Wanted: Dead is publisher 110 Industries’ debut title, and sixth title from seasoned developer Soleli, comprised of former Team Ninja staff who worked on the likes of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden. It’s a hybrid slasher shooter, wrapped in 80’s cyberpunk aesthetics and mid 2000s mantra. I followed this game from very early on, captivated by the aesthetic, music, and Vivienne’s Late Night Chow . Wanted: Dead had my attention; so, on Valentine’s Day I jumped in, what else could I possibly want to do that day? The promise of Wanted: Dead is to take us back to the glory days of sixth gen character action titles, but had it been released in that era, it feels more akin to Bungie’s Oni and less so Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry . Wanted: Dead starts off strong, a heavily stylised FMV sequence gives you the rundown on the world and its rules. However, this is about as much story as you’re going to get during the fifteen hour runtime. You’re then introduced to protagonist Hanna Stone, ...
True Crime is a series oft forgotten by the gaming world, surpassed by its spiritual successor, Sleeping Dogs. Languishing as nothing more than a “GTA Clone”, however. Both games are more than meets the eye. Today I’m focusing on the first entry. Streets of LA. Effectively, its an RPG, but one where you don’t consciously make choices. The story and the protagonist's fates are shaped through your actions. It’s in the literal sense, stealth fails, dying, failed objectives, and your successes. You play as Nick Kang, a puckish rogue who joins the “Elite Operations Division” of the LAPD. He joins the division after being recently suspended due to excessive force; his father also served but disappeared after being indicted. Reviews criticized Kang’s character at the time but reality is, his character was just too early for this era of games. His demeanor and attitude isn’t too dissimilar from Nathan Drake; so if you like Drake, you’ll like Kang. From the very first tutorial...