Wanted: Dead is an action game that presents players with enticing gameplay and an interesting premise. Developed by Soleil Limited and published by 110 Industries SA, the game is set in Hong Kong and follows the Zombie Squad, a police task force made up of former military criminals on life sentences .
On the surface, the game seems promising, but what it ultimately provides are unintuitive and clunky controls, artificial difficulty, a confusing story, and an overall lack of focus on what this game is trying to be . The voice acting is poor without ever having the charm to at least be considered endearingly campy .
The combat is the best part of the game, with quick and satisfying executions and dismemberment that affects the behavior of enemy AI. However, even this feels sluggish and poorly balanced between ranged and melee options .
The narrative is played out across a number of linear missions. Waves of enemies are dotted between checkpoints, most of them fairly identical and repetitive. The pathing can be a little wonky sometimes, not always sure whether to beeline for the player or one of their teammates .
Wanted: Dead has a mixture of melee and gun combat. When it flows, the combat feels great. Slicing off an arm or parrying a move at the right moment is super satisfying. However, gunplay feels significantly weaker in comparison to katana slashing, and the cover system is pretty rough .
Overall, Wanted: Dead has some good ideas but fails to execute them well. The game is unfocused, unrefined, and unclear in its vision. It’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of old PlayStation action games, but it may not sit right with everyone .
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