I’m a sucker for anything Cyberpunk-infused or tech noir. Blending futuristic themes like technology with old-school plots and character arcs has always appealed to me, ever since watching Blade Runner for the very first time as a young teen. Nobody Wants to Die admittedly came out of nowhere, but it intrigued me immediately with its visuals and charm.
While this tech noir thriller feels a little basic in the gameplay department, there is certainly an engaging story worth playing, complete with some polished visuals and impressive voice acting. If you’re a fan of the genre, Nobody Wants to Die is certainly worth checking out.
Another Day in the Office
Set in New York in the year 2329, you play as Mortality Department Detective James Karra, hot on the trail of a serial killer who is taking down some of the city’s most rich and famous. Set in a world where consciousness can be transferred from body to body over the years, individuals can now live well beyond their natural capacity, and death is a distant reality only those without money will have to face. If you’ve seen the show Altered Carbon on Netflix, it’s pretty much the same thing.
While the story does take a little time to find its footing, I was super impressed with the level of writing here. There’s a smart, witty narrative that intertwines various issues of morality quite well, all while exploring the deeper recesses of its protagonist Karra, who reveals more to the audience about his own tortured and tragic past as we uncover the case at hand.
Without spoiling anything, I was also a huge fan of the voice acting. Given the steady amount of dialogue, the game delivers, it’s pretty good across the board. Voice actor Phillip Sacramento, mainly known for his work in animation, voices Karra and consistently balances gruffness and sensitivity as the story progresses. Along for the ride is Sara, a newfound and initially unwilling partner, who is assigned to monitor Karra as he gets back on his feet. She is voiced by Keaton Talmadge, also known for her work in animation, as the two share most of the limelight.
Along the way, you’ll also get to choose from various dialogue options in conversation, with most replies as witty and well-delivered as the next, as tensions rise throughout its six-hour runtime. The game also takes notes to remind you when you’re actively impacting the story, as certain responses and decisions can affect the overall ending. The game’s six-hour runtime is well-paced, but its gameplay, which we’ll get to in just a second, unfortunately, holds you’re hand a little too much when all is said and done.
But if you’re a fan of narrative-driven games more so than anything that’s intensive or demanding to play, I’m confident that you’ll enjoy the gorgeous futuristic version of New York City and the compelling tale of choice morality that takes place within its borders.
Break it Down
From a gameplay perspective, Nobody Wants to Die pretty much has you scouting around town and investigating murder crime scenes. Karra is equipped with a few handy tools, the main one being a reconstruction device mounted to his wrist. The device essentially lets players pinpoint areas of interest to rewind time within that specific area to pick up all the clues they can. You’ll end up darting back and forth between a crime scene as you rewind and fast-forward through various parts of it, scanning clues and conversing with Sara as you progress the narrative.
You’ll also be able to utilise a couple of other tools like an x-ray device which lets you see through people and walls to spot hidden clues, and a UV light which is generally used to track trails of blood or clues otherwise invisible to the naked eye on the surface. While you can switch between these at any time, the game usually prompts you when it’s time to use a certain tool, and the cycle usually repeats as you clear out a crime scene.
I was surprised that for a classic grizzled detective like James Karra who carries his firearm everywhere, you don’t really get to use it. It ties into certain moments via a cutscene, but I wish there was a little more action thrown into the mix. Chaotic things do happen at times, but it’s only then that the controls are moment momentarily stripped from you. It doesn’t happen too often, but I wish we got to do a little more than just investigate a string of crime scenes for six hours.
Back at James’ apartment, you can also unpack clues you’ve found along the way to come up with a hypothesis, usually required to progress the story. On the floor of your apartment, values can be matched together to create a string of theories and explanations, as you and Sara cross back and forth with your own opinions and theories. While it’s a little messy visually on the floor, I appreciated these moments for how natural they felt in the moment.
Beyond this, Nobody Wants to Die doesn’t offer much in the way of gameplay. There are various moments when you’ll sit on the hood of your flying car and admire the city skyline, cigarette in hand. Some cool moments help with world-building, as you learn that apartments use shared toilets and can only be accessed at certain times. While moments like these are spoken about within the parameters of ‘gameplay’, I wish it did a little more, mainly in the action department, as the formula does wear a tad thin towards the end.
Look the Part
Built with Unreal Engine 5, Nobody Wants to Die looks gorgeous, and it runs well too. While I’m a sucker for those types of world aesthetically, I was amazed by just how crisp and detailed some of these vistas were from the very start. There is a moment very early on as you’re sitting in your car, watching a movie at the drive-ins, floating high above the city streets. As something prompts you to look outside, you open your car door, only to look down into the abyss below, packed with flying cars, neon signs, moody fog and buildings littered with Art Deco inspirations. I gasped.
This holds up throughout the entire experience too. Crime scenes and even character models are all incredibly detailed. As you scrub back and forth through a crime scene, even the faces of your victims are carefully constructed, as they convey visible emotions surprise or fear as you study their final moments. The lighting is also fantastic, giving each scene a sense of atmosphere and mood.
It also runs at an even clip for the most part. While there’s nothing particularly intense that I imagine would cause this to chug, console players can expect a brisk 60 FPS in 4K the entire way, with little to no frame rate drops. There’s also no sign of texture pop-ins or awkward clipping from characters and environments, helping add to the polish and immersion.
Final Thoughts
The linear and repetitive gameplay wears its welcome towards the end of its six-hour runtime, but there’s a compelling story to unpack, complete with some crisp visuals and impressive voice acting.
I wish the gameplay packed a little more on board for the sake of variety, but I can forgive the experience for its stunning interpretation of a futuristic New York City and a story that deals with morality and trauma so gracefully. If you’re a fan of the Cyberpunk, neo-noir genre in any way, Nobody Wants to Die is certainly worth checking out.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Compelling narrative; Great voice performances; Stunning visuals
Lowlights: Repetitive gameplay makes the experience feel a little too linear at times
Developer: Critical Hit Games
Publisher: Plaion
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
