review is because I spent $60 on this game thinking it would be playable, went to the developers twitter, to see if we would get a patch..... Only thing they were doing was trolling customers and acting like there was no problem with there game, even saying they should've charged $70.

    The game shouldve been delayed.    … Expand
  13. iTarnishedShura
    Feb 21, 2023
    0
    This is even worse than Cyberpunk 2077. It is unpolished, buggy, and the literal definition of absolutely boring. Do not waste your money on this piece of garbage.
  14. MrNorth
    Feb 20, 2023
    0
    Não acredito que eles cobram R$300,00 nesse game ultrapassado e curto, se fosse um título do Playstation 2 seria considerado bom mas estamos no PS5, falta muita mecânica que poderia ser melhorada, tanto na gameplay com a katana como nas armas de fogo, e os NPCs que te acompanham não tem personalidade alguma além de não te ajudar em nada além de te reviver e dar tiros aleatórios e você nãoNão acredito que eles cobram R$300,00 nesse game ultrapassado e curto, se fosse um título do Playstation 2 seria considerado bom mas estamos no PS5, falta muita mecânica que poderia ser melhorada, tanto na gameplay com a katana como nas armas de fogo, e os NPCs que te acompanham não tem personalidade alguma além de não te ajudar em nada além de te reviver e dar tiros aleatórios e você não poder dar comandos para eles, sem falar no sound design, a dublagem por exemplo é pessima, tudo é muito plástico e genérico.… Expand
  15. Mr_Fetish
    Feb 20, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wanted: Dead may be the most entertaining bad game of 2023. Clocking in at 4 hours and featuring only 5 missions, the game had the audacity to charge players $60. Beyond that we have our lead Hannah Stone who is doing her best Tommy Wiseau impression that had me cracking up at her God awful line delivery like "We figure it out, show me your hands" then there's the general character designs that scream dated everytime you are forced to witness our leads interact. The game is thoroughly entertaining though as I said with bonkers mini games that are there to attempt to pad the runtime, my personal favorite being the ramen eating game. The gunplay is serviceable and the melee is fun, wait til you get a Chainsaw. The story unfortunately is where everything falls flat, on mission 5 you join forces with the androids you hunted 2 missions prior and come face to face with the main villain Richtor, after his boss fight would normally be act 2 and it leads up to one. The police chief and the somehow still alive Richtor have a vague, bizarre dialogue then we have Hannah finally starting to reveal her backstory while armed soldiers line up at her door, alright next mission! Nope...credits...the studio seemingly put all the love into their mocap finisher moves and forgot everything else. It's a damn shame because it is a great time Easter that ends too quickly and leaves you hanging.… Expand
  16. Morfeous
    Feb 20, 2023
    9
    This is a well made game with a superb combat system in place to make you a complete badass once you have the timing to parry down.
    If you loved ninja guides you will love this. Who knew it looked so cool slicing up baddies defo recommend.
  17. porcorosso1
    Feb 18, 2023
    8
    Don’t believe the critics — there is absolutely nothing wrong with this game. IGN gave it 4 out of 10 and praised Like a dragon giving it 7 out of 10. Like a dragon is a real clunk fest in comparison to Wanted:Dead. It’s very old school in a good way and I enjoyed it a lot. It’s like a game that could’ve been set in GitS SAC universe. All characters are very likeable and unintentionallyDon’t believe the critics — there is absolutely nothing wrong with this game. IGN gave it 4 out of 10 and praised Like a dragon giving it 7 out of 10. Like a dragon is a real clunk fest in comparison to Wanted:Dead. It’s very old school in a good way and I enjoyed it a lot. It’s like a game that could’ve been set in GitS SAC universe. All characters are very likeable and unintentionally funny. Very Suda51 in a way. Not a masterpiece but still a lot of good time.… Expand
  18. excalibur98
    Feb 18, 2023
    9
    This is a fake positive review this guy in red is talking about. Hahaha. Got Wanted Dead on Keymailer. This game goes hard. Combat needs some time to get into but like the other reviewer says, the game really opens up on the second mission after you upgrade skills. Mayhem is amazing. This is a John Wick game we always wanted. Minor bugs here and there though.
  19. MandragoraMD
    Feb 18, 2023
    10
    Amazing game, amazing action, amazing trolling. Super violent as well (wow executions!!) and with a meaningful difficulty. Excellent soundtrack from a great creator. Graphics could be better but it’s fine as it is, the graphics and dialogue are also part of the trolling anyway. It is a troll game and full of surprises. I can see why some people may hate it and why others may find it aAmazing game, amazing action, amazing trolling. Super violent as well (wow executions!!) and with a meaningful difficulty. Excellent soundtrack from a great creator. Graphics could be better but it’s fine as it is, the graphics and dialogue are also part of the trolling anyway. It is a troll game and full of surprises. I can see why some people may hate it and why others may find it a mediocre effort. With that being said, if it clicks with you it’s an easy 10/10. The best game I’ve played in a long time. Super fun, makes you hyper. One insignificant annoyance, it crashed 2 times in 6 hours of gameplay.
    Can’t wait for more, I’m pretty sure there will be some DLC or part 2 coming. Loved the characters as well.    … Expand
  20. hogwarts9951432
    Feb 18, 2023
    7
    I bought Wanted: Dead after watching DOOD playing it. This game delivers on the fun element but I experienced a lot of crashes during the first mission. The combat is insanely fun. Wait for patch, don't buy right away.
  21. thissiteisaj0ke
    Feb 18, 2023
    0
    Practically every positive user review for this game is fake. Metacritic clearly has a problem with astroturfing and instead of trying to fix it they hide it by now making it impossible to see users' review history. Otherwise you'd see all the 10's here have only reviewed this game across multiple platforms.

    The game is far from a 10. Something like a 4/10 would be generous. Lots of    Practically every positive user review for this game is fake. Metacritic clearly has a problem with astroturfing and instead of trying to fix it they hide it by now making it impossible to see users' review history. Otherwise you'd see all the 10's here have only reviewed this game across multiple platforms.

    The game is far from a 10. Something like a 4/10 would be generous. Lots of poor game design, but playable if you're a diehard action fan and have literally nothing else to do with your free time. When I heard some former Team Ninja devs were onboard I assumed it would be nobodies, but they actually have a couple big names from the early days of TN, so it makes it all the more disappointing that this is the best they can do now.

    If I were to sum up this game in a few words it'd be this: vanilla NG3 but even less fun and everyone is ugly.    … Expand
  22. saulter
    Feb 17, 2023
    10
    About time we talk Wanted: Dead here. Truth to be told I created this account to talk about Wanted: Dead. I never post reviews online. Never, ever. This is the first time I will openly talk about a game that left an impression on me. This is probably what bipolar disorder feels like. I have been psychologically molested by Soleil and 110 Industries and it was one of the most memorable andAbout time we talk Wanted: Dead here. Truth to be told I created this account to talk about Wanted: Dead. I never post reviews online. Never, ever. This is the first time I will openly talk about a game that left an impression on me. This is probably what bipolar disorder feels like. I have been psychologically molested by Soleil and 110 Industries and it was one of the most memorable and amazing experiences in games I had in the past 5 years. Sometimes a game comes along and you buy it because of the cover art. This is how I did it. I have never seen a pink cover art on an action game before in my life. Nobody did. This is new. I come home and I start playing. My first impression is very bad. I don’t understand any of this and the game is brutally hard. First mission, I’m still not sold on it but I keep playing because I don’t know why. Usually I just toss the game if it sucks. Wanted: Dead didn’t suck at all but I just couldn’t get it. I stopped playing a lot of games mid way because they are boring. I’m looking at you God of War Ragnarok. Wanted: Dead has a fraction of GoW’s production values but somehow it keeps you entertained. Then I spent two hours picking toys in a crane game. Yes, I’m still talking about Wanted: Dead. Then I reached August and I felt like I was going to quit but when I finally kicked his ass it was a scream of joy. My GF ran into the living room to see what’s up. Then you are treated to a karaoke sequence that is real karaoke. Do you remember Just a Friend bit from Saints Row? This is exactly it but playable. Then Space Runaway. It’s an actual 16-bit SHMUP. Not a level or something. An actual arcade game was made for Wanted: Dead and when I unlocked it, I spent hours trying to beat it. Wanted: Dead surprises you every minute. The combat really opens up on the second mission when you progress further down the skill tree. The executions are gory and fun. There’s also a chainsaw. This game is a collection of randomized chaotic ideas all put together. It should not work but somehow it does and it’s a lot of fun. I’m on my second play through now. Bravo Soleil!… Expand
  23. nighthunter599
    Feb 16, 2023
    10
    Wanted: Dead is that type of a game where everyone 2 years from now will be saying that they **** with it since day one and that it is an absolutely masterpiece. Does anyone remember Demon’s Souls? People hated that game so much that the Demon’s Souls remake was a PS5 launch title. Don’t listen to the nay sayers, Wanted: Dead is lit fire. People got caught off guard by its style. TheyWanted: Dead is that type of a game where everyone 2 years from now will be saying that they **** with it since day one and that it is an absolutely masterpiece. Does anyone remember Demon’s Souls? People hated that game so much that the Demon’s Souls remake was a PS5 launch title. Don’t listen to the nay sayers, Wanted: Dead is lit fire. People got caught off guard by its style. They forgot what video games are because of the movie video games like TLOU, Detroit and such. Turn on the accessibility options and the game plays itself. Woohoo, a legally blind non binary person just beat TLOU2 - a good day for gaming and humanity in general. Wanted: Dead just tells you to pick the **** controller and get good. The characters are insanely cool. Lt. Stone is a true female action hero like Ripley or Sarah Connor. She’s not gay, not bi-curious, not body positive, not “im’ma do it with no man” character. She kicks right in the nuts and still is a beautiful woman. The drama in this game is on point. If somebody doesn’t understand the story and what had happened and how this story is told, this is because you’ve been playing too many movie video games. Wanted: Dead is an absolute killer of a game. It’s a ten.… Expand
  24. Rapply
    Feb 16, 2023
    1
    Picked this up after seeing the positive user scores on Metacritic. It was fun for about twenty minutes until I realised just how shallow the combat is. Throw in the terrible frame rate stutter, bullet sponge enemies, and god awful audio, and I really can’t recommend this. I did complete it (it took about four hours skipping through the unwatchable bad cutscenes), but boy was it a chore! Avoid.
  25. monzagorilla
    Feb 16, 2023
    10
    Pre-ordered on Xbox last month. No pre-order bonuses, no DLC, no early access. I don’t feel cheated. This game kicks right in the balls. The characters are wild and their chemistry is real. Action set pieces are amazing. Scenario is very cool and I was invested right from the start. This game is a real throwback title strumming my PS2/Xbox nostalgia strings. Wanted Dead should’ve beenPre-ordered on Xbox last month. No pre-order bonuses, no DLC, no early access. I don’t feel cheated. This game kicks right in the balls. The characters are wild and their chemistry is real. Action set pieces are amazing. Scenario is very cool and I was invested right from the start. This game is a real throwback title strumming my PS2/Xbox nostalgia strings. Wanted Dead should’ve been called Metal Doom Solid. The comparisons to Ninja Gaiden or Nioh are not on point. Wanted Dead plays like Doom 2016 and it’s absolutely amazing in all regards. One of the biggest surprises this year. Pre-ordered on Xbox last month. No pre-order bonuses, no DLC, no early access. I don’t feel cheated. This game kicks right in the balls. The characters are wild and their chemistry is real. Action set pieces are amazing. Scenario is very cool and I was invested right from the start. This game is a real throwback title strumming my PS2/Xbox nostalgia strings. Wanted Dead should’ve been called Metal Doom Solid. The comparisons to Ninja Gaiden or Nioh are not on point. Wanted Dead plays like Doom 2016 and it’s absolutely amazing in all regards. One of the biggest surprises this year. Don’t sleep on this. Wanted dead is an OG action game like we remember them. An absolutely true gem.… Expand
  26. killerisme
    Feb 16, 2023
    10
    Simply put: Wanted: Dead is a **** train wreck, and you better get your ticket punched. This game is a flawed masterpiece that some won't get, but those who get it, will enjoy it to the fullest. The Dutch dialogue in the cooking show is absolutely phenomenally hilarious. You may love it, you may hate it, but Wanted: Dead leaves a serious impression.
  27. lelalou
    Feb 16, 2023
    10
    Every season the X-Files writers would toss in a weird comedic episode with tone all over the place but the essence of the show still remaining intact. Wanted: Dead is that X-Files episode that you keep watching for 12 hours straight. It took me exactly 12 hours to beat Wanted: Dead. My first hour with the game can only be described in bad language. Wanted: Dead felt like comfort food thatEvery season the X-Files writers would toss in a weird comedic episode with tone all over the place but the essence of the show still remaining intact. Wanted: Dead is that X-Files episode that you keep watching for 12 hours straight. It took me exactly 12 hours to beat Wanted: Dead. My first hour with the game can only be described in bad language. Wanted: Dead felt like comfort food that pushes back. I wanted to love this game but couldn’t do so for many reasons, including wonky graphics, bad voiceover and cheap deaths. Two hours into the experience something happened to me. The game started rapidly growing on me. I spent an obscene amount of time fetching toys and cat poo from the crane game installed the at the precinct. Three hours in the characters became my best friends and then family members. Cortez speaking in sign language is an incredible detail. By the time the adventure was over all I wanted was more. The cliffhanger is killing me. I need to know what happens next.… Expand
  28. Meekai
    Feb 15, 2023
    9
    We need more games like this, it’s all about the vibe. This entire game is a vibe, combat and art style is so awesome and you can really feel it. As a dark souls player and metal gear solid fan this game hits home for me as being the arcade shooter katana combat I was looking for. People are so used to the standard for games these days but sometimes weird ass Japan games like this areWe need more games like this, it’s all about the vibe. This entire game is a vibe, combat and art style is so awesome and you can really feel it. As a dark souls player and metal gear solid fan this game hits home for me as being the arcade shooter katana combat I was looking for. People are so used to the standard for games these days but sometimes weird ass Japan games like this are meant to be a cult classic for some and not everyone and I’m apart of the freaking wanted dead tribe. Love it! The only thing I wish they did was put in Japanese voice overs.… Expand
  29. Valkyrie_luneth
    Feb 15, 2023
    10
    Like a lightsaber, Wanted: Dead is a relic of a bygone era. This game is a genuine love letter to the fans of Japanese action games. Wanted: Dead is a game of choices. Creative choices, political choices and game design choices. Let’s start with game design. Wanted: Dead is hard as nails. The combat is where the game shines the most. I managed to beat the game in 14 hours and I experiencedLike a lightsaber, Wanted: Dead is a relic of a bygone era. This game is a genuine love letter to the fans of Japanese action games. Wanted: Dead is a game of choices. Creative choices, political choices and game design choices. Let’s start with game design. Wanted: Dead is hard as nails. The combat is where the game shines the most. I managed to beat the game in 14 hours and I experienced no dull moment. The mini games are absolutely amazing and worth spending time with. The claw machine is especially addictive. Political choices. Anyone with their eyes open, and I don’t mean mainstream journalism, can see the social commentary on numerous issues. One of the key characters Vivienne provides world exposition in a cooking show. Comedic, obviously, but also prophetic. She’s teaching the audience how to cook synthetic pork and describes the world where she lives in - no fresh fruit, half-sapient vegan friendly cloned beef, human flesh flavored dog cans. China rules the world in Wanted: Dead and military convicts are the police. Good or bad but Hong Kong went completely nazi, ruled by a corporation. America, obviously, lost the war, hence the reversed American flag on Herzog’s body armor. Hannah wants to quit her job and raise a boy she orphaned but is denied of doing so. There’s a lot hidden under the blanket of extreme violence, corn and wacky presentation. Am I the only one seeing all this? Creative choices. Hiring a non-English speaker to voice the protagonist is a creative choice. It’s not a fake accent. Putting a “censored” sticker over a gruesome chainsaw kill is a creative choice. A shower scene that deconstructs the entire idea of Japanese fan service is a creative choice and a bold one. The female lead literally washes away the gore from her body and you get to see the scars and bruises she got during the operation. Everything in this game is made for you to think about what every other action game out there does wrong. Wanted: Dead is the Robocop of character action games. Think about it. Last bullet point should be called pink. Wanted: Dead is like no other game out there. The minimalistic artwork with bright pink background screams style and a a degree in graphic design. It immediately draws your attention. I purchased the collector’s edition that comes with Design Works. The attention to detail is absolutely incredible. Wanted: Dead is my most memorable gaming experience since the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.… Expand
  30. Cloud4363
    Feb 15, 2023
    8
    Straight forward hack and slash! Combat is very addicting and difficulty is just hard enough to make you feel good about getting over a boss fight. It takes a lot of inspiration from different games and 90s action movies. Best way to describe this game for me is to imagine John Wick meets Deadly Premonition.
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Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 31
  3. Negative: 8 out of 31
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Mar 9, 2023
    40
    Wanted: Dead had great potential but was utterly bogged down by poor gameplay choices and bad technical design. It crashed twice on PS5 in a two-hour play session. All in all, you are better off playing any Ninja Gaiden game until this goes on sale.
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  2. PLAY
    Mar 8, 2023
    60
    If you’ve fond memories of the early noughties, this might find a place in your heart, but its disjointed style and slogging stretches won’t appeal to all. [Issue#25, p.93]
  3. TrueGaming
    Feb 27, 2023
    65
    Wanted: Dead, put simply, is mediocre through and through.
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