The year was 2329 in the city that never slept, its constant hum of hovering traffic and neon advertisements ensuring no one found peace. Detective James Karra perched on the hood of a 1930s-style car floating hundreds of meters in the air. High-rises towered above, their spires vanishing into the fog of the endless cityscape. Rain drummed relentlessly on the car’s sleek, timeworn exterior, washing away grime only to replace it with fresh industrial soot. Karra took a drag from his cigarette, the harsh smoke mingling with the thick air pollution, almost creating an illusion of clearer breaths. Clinging to a bottle of fake scotch whiskey, he lifted it to his lips. It was against his better judgment, but a well-worn detective knew that survival was just another illusion.
Critical Hit Games delivers a haunting vision of the future with Nobody Wants to Die (NWTD), a dystopian action-adventure set in a retrofuturistic New York circa 2329. Combining elements of late 40s noir and cyberpunk, this game thrusts players into a world where capitalism has infiltrated every aspect of human existence. At its core, NWTD is a narrative-driven experience with a blend of exploration, investigative puzzles, and player-made choices
A Web of Intrigue: Narrative
The story follows the gritty journey of Detective James Karra, a former baseball star who had to pack it all up after an unfortunate accident cost him his body. With 50 years of detective experience under his belt, Karra is known for his results and unconventional methods — which has him on thin ice with his superiors. He is put on the case with rising star Detective Sara Kai on a redemptive case that could restore his position in the Mortality Department and earn Kai a serious promotion. Their dynamic partnership strongly holds a candle to the iconic X-Files’ FBI duo Skully & Mulder.
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Players are first led to investigate the death of a prominent political figure, quickly labelled as a suspected suicide. It doesn’t take us long to realise, with the help of some technologically advanced gadgets, that there is much more to the story than their superior is telling them.
The evidence slowly convinces Karra’s apprehensive partner, Kai, that they both need to learn to trust each other and risk it all in pursuit of a serial killer targeting the city’s elite. Together, they begin to unravel a political conspiracy and tale of corruption in the name of justice and morality.
You see, death is inconsequential in 2329, and real human death is not very common for the rich and elite – it’s highly suspicious.
In the twenty-third century, the discovery of ‘Ichorite’ allows the human brain to be converted into transferable data, making death a mere inconvenience—unless your ichorite is destroyed or you can’t afford the subscription fees. That’s right, In NWTD, you’re not just battling the soul-crushing housing market and dreaded landlords. You’re quite literally renting your own body. Fail to pay your subscription fees from the age of twenty-one and your body is auctioned off while your ichorite is stored in a vast, depressing memory bank; your consciousness remains in suspended animation, waiting for someone to bail you out.
Rife with poverty, crime, and extreme pollution, the city suffers heavily from its consequences. Acid rain falls frequently, and dilapidated slums breed serious civil unrest. The elite lives above the soot, relying on the bodies beneath it. But immortality has a cost.
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NWTD is one of the most engrossing narrative environments I’ve experienced in a long time. It embraces classic neo-noir tropes with a self-aware twist. The grizzled detective, haunted by his past, stays in the game out of duty—and a need for a consistent human body. Set in a retro-futuristic dystopia reminiscent of Blade Runner and The Fifth Element, as well as games like Bioshock and Cyberpunk 2077. It captures the essence of these worlds in a bite-sized mix. Its familiarity is comforting, and never feels old.
Without spoiling the endings, the game feels prematurely cut short regardless of which conclusion you reach. It does such a great job of immersing you that its abrupt ends feel disappointing.
Playing Detective: Gameplay & Experience
Nobody Wants to Die offers a highly linear narrative, guiding players through detective-themed investigations with clear prompts that ensure you never miss a step or get ahead of yourself. The games’ fantastically voice-acted protagonists provide constant narration and context, making the story easy to follow. This is a heavily narrative-driven experience, using its futuristic setting and cool gadgetry to immerse you in a compelling, non-challenging, adventure.
The Reconstructor on Karra’s wrist takes fragments of evidence to piece together the past, detecting anomalies that prompt further investigation and physically reconstructing scenes to make them almost tangible. This device works in tandem with a small X-ray scanner to track electronics, wiring, and bullet trails along with a UV flashlight analyse foreign substances. Together, it allows you to piece together details of past events as if you were time-travelling, unravelling the hidden truth of every crime scene.
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After each investigation, Karra returns to his tiny apartment littered with noir crime film posters, to analyse the evidence on his living room floor. Working with Detective Kai, they attempt to prevent premature conclusions on the case. This mini-game requires players to thread evidence together piece by piece and I admittedly felt stuck at times. That said, I was really impressed with this mechanic as most games do this part of the heavy lifting for you, usually laid out on a journal page somewhere. It helps the player understand the weight of the information they have gathered, place them in sequential order, and consider clear motives.
While the game includes dynamic and unique gameplay mechanics that elevate it beyond a typical point-and-click narrative experience, these mechanics quickly become intuitive reducing the overall challenge. Which works with and against this game, depending on what you’re looking for.
Beyond the guided investigative prompts, Nobody Wants to Die offers some unique gameplay experience through further exploration and interaction. Various items around the focus area can trigger unique dialogue, influencing future conversations and small portions of the story.
At times, you’ll notice locked and hidden dialogue options, indicating that previous decisions or interactions impacted their availability. There are also four possible narrative endings, adding depth and replayability. This is not an open-world experience, and each level is contained within a small area; it’s not too hard to find all the little interactions if you search thoroughly enough.
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Despite my love for open-world adventure, It didn’t take long for me to fall deeply into the grasp of this dystopian future. Heavily invested in the outcomes of our main protagonists and the future of a city that I hope I never really get to know (yet can’t help to find out every nitty gritty detail of). I spent plenty of time weighing up each and every decision, as well as interacting with every little trinket and poster I could. It’s safe to say that this game is as binge-able as a decent television show. And it’s roughly six-hour playtime makes it completely possible to finish in one or two play sessions. It works well as a couch game with a controller, and even as a game you could invite others to experience alongside you.
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Visually, this game is a delight — it is a highly detailed experience that plays around with different kinds of storytelling through unique visual methods and environmental design. All aspects of audio were seamless, fitting, and of a high standard.
Balancing the Scales: Criticisms
Despite its strengths, Nobody Wants to Die has flaws that negatively impacted my experience and likely will for others.
No manual save system: While the autosave is reliable, you cannot recall previous saves, forcing you to continue from your current stage. Every decision sticks, and changing one means starting the game over. Though the game is relatively short, replaying 5-6 hours for a single different decision feels tedious.
Not every choice matters: There are four endings dictated by four main decisions, which are usually clear and allow time to make and in one case remake that choice. However, some interactions misleadingly suggest they impact the story but later prove inconsequential. In one instance, a monologue-styled callback incorrectly remembered a choice I made, momentarily disrupting my immersion, but thankfully didn’t further interrupt the narrative.
Lack of accessibility options: Beyond basic subtitles and adjustable visual/audio settings, more attention to accessibility was needed. For instance, the game features three consequential quick-time events, that determine your game’s ending. This involves rapid button mashing, which was exceptionally difficult and led to hand cramping. Missing a click sealed my ending, and the only option to see an alternate outcome was replaying from the start made it incredibly frustrating. Being one of the only stress points of the game, there should be settings in place to make this highly consequential part of the narrative more accessible.
Some technical issues: Despite my PC meeting the system requirements, I experienced occasional stuttering and temporary freezes. While it didn’t plague my experience, it’s worth mentioning. I also had one fatal crash, but fortunately, the game autosaves frequently, so it didn’t impact me much. Other than these issues, I noticed no graphical or sound errors—an almost flawless experience… almost.
Final Case Notes: Should you buy this game?
Nobody Wants to Die by Critical Hit Games is a captivating dive into a dystopian future, blending neo-noir and cyberpunk elements with a strong narrative and immersive world-building. The game excels in storytelling, character development, and atmospheric design, offering players a unique experience that stands out in the genre.
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Despite some technical hiccups and the lack of a manual save slot system, the game’s narrative depth and innovative mechanics make it a compelling journey worth taking. The linearity and reduced challenge in some areas may not appeal to everyone, but the richly crafted environment and engaging storyline more than make up for it.
Nobody Wants to Die leaves you wanting more, and I genuinely hope this is just the beginning of a series set in this intriguing world. For fans of detective stories, dystopian futures, and immersive narratives, this game is a must-play. It’s a thought-provoking, visually stunning, and emotionally gripping experience that will stay with you long after the credits roll.
For $37.95 AUD, you get a really solid, high-quality game. But it’s only a 6-hour experience if you only play through it once. If you are a completionist, it’s possible to pour around 20ish hours into the game. If you’re hesitant about the price, waiting for a sale could be the perfect chance to give it a try.
Nobody Wants to Die is out now on PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Quest Daily scores Nobody Wants to Die:
8/10
A review code for Nobody Wants to Die was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
