Shortly before gamescom, developer 110 Industries announced that the upcoming action game Wanted: Dead The release had to be postponed to February 2023. Just a few days later, we were able to try out the game ourselves at the trade fair. Two members of the development team introduced us to the controls and the philosophy behind the game. We were able to play two levels and a tutorial and ask plenty of questions. We'll share our impressions with you in this preview.
This is Wanted: Dead
In Wanted: Dead We experience a week in the life of the Zombie Unit, which maintains order in Hong Kong. The whole thing is being developed by the creators of... Ninja Gaiden and Dead or AliveThe gameplay is a blend of slasher and shooter, featuring a variety of firearms as well as melee attacks with a katana. Additionally, special weapons like a chainsaw can be picked up within the levels. The level design is quite simple. Before starting, you can customize your equipment, such as attaching new scopes. Then you move through linear areas, fighting various enemy types. At certain points, you enter larger rooms or areas where you have more freedom of movement. However, the gameplay remains the primary focus at all times.
After a short adjustment period, this becomes really easy to do. We can Wanted: Dead You can play like a classic cover shooter, hiding behind barricades and firing off bursts of fire, or simply charging straight into the fray. While the primary firearms function like in most other games, the developers have taken a unique approach with the pistol. We can incorporate it into our combos in close combat. So, we strike with the katana, then fire an automatically aimed pistol shot, and finish it off with the next sword strike. In fact, this gameplay is somewhat reminiscent of the action in John Wick, only with undead and more exaggerated effects. Once we've dealt some damage to an enemy, we can unleash stylishly animated finishers at the touch of a button, some of which eliminate multiple foes.
We unlock new abilities via a classic skill tree with three main branches: offensive, defensive, and technical skills. However, we don't actually have to choose; all skills should be unlocked by the final level. The difficulty level is intended to be generally high, similar to... Ninja Gaiden Play. Depending on skill level, it will take us different amounts of time. The developers have apparently already finished the game in under 4 hours, but newcomers will definitely need longer.
Who is this game suitable for?
Wanted: Dead It's aimed at fans of Ninja Gaiden and uncompromising action games. The story could probably be summarized in a few lines, and there isn't much to explore. However, you're practically always in the thick of the action. The animation is stylish and flows really well. The contrast between third-person shootouts and melee combat was particularly enjoyable during the hands-on session. Technically, it's Wanted: Dead Furthermore, the nighttime Hong Kong setting is very well done; it has a lot of flair and looks fantastic thanks to realistic lighting. However, the game doesn't take itself too seriously. Blood flows freely, and many animations are quite graphic and over-the-top. Action and entertainment are clearly the main focus here.
We haven't seen any of the boss fights in our session, nor how many different areas are offered. Wanted: Dead Whether it will also be able to captivate players in the long term is currently unclear. The developers have at least revealed that a particularly difficult difficulty level will be unlocked after the first playthrough. It could ultimately be one of those titles that deliberately avoids the mainstream, but instead cultivates a small, yet all the more passionate, community. The delay to 2023 shouldn't cause any concern at the moment. What we saw and were able to play appeared very polished and technically flawless. We were unable to find out what ultimately triggered the delay.
Wanted Dead will be released on February 14, 2023.
