I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of a detective. Sitting in cars late at night, running a stakeout, drinking whiskey from a hip flask in a seedy bar and interrogating informants. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I like it, preparing to take in my very own poetic self-narration as I walk around the city at night, in the pouring rain.
Thankfully I don’t have to go through the hard work of becoming a detective as Nobody Wants to Die allows for that experience. It’s a noir story set in the future, but with a 1940’s flavour and a hell of a mystery to solve.
Nobody Wants to Die is one of those games that creeps up on you, and after you finish it there is a feeling of why on earth people are not talking about it more – it really is that good.
Set in New York in the year 2329 the world is a familiar but yet very different place. The city as we know it is now built high in the sky and Central Park has holograms of trees instead of real ones. The sun left the sky centuries ago and acid rain falls constantly, making its inhabitants have to decontaminate constantly to keep alive. But in this era, there is a 1930’s, 1940’s vibe to the clothes and buildings. Post-modern art deco design fills the streets, rooms and cars of the world.
It is also the era of immortality – at least if you can afford it. Your conscious being can be stored in memory banks, transferred to a younger fresher body if you die. But these high-end models cost money and people resort to taking ‘downgraded bodies’ or renting out their young ones to the highest bidder.
You play a detective called James Karra who is on leave after being involved in a train disaster where his partner was killed. Haunted by the ghost of his wife and a new body with addiction issues, James gets involved in a new murder case. What plays out next is a bit of a serial killer hunt, full of twists and turns. Storytelling, characters, writing and world-building are at the top of the game in this single-player adventure. In fact, it’s a brilliant idea and provides access to a world that is so engrossing and appealing that you will be wanting more from this universe as the end credits roll.
The gameplay is quite linear, in terms of it’s not an open world that you can explore willy-nilly in your own time. You are almost guided through the environments, but within there is plenty of room for wandering and exploring.
Nobody Wants to Die is played in the first person and you can examine objects and pick them up to find their secrets. Yet it’s when you get to a crime scene that things really open up in terms of gameplay. Your sci-fi detective tool kit is very unique and fascinating to use, as you are left to reconstruct a crime scene and replay events backwards and forwards, opening up more clues to what happened there. You can then examine more clues and use other devices
There also comes the chance to go taking photographs of the scene, where highlighted areas will result in more clues. You have an X-ray machine that will look behind walls, for example, focusing on electrical cabling that leads to where a generator or hidden door might be. A UV machine will follow blood trails and Nobody Wants to Die is full of other clues, like footprints. These mechanics have certainly been used in games before, but it’s the combination of them and how they are used in this game that makes it triumphant.
Visually, Nobody Wants to Die is a stunner, what with its neon rain soaked environments and pretty art deco surroundings. It reminds of Bioshock a lot and that’s not a bad comparison to be paired with. But it’s the creativity in the design and layout of the world that impresses most. This is all complemented by the soundtrack. It is beautifully haunting at times with a great atmosphere throughout. And the voice work is also of a very high standard with a special mention going to the lead actors.
If there was to be one criticism of Nobody Wants to Die, it is that it is quite an ‘on rails’ experience at times and that might not be to the liking of all. For others though, it will feel near perfect, reminding of a time when great games were produced. The story of Nobody Wants to Die is an absolute highlight, full of great characters and an amazing world with superb practices and ideas. Further to that, the detective gameplay is fun and interesting, giving you a real feel that you are actually solving a complex crime and motive.Â
In a few words, Nobody Wants to Die deserves a lot of praise. Play it.
