Wanted: Dead

 Xbox Series X
Wanted: Dead Image
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 49 Ratings

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  • Summary: Wanted: Dead is a new hybrid slasher/shooter from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. The game follows a week in life of the Zombie Unit, an elite Hong Kong police squad on a mission to uncover a major corporate conspiracy.
    Play as Lt. Hannah Stone, a hardboiled Hong Kong cop,    Wanted: Dead is a new hybrid slasher/shooter from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. The game follows a week in life of the Zombie Unit, an elite Hong Kong police squad on a mission to uncover a major corporate conspiracy.
    Play as Lt. Hannah Stone, a hardboiled Hong Kong cop, and plow through mercenaries, gang members and private military contractors in a spectacular cyberpunk adventure.    … Expand
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Critic Reviews

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.
  2. GamingBolt
    Feb 14, 2023
    80
    Wanted: Dead has a charm and sense of humor that is rarely found in modern games, and it backs that up with an amazing combat system that only gets better the more you play.
  3. KeenGamer
    Feb 21, 2023
    70
    Wanted: Dead is a game not for everyone. A lot of modern players will hate their time with this title, but if you have a fondness for that old-school challenge and love cutting people into Shish Kabob, you'll really like this game. However, even if you're in that camp, you should wait for a sale, as the game's not worth the $60 price tag with only five stages. Plus, other elements, like no additional melee weapons and poor performance at times, do drag the game down a bit.
  4. SomosXbox
    Feb 14, 2023
    65
    There are things about Wanted: Dead that I really liked and others that really annoyed me. With technical tweaks and quality of life improvements it can become a very enjoyable game that seeks a niche of players who missed certain transgressive, immature and fun-seeking games from a few years ago.
  5. 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.
  6. Meristation
    Feb 15, 2023
    50
    Wanted: Dead has poor execution, lack of possibilities, and repetitive structure. It's far from Ninja Gaiden legacy.
  7. XboxEra
    Feb 14, 2023
    30
    Frankly, this game just isn’t very good.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 23
  3. Negative: 5 out of 23
  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 yourI'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. 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 hardcoreWanted 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
  4. 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: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 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
  5. 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,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.… Expand
  6. Jt0429
    Feb 15, 2023
    8
    Good-
    Intentionally strange to the point of hilarity; Fantastic combat system; Wonderfully weird story and characters.
    Bad- Some janky    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
  7. Moody-Marcus
    Feb 21, 2023
    7
    This game deserve more credits. I think some reviewers from official sites did not do their homework very well. Some say.....it looks like aThis game deserve more credits. I think some reviewers from official sites did not do their homework very well. Some say.....it looks like a game from the PS2 era. Yes thats what the dev's said about Wanted Dead its a live letter too those games out off the era. It take practice and high learning curve and understand the mechanics of the game. I believe most reviewers did not take the time or get not get the hang off it. Sure its not a gane every one would like or can appreciate what the game stands for. Old school hard core gamers will appreciate this concept more. And offcourse there are some negative things. The ai off your teammates is not that great and sometimes the camera view is off pass. If u want a lot of hack and slash fun and dont mind the learning curve u gonna like this game with a lot of variaty in finishing moves. I give this game a 7+… Expand
  8. Retyoriginal
    Feb 22, 2023
    0
    The worst game of february/
    In this is awful gameplay, grafics and story/
    It cant give you enjoing/ and it is so bugy. Story has a big hole.    The worst game of february/
    In this is awful gameplay, grafics and story/
    It cant give you enjoing/ and it is so bugy. Story has a big hole. Gameplay is 2008 year    … Expand

See all 23 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Most Discussed Xbox Series X Game of 2023