Wanted: Dead is a bit of an enigma. Technically, it should be considered a mess of a game. The shooting mechanics are not well-defined and there are a lot of missing features that one would expect from an action game in 2023. Also, the story and acting make the game feel like it was directed by Tommy Wiseau.
Calling Wanted: Dead a wild experience would be an understatement. The closest game to link it to would be Deadly Premonition. This also makes it one of the oddest games of 2023, as, again, it is an enigma. Maybe these fixes could help make the experience better from a gameplay perspective.
1 Difficulty Fixes
Wanted: Dead is a brutal game that demands players be attentive. One wrong move and players could die in an instant against some of the quicker melee enemies in the game. Unfortunately for action beginners, there are only two difficulties in the game: Normal and Hard.
Both offer a challenge and beyond that, there is also a Japanese Hard mode that unlocks later on. Adding in an easier setting or putting in some assist options in the menu would no doubt be appreciated by some of the less skilled players out there.
2 Add A Photo Mode
Hannah is not that skilled with her guns but once she lays her hands on her blade, that’s it for villains. Swordplay is one of the best things about Wanted: Dead. Unfortunately, there is no way to capture these moments as there is no photo mode. Even if players tried to take a screenshot, it would turn out blurry due to motion blur.
An option to remove motion blur should be added to the menu. Likewise, a photo mode should be put into the game to better capture the more exciting moments. An action game launching without a photo mode seems like a wasted opportunity. Finally, another related request would be to add an option to remove the blood from sticking to characters. It makes cutscenes look weird otherwise.
3 Tweak The Cover System
There are no button commands for going into cover. Hannah will automatically cling to a wall, door, or another surface if players run by something. Sometimes, however, these surfaces can be very inconsistent, with something that looks like it should be a piece of cover not being one
Also, Hannah in general isn’t well programmed to stay in cover, almost as if she is allergic to the mechanic. Adding more direct commands for cover would really help to improve the tactical shooter aspects of the game.
4 Add Another Language
It’s hard to wrap one’s head around the concept of Wanted: Dead’s game direction. The game was made in Japan, but it takes place in Hong Kong. The voice actors are all speaking in English, but they are covering accents from their native countries in the real world. Hannah’s voice, for example, has what appears to be a French accent.
Her voice, overall, is one of the worst in the game as she stumbles over lines and lacks energy. Again, the game almost has a Tommy Wiseau vibe to it which some may find charming. The acting is not going to fly for everyone though. Oddly, there is no Japanese audio, but perhaps this could be added later for fans that like subs over dubs.
5 Add A Map
The level layout in stages is not that confusing. However, getting around the police HQ is like going through the maze in The Shining. There are four floors and a basement and a lot of the hallways look the same.
A map would prevent players from getting lost because right now it is easy to get turned around. A large map could be added to the menu as an extra option, or the developers could just add a mini-map to the HUD instead. Either option would be appreciated at HQ, but it wouldn’t hurt if levels had maps as well.
6 Add Better Checkpoints
The lack of an easier mode or assist options in Wanted: Dead is troubling, but there is a big factor in why it hurts to die so much. The checkpoints can be few and far between in stages. Typically, the game will checkpoint and save when players get to a boss or when they get to Vivienne’s drone. There can be long stretches of fighting waves of enemies without a checkpoint in sight. One of the worst earliest examples is in the third stage at the club.
Players will have to go through a wave of enemies and then fight two mini-bosses in a wildly cramped space which makes it hard to maneuver. Dying in this death trap will force players to try the whole thing all over again, and, for some, moments like these may make them quit. So, adding more checkpoints should be high on the to-do list.
7 Issue Commands
Wanted: Dead is technically a squad-based shooter and Hannah’s Zombie Unit has three others with her on most missions. There are times when she is paired off with just one of her squad members for more intense situations though. The problem is that players cannot issue commands to their squad.
This seems like an oversight, especially since players can unlock skills for them. The A.I. is not that strong in the game, meaning the Zombie Unit can sometimes be useless. Adding an option to issue orders such as “attack” or “defend” would help in this regard.
Wanted: Dead was released on February 14, 2023, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.