Nobody Wants to Die review

Nobody Wants to Die review

As a seasoned gamer and aficionado of science fiction narratives, I find myself utterly captivated by the immersive world of “Nobody Wants to Die.” This game harks back to my days of playing Bioshock, where the fusion of cyberpunk aesthetics, intricate storytelling, and investigative gameplay left me spellbound.


A few years back, I caught an intriguing series on Netflix titled Altered Carbon. The initial season remains one of my top picks among recent television shows, and the book it was adapted from, penned by Richard K. Morgan, is equally captivating. This series brings me to a fascinating point, as its core concept seems to have influenced Critical Hit’s Nobody Wants to Die. Both stories unfold in far-future cyberpunk dystopias, where the main theme revolves around immortality achieved through transferring consciousness between bodies. In Altered Carbon, humanity explores the cosmos using alien tech called the Stack to store subconsciousness, while in Nobody Wants to Die, the world is modeled after a 1940s retro-futuristic setting akin to Bioshock, with consciousness stored in a substance named Ichorite.

As an immortal gamer in this alternate reality, I’ve been tasked with a peculiar case: investigating what appears to be a suicide, but feels suspiciously like something far more sinister. In the game Nobody Wants to Die, my character is James Karra, a fallen detective partnered with the newcomer Sarah. The victim in question seems to have met his end permanently, and there’s no trace of the Ichorite, the essence that grants immortality.

Nobody Wants to Die review

Indeed, this implies he won’t, and him along with Sarah dive deep into a mystery that reaches every nook of the city. The storyline is one of its strongest aspects. At times, the acting and dialogue veer towards gritty film noir, with James frequently delivering monologues in his rough-edged detective tone, and Sarah struggling to keep her job amidst his turbulent trail. He’s got a history, mind you, having been responsible for his partner’s death previously, and taking solace in heavy drinking following the incident.

The game progresses gradually, with limited action scenes and extended periods between events that serve either as scenic vistas or opportunities for James to deliver lengthy speeches. However, it’s not about action, but rather exploring and solving puzzles.

James possesses advanced technology from the future that aids him in examining clues, and generating a temporal pocket that reassembles past occurrences. By stepping into this pocket, you can explore and move through time within a limited range to unravel events just before and after a crime. The instructions are sparse in these parts, leading you to repeatedly examine the surroundings and essentially experiment until you find the right approach. This involves tracing pipelines with an X-ray device, examining enigmatic materials, and investigating numerous ancillary items that, while not always relevant to the case, contribute to building a more detailed picture of the world’s setting and governance.

Nobody Wants to Die review

You’ll collaborate with Sarah to assemble the puzzle pieces and attempt to unravel the mystery at hand. Your interactions are frequently dialog options that often have a time limit attached. The correct choice isn’t always apparent, but every word you utter is recorded by NPCs, and these conversations may influence the storyline in unforeseen ways later on. While not particularly innovative, this approach effectively keeps the player engaged.

As a gamer, I’ve got to admit that while Nobody Wants to Die is visually stunning and has a captivating storyline, it doesn’t exactly bring anything fresh to the table. The gameworld seems to draw inspiration from classics like Bioshock and Fallout, the dialogue reminds me of numerous noir thrillers, and the dynamic between the main characters – him being a hard-drinking PI on the edge, her an optimistic rookie trying to steer him away from self-destruction – is nothing new.

Nobody Wants to Die review

Much of what makes up this world is the result of extensive work put into it. There’s an abundance of details, history, and lore if you care to explore, but it doesn’t directly influence the plot. Instead, the plot unfolds based on your actions, though the rich background is there for those who want to discover it. The pace might not be rapid, but it remains constant, which could be crucial in a story like this. As more layers are peeled back about the two main characters’ pasts, their relationship deepens and becomes more complex, something that happens only because the story provides them with time and space to grow.

The core element is an intriguing enigma, adding a significant twist to everything. It’s the fuel that keeps the action going, compelling me to replay until the end to uncover its secrets. Although it follows a familiar pattern, Nobody Wants to Die offers a unique spin among today’s games, which merits a closer look.

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2024-08-05 12:16