Upcoming third-person hack-n-slash game Wanted: Dead has released a trailer that shows off many of the details surrounding its combat, progression, and game mechanics. The trailer highlights how players will need to use a variety of melee and ranged weapon combos along with skillful movement and dodging to overcome Wanted: Dead's challenging action gameplay.
Soleil Game Studios' Wanted: Dead was first announced back in 2021 and is shaping up to be a solid entry for fans of difficult action games that demand mastery from players to survive each mission. The game is being worked on by veterans of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, two major heavyweights in the melee combat genre, and is most accurately described as a cyberpunk Ninja Gaiden. Players take on the role of Hannah Stone, a member of Hong Kong's Zombie Unit police squad, as Hannah eviscerates her way through mercenaries and private military contractors to uncover a corporate conspiracy in typical cyberpunk fashion.
A new gameplay trailer for Wanted: Dead provides a closer look at the game's systems, showcasing the various tools players will have at their disposal to overcome its challenges. Wanted: Dead's combat is a mix between hack-n-slash melee combat and third-person shooting, and players will be frequently switching between both during combos. Hannah has access to a customizable rifle, pistol, and sword, while other secondary weapons can be looted from enemies. Despite having third-person shooting, Wanted: Dead is not a typical cover shooter. Players will need to move fast using various mechanics like slides, jumping, blocking, and countering to evade and defeat enemies.
The trailer also shows off a few of Wanted: Dead's various brutal finishing moves, of which there are over 50 to discover. These finishing moves are visceral and violent, which makes each kill a satisfyingly gory spectacle of severed limbs and skewered mercs. The game features RPG-style skill trees that will allow players to specialize and enhance their playstyles by spending skill points on perks in offense, defense, and utility categories. Some of these may unlock new ways to finish off enemies, while others may improve things like reload speed or sword damage.
Wanted: Dead looks to be a worthy competitor in a year stacked with big upcoming releases for PS5, Xbox, and PC. In the meantime, gamers should take a look at Valkyrie Elysium and Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker for some examples of developer Soleil's previous action games.
Wanted: Dead releases on February 14 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.