Wanted: Dead

 Xbox Series X
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 49
  3. Negative: 16 out of 49
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  1. MelGibson
    Feb 18, 2023
    10
    I'm 38 years old and have been gaming since I was 4. The current state of videogame development is at an all time low it's so sad. If your tired of all these mediocre AAA abortions and if you like old school hack n slash games from the late 90s then pick this up. The combat is so much fun! It's like a mixture of Lollypop Chainsaw, Wet, and Ninja Gaiden. Honestly it's the funnest time I'veI'm 38 years old and have been gaming since I was 4. The current state of videogame development is at an all time low it's so sad. If your tired of all these mediocre AAA abortions and if you like old school hack n slash games from the late 90s then pick this up. The combat is so much fun! It's like a mixture of Lollypop Chainsaw, Wet, and Ninja Gaiden. Honestly it's the funnest time I've had in years playing a videogame game because it actually feels like one! 8.5 out of 10.… Expand
  2. kojimaisgenius
    Feb 15, 2023
    10
    Hope you got your coffin pre-ordered because prepare to die. Wanted: Dead is the Dark Souls of hack n’ slash games. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it, you’re not a part of the club and you didn’t get the message.
  3. f4nt4st1c
    Feb 15, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. WTF!!!! PS2 you say? This game is pure 90s. Major spoiler — the character from the game has a phone number IRL!!!!!! Call +41 800 011 110 to get the secret ending. Wanted: Dead is the most **** game I ever played in my life. my score is 10 out of 10.… Expand
  4. SATAN_CLAWS
    Feb 15, 2023
    10
    Wanted Dead flips a finger to modern gaming. No micro transactions, no live service, no locked ending behind DLC. It’s an honest hardcore gaming experience. If you find Sekiro to be hard, skip Wanted Dead. If you love Sekiro - Wanted Dead is just for you. Wanted: Dead is like Bloodborne. When you pass the first street with ten guys, you’re in. In Wanted: Dead when you beat the first cyborgWanted Dead flips a finger to modern gaming. No micro transactions, no live service, no locked ending behind DLC. It’s an honest hardcore gaming experience. If you find Sekiro to be hard, skip Wanted Dead. If you love Sekiro - Wanted Dead is just for you. Wanted: Dead is like Bloodborne. When you pass the first street with ten guys, you’re in. In Wanted: Dead when you beat the first cyborg ninja, you’re in. Wanted Dead is spectacular. The takedown moves are deadly and gory and fun!!! Highly recommended.… Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. Jt0429
    Feb 15, 2023
    8
    Good-
    Intentionally strange to the point of hilarity; Fantastic combat system; Wonderfully weird story and characters.
    Bad- Some janky animations; Hilariously terrible voice acting. Thoughts- This is what makes Wanted: Dead stand out from its contemporaries. It’s the intentional silliness and jank that hearkens back to the PS2 era, perfectly encapsulating the games that defined    Good-
    Intentionally strange to the point of hilarity; Fantastic combat system; Wonderfully weird story and characters.

    Bad-
    Some janky animations; Hilariously terrible voice acting.

    Thoughts-
    This is what makes Wanted: Dead stand out from its contemporaries. It’s the intentional silliness and jank that hearkens back to the PS2 era, perfectly encapsulating the games that defined the childhoods of an entire generation. Those kids are all grown up now, and the way the industry is heading often looks like it will alienate us. So, it’s fantastic to have a game that doesn’t want to squeeze every last penny out of you or try to be a 100+ hour experience. Wanted: Dead just wants to be weird and fun, and that’s exactly what it is.    … Expand
  9. Acoello
    Feb 18, 2023
    9
    No es una obra maestra del hack n' slash, pero si es muy entretenido y con bastante contenido extra. Si te gustan los hack n' Slash y los third person shooter cómo a mi, lo vas a disfrutar bastante.
  10. 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
  11. 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. Don’t sleep on this. Wanted dead is an OG action game like we remember them. An absolutely true gem.… Expand
  12. winblades
    Feb 16, 2023
    10
    Reminds me of another japanese action gem that most critics failed to recognize, LEFT ALIVE from 2019.

    Challenging gameplay with uncompromising gore, many long cutscenes full of eye candy and witty dialogue all presented with a much appreciated absence of sjw/wokeness/political correctness, a must have title for non casual gamers. I only wish it was longer than 12 hours but    Reminds me of another japanese action gem that most critics failed to recognize, LEFT ALIVE from 2019.

    Challenging gameplay with uncompromising gore, many long cutscenes full of eye candy and witty dialogue all presented with a much appreciated absence of sjw/wokeness/political correctness, a must have title for non casual gamers.

    I only wish it was longer than 12 hours but thankfully at least one story DLC is in the pipeline    … Expand
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. Sirianegro007
    Aug 8, 2023
    8
    Infravaloradisimo,es el Jhon Wick de los videojuegos para que te hagas una idea.
    Teniendo en cuenta que no es AAA,que no está bien optimizado y que parece de PS4 el juego es excelente.
    Peca en que cuesta derrotar al enemigo y no basta con un disparo a la cabeza,hacen falta bastantes.Esta enfocado más a katanazos y hacer combos cuerpo a cuerpo. El juego es extremadamente difícil. Lo concluí    Infravaloradisimo,es el Jhon Wick de los videojuegos para que te hagas una idea.
    Teniendo en cuenta que no es AAA,que no está bien optimizado y que parece de PS4 el juego es excelente.
    Peca en que cuesta derrotar al enemigo y no basta con un disparo a la cabeza,hacen falta bastantes.Esta enfocado más a katanazos y hacer combos cuerpo a cuerpo.
    El juego es extremadamente difícil.
    Lo concluí en 17h y ya le digo se me hizo muy difícil.Lo que os aseguro es que es divertidísimo y frenético.Con el tiempo si arreglan optimización podría ser de culto a mi parecer.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Most Discussed Xbox Series X Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 23
  3. Negative: 4 out of 23
  1. Movies Games and Tech
    Aug 24, 2023
    85
    Wanted: Dead is a fantastic old-school shooter. This retro title has a brilliant modern finish, smooth controls, and excellent animation. What's more, your foes are tough and each mission is captivating and interesting. However, you may not like the linear gameplay.
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  2. GamingTrend
    Mar 16, 2023
    65
    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.
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  3. GameCritics
    Mar 15, 2023
    60
    In the end, I still enjoyed it enough to put in more than fifty hours in and still want to play more, despite all its problems. When it’s running as intended, it’s clear that this is the kind of game I’d like to see a lot more of — bloody, unpretentious, and gameplay-focused in a manner that’s eminently replayable thanks to strong core combat. That said, the good stuff in Wanted: Dead is buried under a mountain of problems — and when I say buried, I mean buried deep.
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