Wanted: Dead is an exceptional game that takes bold risks with its design, creating a PS2-themed funhouse hall of mirrors that is both audacious and captivating. This game embodies the true essence of what a game should be- free to explore, experiment and embrace creativity.

Every decision seems intentionally made to either confound or elate, and it doesn't walk that line; it backflips on it.

Why am I watching Stefanie Jootsen spend 15 minutes teaching me how to make Lasagna? Why is there only one song in this fully fleshed-out karaoke mini-game?

Why does the ramen noodle-eating mini-game run forever until you decide to press start and quit? Why does the game have to state that the Gunsmith reeks of cat piss? Why did Maserati allow the developers to use the 1992 Shamal as the game's police cruiser?

It's unabashedly what it sets out to be, and there is beauty in that brazen confidence.

Once you understand the intricacies of guard canceling and how to correctly utilize the games firearms, the combat evolves into a dynamic interplay of visceral melee and third-person shooting.

There is "jank," but the jank serves as an intentional obstacle, adding an off-kilter layer to the combat. This distinctive blend contributes to the game's overall uniqueness.

Wanted: Dead touches on things like fascist police states, the military-industrial complex, the predatory nature of the healthcare industry, and neocolonialism, but only in passing. It all feels deliberately unfocused and, coupled with the mixed-media presentation, it results in a surreal, addictively confounding, fever-dreamlike experience.

Conversely, it has a deliberate focus on emulating the essence of a 6th-generation AA title and it adeptly accomplishes that particular aesthetic and feel.

There's truly nothing else on the market today like Wanted: Dead. While this game may not resonate with a broad audience, for the niche group it targets, it will hit like heroin.