Developer: Soleil Ltd.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X (Reviewed) |S
Genre: Action, Adventure
Publisher: 110 Industries SA
Wanted: Dead is an action shooter mixed with close-combat samurai slashing to boot. It’s a cyberpunk dystopian game where you are part of an elite police squad that works on some major crimes. The majority; of the game is a third person with a closer over the; shoulder view when using your guns.
While the story centres on the elite “Zombie Squad” as they pursue a massive criminal, the squad consists of 3 others and Lt Hannah Stone, whom you control. The game starts with a narrative and a backstory to give some; colour to your current predicament. The voice acting, while; cheesy in parts, is well done and tries to add some humour and lightness to an otherwise dark and violent film which succeeds in small doses. The story’s telling, cut scenes, and general graphics are good; and I experienced no slowdown or graphical glitches in the game. The art style and direction reminded me of a whole; host of games: Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil. The graphics are very; reminiscent of those games, and I love the character animation and the dystopian backgrounds. The graphics, soundtrack, voice acting and sound effects; all combine to give a great presentation. The music perfectly fits the game and is reminiscent of music you would expect in a film; it changes as you progress through stages and environments. It does give off the vibe of a Hollywood cop movie in parts. It sets the scene and tone of the game.
The gameplay is a 3rd person shooter that uses a cover mechanic, and your character wields a samurai sword. You can customise your weapons as soon as you start sights and ammo types will affect the range and the damage of your gun. The game has a deep and rich skill tree system to customise your player and play style to your wishes. You can either go heavy on your samurai skills: defensive or your gun skills, whichever suits you.
I went for a quality build mix of all three. I found in the first few levels that enemies can be somewhat samey, but the; different locations and level design help to keep you engaged as you hack and slack your way to the boss. Like any fantastic action game, the boss fights are worth the wait and difficult to boot. The culmination of every level leads to a boss fight where you must use all you have learned and those valuable skill points to boost your character. There is little room for error in boss fights, and you have to pick your time to attack or defend the bosses are brilliant. If the game and bosses aren’t keeping you occupied, there are a whole host of mini-games that; will sidetrack you from your mission. Such as an old-school side scroller called Space Runaway, a prize crane, a rhythm button masher, and karaoke too! The game is slick, quick-moving, thrilling and action-packed. It’s a fast-paced, classic action game with lots to keep you occupied. I did find the acting cheesy, and it’s challenging even in a normal setting.
It’s a thrilling, slick, quick and fun game. It’s challenging enough with enemies only leaving; a little bit of ammo when dying. Intuitive skill tree and gameplay make the game; lots of fun and give it longevity. The boss fights, the mini-games and the humour all add to the fun; of this game. It’s a brilliant shooter and slash ’em up all in one, with plenty of surprises.
Overall: 8.5/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
