This time, the guest of my Wanted Dead review is Japanese developer Soleil's action-packed, story-driven action shooter. game. The studio also released Valkyrie Elysium last year. He also previously worked on Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden. Wanted Dead is definitely pretty similar to Ninja Gaiden. But, of course, he is a different character than Ryu. Because Lieutenant Hannah Stone has a stronger and more down-to-earth cyberpunk retro character vibe. Of course, I will talk about these one by one now.
What is the Wanted Dead story?
Before my Wanted Dead review article, it is useful to talk about the story. I'll get help talking about the story without giving spoilers. On the game's Steam store page, “Wanted Dead is a new hybrid slasher/shooter from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. The game follows a week in the life of the Zombie Unit, an elite Hong Kong police team on a mission to uncover a massive corporate conspiracy. Play as Lieutenant Hannah Stone, a tough-guy Hong Kong cop, and navigate your way through mercenaries, gang members, and private military contractors in a spectacular cyberpunk adventure.” says.
It would be useful to talk a little more. The plot of Wanted Dead takes place in Hong Kong. We are familiar with the Zombie Unit, a suicide squad-like unit made up of veterans who received life sentences in prison and joined the team as a form of rehabilitation. The chemistry in the team is truly a big zero. Herzog is a weird guy. Doc is seriously a lot weirder. Cortez is just someone who uses sign language. The character we used, Lieutenant Stone, also has scenes that don't have much context and are confusing. I mean, the environment is really complicated.
How does Wanted Dead play?
I talked about the story in my Wanted Dead review article. Now, it's time for the gameplay. Looking at the basics, Wanted Dead beautifully combines traditional weapons, engaging swordplay, and hybrid gameplay mechanics. Mastering swordplay is simple, with selectable combos, charge attacks, traditional parrying maneuvers, and more. Anyone who has experience with melee combat in video games will be easily familiar with this. As you progress, it is possible to increase the power of the weapons. We do this with statistics-based items.
Unfortunately, ammunition is a bit scarce in the game. But it's not too much of a problem. Because your enemies give you enough bullets and weapons. You'll probably like melee combat more anyway. Hannah is also a character that you can develop with the points you earn as you defeat enemies. If you excel in close combat, you won't have to worry about bullets or enemies.
If you spray with a pistol when an enemy launches an unblockable attack, the enemy will stumble. This will be a great opportunity to get close and practice some sword combinations. This is a clever concept that is very easy to use and takes some time to master. If you get used to it, you'll deal the most damage while taking the least amount of damage. As you take down groups of opponents, chaining attacks becomes child's play.
How are the enemies?
One of the things I wanted to talk about in my Wanted Dead review article is the enemies. Because, an absolutely important element is the enemies. There are different types of enemies in the game, all using various attack strategies. Some have shields and melee weapons, while others have long-range weapons. It should also be noted that they move around a lot. They react when grenades are thrown towards them. Moreover, they do not always prefer to remain inactive. This is an important factor in terms of artificial intelligence. Later in the story, some tougher enemies that resemble ninjas arrive. Some of these enemies kill you very quickly. To defeat these enemies, it is necessary to master counter-attacks.
From what I've noticed, Hannah has to move around a lot. Running and approaching the line of fire allows you to make a melee attack and regain lost health. Attacking and chopping the opponent while making him miss and counterattack is legendary fun. In fact, it is also legendary to hide in the trenches and play by shooting from a distance and aiming for headshots one by one to weaken the opponent. All of this is what makes the 12+ hour script entertaining.
The game's retro-inspired gameplay is functional and enjoyable. However, some incredibly long checkpoint breaks are annoying. Also, most importantly, really bad camera control in closed spaces is annoying. Hannah is occasionally attacked by an off-screen enemy. This requires constant movement. It's very annoying when the character disappears during combat and when close to a wall. This situation would be solved by making a wall faded.
How is it visually?
Now, it would be useful for me to evaluate it visually in my Wanted Dead review article. Wanted Dead doesn't have the best visuals, of course. However, it allowed me to experience it without causing any visual problems. Of course, the lack of ray tracing made the game look a little dated at times. However, some environments, such as a nightclub, still look very good. It's a nice touch to add some great details, such as the blood splattered on Hannah being washed away by sprinklers activated by rain or explosions. Hannah frequently cuts off heads, limbs, and even entire bodies. It's also nice to see chain finishing moves. If you are wondering if you can play the game, system requirements Let me also share the information.
Wanted Dead system requirements (Minimum):
- Requires 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64 bit or Windows 11 64 bit
- Processor: Intel i5 2500K or equivalent processor
- RAM: 8GB
- Display card: NVIDIA GTX 1060 or equivalent graphics card
- DirectX: Version 11
- storage space: 50 GB free storage space required.
- Additional Notes: DirectX feature level 11_1 is required.
Wanted Dead system requirements (Recommended):
- Requires 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64 bit or Windows 11 64 bit
- Processor: Intel i7 2700K or equivalent processor
- RAM: 16 GB
- Display card: NVIDIA RTX 2060 or equivalent graphics card
- DirectX: Version 12
- storage space: 50 GB free storage space required.
- Additional Notes: DirectX feature level 11_1 is required.
What else can you say?
After completing the game on Normal, the New Game+ option comes up. Here, there are tougher opponents and no health regeneration. Also, the ending of the game hints at a possible sequel. Then, there are mini games. Once opened in-game, you can easily play them from the main menu.
What is the Wanted Dead review conclusion?
The mix of ranged and melee combat gameplay in this game works quite well. Once I got into the game I really liked it. Even though the cutscenes are heartbreaking, there are funny moments. I think Wanted Dead is a good choice for those looking for a classic challenge. I don't want to get into the price issue in my Wanted Dead review article. Because this issue is really annoying. However, if you are looking for a game to play, I can say that it is not a bad option at all.
