First couple of play sessions saw frustration with the controls, and the game seemed rather difficult. Default key mapping and controller bindings aren't very intuitive. I've since been playing with a controller on 'preset a', and with adjusted stick sensitivities, and now the game is actually a whole lot of fun to play. I had a hard time following early developments and explanations of skills, but after figuring out the mechanics, the combat is a lot easier.
The story is kind of silly, but I'm not playing for the story, really. Silly af mini-games are entertaining, but I don't really care for them, as I'd rather be chopping people up. SLICE SLICE!

I can understand a lot of the negative reviews this game has, because I honestly was probably going to leave one myself, if I hadn't started up the game a third time. I'm glad that I gave it another chance - I am enjoying it a lot and will be playing thru the rest of the story :)

8/10 - solid, satisfying, fun

You know Eurojank? Well this game is the Japanese version of that. It oozes charm and style, but man does it have some rough edges too. But at the end of the day, I'll remember this game fondly as a super fun genre-mashing action game that was as wacky as it was short and sweet. In an ironically fitting way given this game's history, the gameplay feels a lot like Ninja Gaiden 3, so if any fans of that game read this, you're doing yourself a disservice not giving this a shot--doubly so considering it can be found dirt cheap on key sites.

Wanted: Dead has style, anime cutscenes, weird B-movie charm… and painfully confused combat. It can’t decide if it wants to be a hack-and-slash or a shooter. Melee combos feel weak, guns feel worse, and enemies tank headshots like it’s nothing. The AI is rough, encounters get repetitive fast, and by chapter two I was already bored. Cutscenes look cool, but gameplay just isn’t satisfying. It feels rushed and unpolished despite the obvious effort. If you want stylish action that actually works, replay Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance instead.

https://howlongtobeat.com/user/mentalmynx/reviews/u-109484/1