“Wanted: Dead” isn’t just your average action game. It’s a violent, hybrid hack-and-slash shooter set in a gritty, futuristic Hong Kong. Brought to you by the creators of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, this game is unapologetically hardcore. As Lieutenant Hannah Stone of the Zombie Unit, you’ll be up against waves of gun-toting enemies, melee specialists, and high-tech assassins. If you plan on surviving the chaos, you’ll need more than a sharp blade — you’ll need strategy, precision, and a bit of flair. So grab your Diner noodles and settle in: here are the real-deal tips for dominating this dystopian battleground.

1. Cover First, Sword Later

You might feel invincible with your high-powered blade, but remember: bullets beat bravado. Stay in cover. The game doesn’t hold your hand — if you expose yourself for too long, you’ll get shredded. Scope the battlefield, take note of enemy positions, and only break cover when you know it’s safe or absolutely necessary. Save your sword for enemies that come to you. This isn’t about rushing headfirst — it’s about picking the right moment to engage.

2. Make Every Bullet Count

Ammo is precious. Yes, enemies drop it, but extended firefights can drain your reserves fast. Instead of spraying wildly, focus on clean headshots. Tap up on the D-pad to toggle between firing modes — single fire will conserve bullets and help you stay accurate. Want a visual reward? Land a headshot and watch the number pop. It’s satisfying and efficient.

If you don’t have time to aim, use blind fire. Hold the right trigger while behind cover to fire without exposing yourself. You won’t always hit, but you’ll survive longer. Pro tip for life, too: don’t stick your face into gunfire.

3. Crowd Control With Grenades

When multiple enemies stack up, forget precision — go for splash damage. Hold RB to aim a grenade and toggle between frag and incendiary with the D-pad. Better still, press Y while holding RB for an underhand toss — perfect for charging foes. Just make sure they’re not already in your face.

4. Swordplay: Parry, Chain, Finish

When close combat becomes unavoidable, it’s time to cut loose. Stone’s swordplay hinges on two techniques: parryingand pistoling. Hold LB to block melee attacks, but parrying — blocking the moment an attack lands — is what opens up real opportunities.

Master the parry early. It drains enemy stamina and gives you windows for devastating follow-ups. Ninjas in the Japanese Garden of Mission One are a great place to practice — fail there, and you’ll learn fast.

Tapping Y fires your pistol at the current target. It does little damage but can chain into sword combos or disrupt enemies. You can even use it to counter unguardable red attacks. Fire at just the right moment and you’ll break their move entirely.

5. Invest in the Right Skills First

Stone isn’t stuck with her base loadout. Her skill tree lets you evolve from a regular operator into a one-woman execution squad. Start with:

• Parry Follow-Up: Boosts your parry game by turning successful counters into powerful retaliations.
• Pistol Counter Follow-Up: Expands on your ability to punish red attacks. Keep the flow going.
• Severed Arm/Leg Finishing Strikes: Add flair, lethality, and strategy. These finishers end fights faster and look fantastic.

Follow that up with Dash Attack, Armor Upgrades, Stim Pack Boosts, and the crucial Parry Window Increase, which doubles your timing buffer for parries. These skills don’t just improve combat — they transform it.

6. Stamina: Their Weakness, Your Opportunity

Enemies have health, yes — but they also have stamina. Drop that to zero, and they flail around like headless chickens. That’s your cue to finish them with a brutal strike. Even better, with the severed limb finishers, you don’t always need to fully deplete stamina — a clean hit can end it early.

Chain this into multiple executions by staggering stamina damage across a group. Use bullet time (wisely), line them up, and let one finisher flow into the next. It’s stylish, effective, and wildly satisfying.

7. Save the Chainsaw for Special Occasions

Yes, the chainsaw is as ridiculous as it sounds. It one-shots everything. But don’t blow it on grunts — save it for mini-bosses or when you’re overwhelmed. It’s the panic button of your arsenal. Use it like one.

8. Managing Health: Gray Zones and Execution Gains

You’ll notice some of your health bar turns gray when taking damage. Gray health can be restored via melee or bullet time, but executions restore all of it instantly. Always aim to finish fights with a stylish takedown.

Your medic, Doc, can revive you once per drone checkpoint — but only once. Don’t rely on it. Play smart.

9. Drone Checkpoints: Use Them Every Time

When you see your drone, interact with it. It fully restores your health, ammo, medkits, and revives. Plus, you can modify weapons to suit upcoming threats. Always check in — that drone didn’t fly out just to be ignored.

10. Mini-Games: Not Just For Fun

Between missions, indulge in karaoke, ramen challenges, or crane games at HQ. They’re not just silly distractions — they award skill points. Want to beef up Stone before a hard mission? Grind some mini-games. It’s a break from combat and a secret training mode rolled into one.

There’s also Space Runaway, a retro-style arcade shooter hidden in the game. No saves, old-school brutal, but worth the ride. Set aside some real time if you want to finish it.

11. Neko Chan Mode: Cute, Effective, Shameful

Fail enough times, and the game will offer you an out: Neko Chan Mode. It’s easy mode, with significantly reduced difficulty — but it comes at a price. You’ll wear cat ears. Permanently. No, they can’t be removed. Yes, it’s visible in all cutscenes. If you want to erase the shame, you’ll need to restart the game. Choose wisely.

BONUS: Real-World Easter Egg

Pay close attention after the credits roll. Check out Emma Lautner’s profile page. See anything odd? Try calling the number. Yes — in real life. There’s a surprise waiting. (Standard rates apply. Don’t yell at your phone bill.)

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That’s it, soldier. You’re now fully briefed. Whether you’re headshotting from behind cover or chaining a bloodbath of finishers, you’ve got the tools. Just don’t forget: dystopian Hong Kong waits for no one.

Stay sharp, stay brutal — and no cat ears, yeah?