Faisal Ghaffar 
The Wanted: Dead is a hybrid shooter/slasher game that has been developed by the makers of Ninja Gaiden. Considering that the latter is one of the leading action games of all time, it is a given that you would have high expectations from the new one. Unfortunately, Wanted: Dead may not be able to live up to the expectations because it crashes frequently and the difficulty level is all over the place.
Nonetheless, it does offer some of the best combat you will see and if you take a closer look, it is apparent that the game also has some hints of Ninja Gaidengames, like the satisfying and quick executions and the dismemberment that changes the enemy AI’s behavior.
The story
Taking place in Hong Kong, the Wanted: Dead is about the Zombie Squad, a police task force that comprises of former military members who had ended up in prison for some reason. Therefore, they have now joined the squad as part of their rehabilitation. There are lots of scenes in which these characters hang out with each other, usually for eating food, but they do not appear to have a lot of chemistry.
You learn a bit more about each character through their personal files and the games gives the vibes that you would expect from a Suda51 game, such as Lollipop Chainsaw, No More Heroes and Killer is Dead. Wanted: Dead also comes with its share of silliness, but this causes some confusion because it is supposed to be a shooter/slasher game.
The combat
No matter how many flaws you may see in an action game, if it has good action, they can make up for it. This does seem to be the case with Wanted: Dead because its combat is undoubtedly one of its best offerings. It has great fundamentals, as you will find the animations quite attractive and the gory sword play is also very satisfying.
In the first couple of hours, you will have a lot of fun liberating some limbs, parrying enemy attacks and the executions are quite stylish. It is a total eight hour campaign and you have the option of buying new skills, such as a dashing attack. But, you may find the lack of air combos disappointing.
The good parts
You will find some moments in Wanted: Dead that are quite thrilling. One of these is the beginning of the third level where there are a bunch of weak enemies that die in just a couple of hits. This gives Lieutenant Stone the chance to chain executions together. Another good moment comes in a maze where you have a chainsaw that can be used for chopping up your enemies.These moments are really helpful in breaking up the monotony of the combat.
The Verdict
If you are an action game buff, there is a good chance that you might not be overly impressed with Wanted: Dead very much. It does have good combat, but the characters do not have a lot of chemistry and the voice acting is also not that appealing.
