How much you get into a game like Wanted: Dead really depends on your tolerance level. Like…how much cheese can you take?

And we’re talking the kind of cheese that makes you wonder what kind of squad of cops goes to relax with karaoke after mowing down a room full of bad guys. You know, 80s style (mind the missing mullets).

With its ridiculous storyline, asinine twists and brutal, blood-spurting gameplay, Wanted: Dead may seem like an acquired taste. But there’s actually a bit to get into here, especially if you’re up for a challenge as you mow down baddie after baddie, either with your firearms or with your trusty sword. All while wearing cat ears, no less.

A masterpiece it isn’t, but Wanted: Dead offers a bit more than you might realize.

Bloody Origins

Wanted: Dead hails from Soleil, a studio that used to be Valhalla Studios, which used to have members of Team Ninja – the creators of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden. So right off the bat, you’ll see that they recognize how action is supposed to be. But how they go about it is pretty bonkers.

The game follows a crew known as the Zombie Unit, a group of cops that go to any extent to finish the job. Granted, that means spilling blood and guts, which usually leaves their police captain up in arms. You know the deal.

However, when they stumble upon a major corporate conspiracy with some higher-up players involved, the Zombie Unit find themselves at odds with some major forces. It’s up to them to cut and run through their adversaries to bring the criminals down.

The story is your usual B-movie fare, to say the least. But it does set the stage for some fine action, whether you carve someone up with a sword (and in fine fashion, no less) or use firearms to make your point from a distance.

Wanted: Dead plays just fine, though the cover controls can be a bit finicky at times (one minute you’re protected, the next you’re…not?) and some enemies take a surprising number of hits to bring down. But we found the gameplay to be pretty good for the most part – and bloody satisfying when you finally nail that last crucial hit.

Be prepared for a fight, though. Wanted: Dead is tough. There is an unlockable easy mode that makes the process a bit easier, but dedicated players (and Ninja Gaiden veterans, natch) will have no trouble stepping up to the challenge.

There’s also a bit of repetition, but, thankfully, a few upgrades manage to keep things interesting. I was just hoping for better placed checkpoints because, honestly, some of these are pretty spread apart when you just want to save your game.

Overall, it definitely has its problems, but Wanted: Dead does keep going with the flow when it comes to relentless action. It is nice to have mini-games to give you a break, however. And yes, that includes tapping along to the beats of a karaoke song and playing a crane game for bonus prizes. Being a cop is fun!

An Anime Brought To Life, Sort Of

Wanted: Dead may not be the best looking game out there (a bit minimal with level design at times), but it counts where it needs to. The animations look great (especially the finishers), and there’s some impressive boss design here, particularly with bigger mechs.

There’s also something to be said about the anime-style sequences, which are a lot of fun to watch. Sure, the story’s ridiculous, but isn’t that the point? They all tie together into an art style that’s distinctive all its own. Cheesy, yes, but distinctive.

Along with that, of course, the voice acting is equally cheesy, like something you’d get out of your garden variety 80’s B-fare. That, combined with a rockin’ soundtrack and fun sound effects, should help you get the most out of those gaming headphones.

It’s not bad at all, though a little polish with a patch down the road wouldn’t be the worst thing.

Quiet and Pass the Mic

Again, you need to enter Wanted: Dead with the right frame of mind. If you go in expecting an epic along the lines of, say, Baldur’s Gate 3, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Its gameplay may throw you right off, and you may be wondering why the hell you’d want to care in the first place.

However, if it’s action cheese you’re after and you don’t mind putting up with a challenge or two (or sixteen), Wanted: Dead may be just the pulp you’re looking for. It’s the video game equivalent of Spam for sure, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to enjoy it.

GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS