“Wanted: Dead” is a cyberpunk third-person action game developed by Soleil and published by 110 Industries. Being in a futuristic world, the game takes place in a more tech-advanced version of Hong Kong, players assume the role of Hannah Stone, a member of the infamous “zombie unit” – the least liked division in the police force due many of the squad mates having questionable pasts, some even involving war crimes. The team takes on cases no one wants to deal with, you start out with simple cases, but things get more complicated as a larger mystery unfolds. While the plot can be convoluted, it remains intriguing and features many cyberpunk tropes. Despite its overall dark themes, the game has a good sense of lightening the mood when necessary. Hannah is a compellingly created character with a charming behavior and a sense of humor that comes through in her off-beat conversations and banter with her squad mates.
The gameplay in “Wanted: Dead” is a mix of third-person shooting and melee combat. While the gameplay can feel constricted at first, skill points can be quickly earned to build up three skill trees: offense, defense, and utility. Close-quarters action mixing shooting with melee combat makes for a fun variety, and attacking foes head-on with a sword is often more effective than using automatic firearms. So, while shooting is an option and sometimes necessary, I found myself mostly getting up close and personal with my attackers. However, the waves of enemies coming one after another can become a bit cumbersome and tedious, at times I thought the waves would never stop to the point where I got very concerned about dying. Additionally, the game’s few and far-between boss fights stand out due to their creativity, but sometimes the waves of enemies can be more difficult to deal with than the bosses, which doesn’t sit well with me.
When you’re not out on missions, there is time to take breaks and wander around, “Wanted: Dead” has some cool extra features, such as an arcade that players can visit with a really great arcade game that would still be a fun game if it was sold on its own. There are also plenty of collectible items that help flesh out the world and the lore. However, the biggest ding I have to give this title is in its technological performance. The graphics unfortunately feel rough, the comprehensive world that’s created here is very well designed and is very faithful to the cyberpunk aesthetic, but there is a distinct sense of lack of polish here. With glitches and frame rate issues throughout that can ruin the fun flow of combat, the general presentation can really cheapen the experience. While these issues are not game-breaking, they can be distracting and make the game feel dated.
Overall, “Wanted: Dead” reminded me of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 generation of video games where action games were plentiful but usually unpolished. While the game has its flaws, it still manages to offer an engaging and entertaining cyberpunk story with a likable protagonist and fun gameplay elements. The soundtrack is also a standout, with music that really pops and enhances the game’s atmosphere. This may be a hard sell for many to purchase at a full sixty dollars, but overtime when it will inevitably go on sale, the price will feel more worth the experience.
7.5/10
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Related: Nick Navarro Reviews
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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