WANTED

WANTED is a 2009 third-person shooter video game developed by GRIN and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game is based on the 2008 film of the same name, which itself was adapted from a comic book miniseries by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. The narrative follows Wesley Gibson, a disillusioned office worker who discovers he is the son of a legendary assassin from a secret fraternity known as the Fraternity. The Fraternity operates under a mystical loom that dictates the names of targets to be eliminated, following a code of fate. The game’s story diverges from the film’s plot, incorporating original characters and scenarios while retaining the core concept of a secret society of assassins who can curve bullets. The setting includes urban environments such as warehouses, train yards, and corporate offices. The game features a cel-shaded art style that mimics the visual aesthetic of the comic book source material, with high-contrast colors and stylized character models. The soundtrack includes licensed tracks from bands like Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy. Critical reception was mixed, with praise for the bullet-curving mechanic but criticism for repetitive level design and a short campaign length.

Gameplay in WANTED is presented from a third-person perspective. The player controls Wesley Gibson through linear levels, engaging in combat against enemy forces. The primary mechanic is bullet curving, activated by holding the left trigger to aim and then moving the right analog stick to alter the projectile’s trajectory. This allows shots to bend around cover or hit multiple targets in a single bullet. The player can also enter a slow-motion state, called Adrenaline Mode, by pressing the right bumper. This mode slows time, enabling precise aiming and bullet curving. The player character has a health bar that regenerates when not taking damage. Cover mechanics are present; the player can press the A button to snap to walls or low obstacles. Weapons include pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, and shotguns, each with limited ammunition. The player can perform a melee attack with the B button. The game uses a checkpoint-based save system. The control scheme on Xbox 360 is as follows: left stick moves the character, right stick controls the camera and bullet curve direction, A button interacts with cover and performs context-sensitive actions, B button performs a melee attack, X button reloads the weapon, Y button switches weapons, left trigger aims down sights, right trigger fires the weapon, left bumper activates Adrenaline Mode, and right bumper performs a dodge roll. On PlayStation 3, the controls are mirrored with the corresponding face buttons. The PC version supports keyboard and mouse input, with the mouse controlling aiming and bullet curving.