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Wanted: Dead |OT| Ex-Team Ninja Gun Fu

Švejk

Banned
Sooo is that checkpoint for HQ ninja not till the following February update? Wording is a bit weird. That's what I need to jump back in.

Edit: I can now confirm; No, there's no new checkpoint yet with this update. Guess I'm waiting till the next one... And fuck that ninja. How the hell do people get past him?!
 
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Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Playing through it again, normal new game+. I've been playing Gears 1 lately so it really is an adjustment to get reacclimated to the jank lol. Shit's fun though if it clicks for you. I dont see much difference on anything so far after the patch.
 
lol, the graphical bugs are still there on PS5 1 year after release, i seriously don't know what the fook they've been doing all this time.

1 year later and they only thing they patched is an achievement/trophy related issue and oh, the stability thing is BS, it still slows down on the same spots.

I'll have to insist that this has been a money laundering scam from the beginning, they only thing it has going for is the happy go lucky BS PR.

This should be bought at a DEEP discount only (no more than 10 bucks).
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Beat it again. I did get an achievement to pop for seeing all finishers so maybe that got patched.

Gotta say, I just love this game. Every time I play it I just find some intense encounter that is unlike any other game.





Also, I really think all the cutscenes are brilliantly acted and directed. I guess if you didnt grow up watching 80s B-movies it might not make sense.
 
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Haha that voice acting and writing.

It's truly horrible stuff Jonny - and it really doesn't have to do with 80's B-movie trash and "not getting it", shit is just horrible...

Listen, different people = different tastes, I get that, to elevate though unfinished, buggy, poorly made tripe like this to "cult " status or to something that it's not is just plain wrong, this, for all intents and purposes is a 4 out 10 game through and through, the balls/gall these guys had to release this at almost full price is just...

It's OK to enjoy rubbish, heck, I've played my fair share of shitty games too (Onechanbara/various Omega force games etc) but again, trying to pass this game as "cool" is just plain wrong, it's REALLY that bad.
 

Švejk

Banned
I want to play this game so bad, but suck so bad at it apparently. Well, I can't get past that first ninja. Watching vids of people get past it,... Their ninja is practically just sitting there taking all the combos dishes out on it.. Why is the one I'm fighting psycho and kills me with 2 slashes?? Wtf.. And no, I refuse to play on easy. I'm better than this!! Lol
 

JayK47

Member
According to Steam user reviews, it is about as good as Starfield. Will add back on my wishlist and wait for a steep sale.
 
I want to play this game so bad, but suck so bad at it apparently. Well, I can't get past that first ninja. Watching vids of people get past it,... Their ninja is practically just sitting there taking all the combos dishes out on it.. Why is the one I'm fighting psycho and kills me with 2 slashes?? Wtf.. And no, I refuse to play on easy. I'm better than this!! Lol
I dropped it too. I made it to the ninja 5 times and he would wipe me out. Glad to hear a checkpoint is coming with some future update. I’ll gladly play it again once that happens.
 
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Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
I want to play this game so bad, but suck so bad at it apparently. Well, I can't get past that first ninja. Watching vids of people get past it,... Their ninja is practically just sitting there taking all the combos dishes out on it.. Why is the one I'm fighting psycho and kills me with 2 slashes?? Wtf.. And no, I refuse to play on easy. I'm better than this!! Lol
Its a short game. Play on easy then play again on normal. You'll be better 2nd time.
 
It's truly horrible stuff Jonny - and it really doesn't have to do with 80's B-movie trash and "not getting it", shit is just horrible...

Listen, different people = different tastes, I get that, to elevate though unfinished, buggy, poorly made tripe like this to "cult " status or to something that it's not is just plain wrong, this, for all intents and purposes is a 4 out 10 game through and through, the balls/gall these guys had to release this at almost full price is just...

It's OK to enjoy rubbish, heck, I've played my fair share of shitty games too (Onechanbara/various Omega force games etc) but again, trying to pass this game as "cool" is just plain wrong, it's REALLY that bad.

The thing is though the actual gameplay is quite good but everything else about it (other than music) is as you say ...horrific. Totally disagree with him about the story and cutscenes. It's not good in an "80's B movie way", they are pure trash in every sense of the word. Amateurish doesnt begin to describe it either. They're so poorly made it's hard to imagine any team of professionals ever signing off on it. But then there's the gameplay which is damn good (not on the level of Ninja Gaiden or DMC as it lacks the depth of those games esp in the limited amount of moves). I'd say this game is a 6 with 8 gameplay. I also agree that $60 was an insult as well as it taking so long for an update that fixes the framerate (it's finally fixed on ps5). A game like this can't be scores any higher than a 6-7 though due to the reasons listed and that's a shame because there's def something great underneath and this type of combat is such a rarity nowadays.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
The thing is though the actual gameplay is quite good but everything else about it (other than music) is as you say ...horrific. Totally disagree with him about the story and cutscenes. It's not good in an "80's B movie way", they are pure trash in every sense of the word. Amateurish doesnt begin to describe it either. They're so poorly made it's hard to imagine any team of professionals ever signing off on it. But then there's the gameplay which is damn good (not on the level of Ninja Gaiden or DMC as it lacks the depth of those games esp in the limited amount of moves). I'd say this game is a 6 with 8 gameplay. I also agree that $60 was an insult as well as it taking so long for an update that fixes the framerate (it's finally fixed on ps5). A game like this can't be scores any higher than a 6-7 though due to the reasons listed and that's a shame because there's def something great underneath and this type of combat is such a rarity nowadays.
It's truly horrible stuff Jonny - and it really doesn't have to do with 80's B-movie trash and "not getting it", shit is just horrible...

Listen, different people = different tastes, I get that, to elevate though unfinished, buggy, poorly made tripe like this to "cult " status or to something that it's not is just plain wrong, this, for all intents and purposes is a 4 out 10 game through and through, the balls/gall these guys had to release this at almost full price is just...

It's OK to enjoy rubbish, heck, I've played my fair share of shitty games too (Onechanbara/various Omega force games etc) but again, trying to pass this game as "cool" is just plain wrong, it's REALLY that bad.

Like I said, it's fine if you guys don't like the cutscenes but I do. I just rewatched all of them and I think they're great.

Stephanie Joosten is actually the lead cinematic director, and she went for this bizarre mix of Lethal Weapon 1, Twin Peaks, Otaku references shown through a cop with a German accent. Just little shorts like that scene where Hannah arrives at the station and tries to eat dinner are hilarious, and odd. All the dialogue is hilarious and odd. The whole team is actually fairly fleshed out in terms of character, in a relatively short amount of time. Herzog, Cortez, Doc and Gunsmith all have personality. Then you have all the unlockable cooking show clips that are hilarious. Some of the edits where they cut to anime cutscenes are pretty seamless as well, like when they are entering the club. The scenes focusing on Hannah trying to deal with her health care costs in the prequels aren't bad either. I'd honestly watch a Wanted: Dead TV show and a Stephanie Joosten cooking show (I've never seen bonus content in a game like this ever, it's hilarious). As I said the first time, if you didn't grow up watching true B-movies, maybe this doesn't appeal to you and that would make sense to me. But I think Stephanie Joosten has great taste honestly. She also did a lot of the music in the soundtrack, and just put out a single with Giorgio Moroder.
 
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Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent


Game is on sale on Steam for one year anniversary and just got a mega patch this week:

To celebrate the 1st anniversary of its release, the craziest game of 2023 is being updated once more. The second patch for Wanted: Dead, featuring a ton of improvements, updates and fixes has arrived.


Dauer HQ level — First Ninja encounter rework:

  • The First Ninja encountered now has a health bar displayed, and his HP and damage have been modified to provide a better combat experience.
  • A new checkpoint detail: Respawn point now happens right before the first Ninja encounter.
  • Extra Stimpacks are now placed on the level.

Improvements and additions:

  • Mini-bosses now have a 100% Stimpack drop chance.
  • The cover system has been updated to enable a manual cover option. It is set as default,
    but can be switched back in the Options menu.
  • Easy “Neko Mode'' difficulty is now available from the Start menu.
  • A new Player Stats menu has been added, listing various combat stats performed across
    the game for the related Achievements/Trophies progress tracking.

PC Improvements:

  • DLSS 3.5 and FSR 2.2 are now available for Steam.
  • Cloud saves are now available on Steam.

Bug fixes:

  • Further stability improvements have been implemented.
  • The game no longer registers controller input while minimized.
  • Gamepad vibration/haptics no longer occur when the game is being controlled via mouse
    and keyboard.
  • Reset options in the Display section now work correctly.
  • Graphics settings are now saved after restarting the game.
  • HDR no longer switches off upon restart.
  • The “Space Runaway” music can no longer be heard in the Police HQ after quitting Stage 2.
  • Flickering issues were corrected in Kowloon Park.
  • Redundant prompts have been removed in Kowloon Street.
  • Various boss health bar bugs have been fixed.
  • Hannah is no longer able to go back and repeat fights in Kowloon Street after a save/load.
  • The chainsaw can no longer be dropped during the hand attack animation, which used to
    cause an incorrect animation with invisible weapons.
 
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Leonidas

AMD's Dogma: ARyzen (No Intel inside)
This game is fun, seems to have a bit of depth in the combat too, shame on the reviewers.

Looks and runs really well on modern PCs too.

EDIT: spoke too soon, the training area runs really well, but in game there are many areas where there are drops (still way over 100 FPS average, so I won't complain too much)...
 
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Leonidas

AMD's Dogma: ARyzen (No Intel inside)
Seeing this for £19.99 on PS5
should I bite?
I'd say its worth it if you were already interested in the game, though I don't know how performance is on PS5.

I'm having fun with it (on PC), it gets better when you unlock new skills.
 
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Looks like it's getting a bigger update today.

It already did 😉
Available on PS5.

- New skill tree where.it re-arranges a couple of things

- New move (sliding + pistol shot)

- Being able to de-limb enemies when shooting them


...and the graphical transparent rectangle graphic bug is still there after 1+ years 😁

PS : It's now a "PS4 & PS5" game : you actually get both versions when buying it, plus, PS4 version disc owners can upgrade to the PS5 one for free now (assuming it works like it should).
 
Man, game got easier with the patch :
- Shield dudes ? no need for grenades or charge attack (which took an eternity), now you can simply do the sliding attack to disarm them.

- Enter slow-mo, shoot at enemy limbs = almost guaranteed de-limb --> finisher, way faster than before where you were shooting enemies for 3 seconds straight.

- Bullet time or whatever it's called ( Both sticks pressed in) = Besides being able to put enemies in a finisher state, it now actually gives you 10 secs of invincibility time where you're free to hack n slash enemies without your health dropping (like say, in God of war/DMC etc).

Game plays faster than before when you know what you're doing.

Having said all that :
Game, technically is still a fucking mess, I already had 2 crashes to the dashboard and 1 freeze, it's the only game that does that (ok, Helldivers 2 also 😁).

For 15 bucks it's a nice game, just don't expect anything special out of it, it's low budget, it's buggy but...there's some fun to be had out of it
 
It already did 😉
Available on PS5.

- New skill tree where.it re-arranges a couple of things

- New move (sliding + pistol shot)

- Being able to de-limb enemies when shooting them


...and the graphical transparent rectangle graphic bug is still there after 1+ years 😁

PS : It's now a "PS4 & PS5" game : you actually get both versions when buying it, plus, PS4 version disc owners can upgrade to the PS5 one for free now (assuming it works like it should).

I have the game too and am also disappointed with performance. The ineptitude of some Japanese devs is real, playing this and Rise of the Ronin right now.
 
I have the game too and am also disappointed with performance. The ineptitude of some Japanese devs is real, playing this and Rise of the Ronin right now.

Shhhhh - we don't talk bad about ROTR in here, you're gonna invoke the angry gods ! 😁
Seriously now, ROTR ? I'm playing through Nioh 2 right now (PS5 version) and the fucking game literally feels like an upscaled PS3 game - not that Nioh 1 fared any better back in the day but that's the (new) Team Ninja for you.
Remember when TN was ahead of the curve back in the OG Xbox era (DOA series/Ninja Gaiden) ? Well, those times are long gone , nowadays the excuse is "well, TN games may not have good gfx but they play well !"... Meanwhile, back in the day, their games had both amazing gfx AND gameplay.

It is what it is brother unfortunately.

Cheers
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Man, game got easier with the patch :
- Shield dudes ? no need for grenades or charge attack (which took an eternity), now you can simply do the sliding attack to disarm them.

- Enter slow-mo, shoot at enemy limbs = almost guaranteed de-limb --> finisher, way faster than before where you were shooting enemies for 3 seconds straight.

- Bullet time or whatever it's called ( Both sticks pressed in) = Besides being able to put enemies in a finisher state, it now actually gives you 10 secs of invincibility time where you're free to hack n slash enemies without your health dropping (like say, in God of war/DMC etc).

Game plays faster than before when you know what you're doing.

Having said all that :
Game, technically is still a fucking mess, I already had 2 crashes to the dashboard and 1 freeze, it's the only game that does that (ok, Helldivers 2 also 😁).

For 15 bucks it's a nice game, just don't expect anything special out of it, it's low budget, it's buggy but...there's some fun to be had out of it
Yeah, literally every patch note was kind of substantial buff to lower difficulty.

I'll have to try it out but that is a little rough potentially. Might just make Japanese Hard the new regular Hard mode.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
Yikes at those changes.

Instead of making the game better they just neutered it.

Glad I played on release.

Basically they just Sigmaed the current game. :/
 

El Muerto

Member
Dang. Played this shortly after it released on hard and it was somewhat challenging. Definitely felt rewarding after beating it. Wish they would un-blur the damn chainsaw kills in this patch.
 

Leonidas

AMD's Dogma: ARyzen (No Intel inside)
Guess I'll do another run one day. Had fun pre-patch, was a challenge on normal, I'll try this patch on a higher difficulty...

Here's a full list of changes in Steam, massive amount of changes...

This is the first major update for Wanted: Dead that introduces key changes to the combat system, featuring an overhauled Skill Tree system for more strategic gameplay, improved Adrenaline Mode, and new abilities. Weapons, both ranged and melee, have been rebalanced to reward skilled players. This update focuses on enhancing the gameplay experience — making combat deeper and the game more enjoyable for all players. Additionally, we've packed a ton of requested features, fixes and optimizations to make everything run smoother. Have fun!

Combat improvements:

  • Skill Tree rework: The Skill Tree has been expanded, adding several new skills, and modifying some of the existing ones. (Players will need to re-distribute the skill points on any previously started playthroughs.)
  • Melee and ranged weapon rebalancing has been introduced.
  • Weapons no longer become invisible after releasing the chainsaw during the handgun attack animation.

Updated Skills:

  • Sliding Attack: This attack can now knock a shield out of an opponent's hand.
  • Severed Limb Finishing Strike: Leg finisher and arm finisher combined in one skill.
  • Finishers: Grants adrenaline gauge, around the same as normal kill.
  • Bullet Time Aim: Duration increased, only enemies are slowed down.
  • Grenade\Incendiary Grenade: A quick button press now tosses grenades closer to the players allowing usage in melee (toss grenade, roll back etc.)
  • Extended dodge and combo: Can be initiated after being unlocked from the beginning of the game and doesn't show in the skill tree.
  • Extended dodge i-frames (x3) unlocked from the beginning of the game and doesn't show in the skill tree.
  • Extended parry window (x2) unlocked from the beginning of the game and doesn't show in the skill tree.
  • Charge Attack: Can now flinch\disrupt enemies canceling their attacks\getting thru super armor.
    Cutting limbs and stunning enemies with headshots (works better with improvement skills described below) and then using finishers will give players adrenaline.

New Skills:

  • Sliding Shot: Players can shoot a handgun while sliding multiple times.
  • Adrenaline Rush: After using Bullet Time players will automatically activate slow-mo mode for 10 seconds. Receiving damage during this time will decrease duration instead of HP.
  • Dismemberment Up: During Adrenaline Rush, dismemberment with melee attacks increased by 30%.
  • Stun Up: During Adrenaline Rush, Katana and Handgun stun increased by 50%.
  • Damage Reduction Up: During Adrenaline Rush all incoming damage is reduced by 50%.
  • Limb Shooter: Shooting at enemy limbs with primary or secondary weapons has a chance to cut them off.
  • This skill synergises with "Severed Limb Finishing Strike."
  • Concussion: Headshots stun increased by 50%.
  • With this skill there is a possibility to stun an enemy instead of killing it thus gaining opportunity for a finisher.
  • Improved Limb Shooter: During Bullet Time Aim dismemberment chance with ranged attacks increased by 30%.
  • Improved Concussion: During Bullet Time Aim Headshots stun increased by additional 50%.
    During Adrenaline Rush mode players can attack additional enemies before using finishers to set up multi-finishers and regain a good chunk of adrenaline.

Melee balance changes:

  • Y-X-X-X-X
    : Additional 20% stun for every katana move (Handgun only had +5% from ranged weapons balance).
  • Y-X-Y-X-X-X
    : Additional 20% damage for 3 moves (Handgun has +5% stun from ranged weapons balance and one attack had +20% stun from combo buff above).

Ranged weapons balance changes:

  • Handgun stun chance increased by 2x (From 5% to 10%).
  • Gunsmith Rifle base damage now correctly applies 133% damage bonus (from 60 to 79.8 damage).
  • LMG Hellhound damage increased by 70% (from 70 to 120).
  • SMG Hyena base damage increased by 20% (from 54 to 65) and stun value increased by 4x (From 5% to 20%).
  • SMG Avenger base damage increased by 42% (from 42 to 60) and stun value increased by 3x (From 5% to 15%).

Optimizations and graphics:

  • PSO cache has now been implemented for the Steam version.
  • Framerate has been improved in QTE minigames after finishing a level.
  • Cutscenes watched in the Memory menu now play with improved quality.
  • Fixed flickering lighting in Club Deaf Panther during the slow-motion sequence of the Ninja appearance.
  • Enemies no longer display a ghosting effect when walking with the DLSS option on.

Minigames improvements:

  • The Space Runaway minigame rules have been modified so that the speed and weapon upgrades do not restart upon death.
  • The framerate no longer becomes uncapped after exiting from the Crane minigame.
  • Playing the Space Runaway minigame no longer switches the framerate to 60FPS.
  • The requirements for the "Ramen World Legend" Trophy/Achievement have been decreased to 250 combo hits.

Health bar fixes:

  • Mr. Holiday’s health bar no longer disappears after defeating his twin.
  • Fixed an issue where the Spider Tank’s HP bar would disappear after defeating an enemy.
  • The health bar of the first Ninja no longer flickers green at full health.
  • August’s health bar no longer flickers when hitting enemies with GL Flying Pig or grenades.
  • The health bar of the Tanks in Kowloon Street now disappears when they are defeated.

Grenades:

  • Hannah is no longer able to change the grenade type while it is still in flight.
  • The red trajectory line for grenade throws now displays instantly.
  • Grenade indicators are now visible all the time, even if Hannah is not close to it. Being in grenade range is now shown with a flashing red icon.

Controls changes:

  • Default weapon swap controls have been changed to left d-pad press on controllers or “2” on keyboard.
  • Default grenade swap controls have been changed to right d-pad press on controllers or “3” on keyboard.

Bug Fixes:

  • Fixed an issue where Hannah was not able to pick up a Stimpack after previously walking over it with a full set of Stimpacks and using one to heal.
  • Fixed an issue where a Stimpack would become inactive when an attempt to pick it up was interrupted by an enemy melee attack.
  • Fixed an issue where Stimpacks would sometimes not be visible in the area before the Ninja fight.
  • The Cover Mode option is now correctly included when restoring default settings.
  • Manual cover prompts are no longer displayed when using iron sight.
  • Manual cover is no longer performed alongside item pickup whenever Hannah picks up an item next to a cover spot.
  • Fixed an issue where prompts would sometimes disappear after progressing an entire level without aiming.
  • Hannah is no longer able to return to the previous location after saving and loading on Kowloon Street.
  • Some redundant, non-functioning prompts have been removed from Kowloon Street.
  • Fixed an issue where skill points earned prior to the Ninja Fight checkpoint would persist when reloading a save from that checkpoint.
  • Fixed an issue where the sword would reappear in its display case after respawning at the Ninja Fight checkpoint.
  • Other bug fixes and stability improvements.
Glad to see the game still supported, with the wording "This is the first major update", I wonder if we'll see more big updates going forward. I hope this game gets the respect it deserves.
 

RedC

Member
Wow. I just played the first level on Normal by running full speed ahead with abandon, meleeing enemies, doing parries, bullet time, finishers, and using stim packs when my health was low, and it is far easier than playing it on Easy before the patch.

I'm not going to lie, it was fun, but I'm sure the game's hardcore fans will be massively disappointed by it.
 
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Labolas

Member
Decided to bite the bullet and buy it on PC. The core gameplay is fun as hell and you feel like a bad ass when everything clicks just right. I know about the patch update that just recently and made the easier but with that said, I think the game is still fun as hell. The only annoying thing is the loading screens.
 

P.Jack

Member
Just played through this the other day. Haven’t played a b-tier game like this in a long time, reminds me of the ps2/3 days when games of this caliber where a dime a dozen.

Thought it was decent enough since I bought it cheap. Hopefully Soleil gets to make another game, there is potential for sure.

Grenade!

Such a weird annoying game with occasional times of fun. Really annoyed by how all enemies are bullet/blade sponges and toss and drop live grenades every 2 seconds. Also not a fan of the minigames. Wish I could skip them.
I don’t understand, you don’t have to play any of the minigames, they are all optional? With that said, the shmup is actually kinda decent.

I agree though, this game can get annoying at times, but it’s short enough to make you pull through anyway.
 

Agent_4Seven

Tears of Nintendo
Bought it a few weeks ago for almost nothing. It is hilarious how low budget and almost Half-Life 1 like this game is in terms of production and overall presentation in some areas and especially at the police station. The funny thing about it also is that I died like 5 times in the first few minutes of the game, but it didn't stop me from finishing the first mission and getting to the police station where I had a fair share of laughs as well. And yeah, it's a true X360/PS3 almost C tier level game, but it's fun and silly in every bad way possible to the point that you start asking yourself - why in the world are you still playing this in 2024 knowing how bad it is and while there's far better games waiting for you in the backlog?:messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
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JayK47

Member
Getting brutalized by the lack of saves. Seems to be a common complaint. I wish I could change difficulty midway through the game.
 

JayK47

Member
I can see how people can both love and hate this game. I hated it at time, and was having a blast at times. I was able to get through it on normal difficulty. I died so many times. I feel like they pad the game with cheap deaths just to extend the playtime. Had I not died so many times, I would have been done in like 5 hours total. So it is a short game that is made much longer with trial and error.
 

Miles708

Member
I love Ninja Gaiden but couldn't manage to like this game. There's simply to much stuff to ignore before getting to the eventually fun parts. Maybe in the past I would have had the patience. Not anymore.

Fact is, underneath all the uninspired corridor level design, all the janky animations (except finishers), all the enemy design problems both visually and behaviourally, all the cheap "this is hard yo!" unblockable insta-kill combos... in other words behind all the massive amount of bullshit this game has, there's a fun action game waiting to be discovered.

I don't have the strength to find the gold in the mud, so despite loving the pedigree of the team, for me this game is simply not good at all.
 
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near

Gold Member
Glad to see this game being played here again. It's soooo underrated. Anyone struggling with the combat, I suggest you look up how to cancel attacks in this game, it will help you a lot.
 
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