Nobody Wants to Die
- July 17, 2024
- Critical Hit Games
- 6h median play time
In "Nobody Wants to Die," play as Detective James Karra in a futuristic, alternate New York City of 2329, where immortality is a luxury for the wealthy. As a member of the Mortality Department, Karra investigates a series of murders targeting the elite, utilizing time manipulation abilities and advanced technology. The case uncovers dark secrets of the city's powerful figures as Karra works with young police liaison Sara Kai.
Reviews
- Visually stunning with a captivating cyberpunk noir aesthetic.
- Engaging story with interesting characters and multiple endings.
- Unique gameplay mechanics involving time manipulation and crime scene reconstruction.
- Gameplay is very linear and hand-holding, lacking real detective work.
- Short playtime of around 5-6 hours, with limited replay value due to the need to restart for different endings.
- Ending feels rushed and leaves many questions unanswered, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction.
- story1,015 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a captivating blend of noir and cyberpunk elements, featuring a compelling narrative that draws players into a richly detailed world. While many praise its intriguing plot and character development, some critiques highlight its linearity and occasional convoluted storytelling, particularly towards the end. Overall, it offers a visually stunning experience with a strong emphasis on narrative, making it appealing for fans of story-driven games, despite some wishing for a more expansive and less guided gameplay experience.
“Nobody Wants to Die is an experience that has to be played; a very immersive noir story that won't keep you busy with useless slog like many modern games do. It's a straight-to-the-point amazing experience, highly recommended.”
“The ability to control the outcome in such a detailed and well-written story made the playthrough very rewarding. The story is engaging and will appeal to puzzle and point-and-click lovers.”
“The story, voice acting, and graphics are top-notch, and had me hooked right off the bat at the beginning of the game. It's a beautifully crafted narrative that draws you in.”
“The story is rather too ambitious for the short runtime.”
“The story is convoluted, throwing random names and events at you expecting you to understand what's going on on your own.”
“The story unfortunately is often really illogical, feels like it's missing pieces and jumps to irrational conclusions.”
- gameplay406 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Nobody Wants to Die" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and linearity, often comparing it to a walking simulator with minimal interactive elements. While some appreciate the innovative detective mechanics, such as time manipulation for crime scene reconstruction, others find the gameplay repetitive and overly guided, detracting from the overall experience. Ultimately, the game is praised for its storytelling and visuals, but those seeking a more challenging or varied gameplay experience may be disappointed.
“Wonderful writing, a beautifully depressing world, and interesting gameplay backed up by an excellent noir-cyberpunk aesthetic.”
“The gameplay is fun and putting together clues makes your head think; the only thing I wish I could've gotten more out of the game is seeing more of the events take place rather than listening to them from another room, or behind a black screen.”
“The gameplay mechanics in 'Nobody Wants to Die' are intuitive and rewarding.”
“Gameplay sucks, repetitive and boring.”
“The gameplay is somewhat limited.”
“The gameplay itself was so boring.”
- graphics379 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, intricate art direction, and immersive atmosphere that effectively blend cyberpunk and noir aesthetics. The use of Unreal Engine 5 has resulted in breathtaking environments and detailed character designs, making it a visual standout in the indie game scene. However, some players noted performance issues and optimization challenges, which can detract from the overall experience despite the impressive graphical fidelity.
“The graphics are absolutely beautiful, from the popping colors of the neon signs to the dark and dirty trash-littered hallways in the shady parts of town.”
“The visuals and sound design are incredible, as well as the world-building.”
“The graphics are stunning, the voice acting is top-notch, and the overall experience is immersive.”
“It offers nothing other than a pretty face with its admittedly beautiful cyberpunk aesthetic, hiding a sloppy, boring, and pointless 'mystery' 'game'.”
“At first, the visuals and atmosphere of the game really captivated me, but after only an hour of playing the game, it started feeling dull and worn-out.”
“Looking past the gameplay, we have the graphics; while stunning, it is poorly optimized, and I found even my beefy 4080 could not handle the game on the highest settings without massive tweaks.”
- atmosphere156 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted cyberpunk/noir setting, drawing strong influences from *Altered Carbon*, *Blade Runner*, and classic noir aesthetics. Players commend the stunning visuals, exceptional sound design, and engaging storytelling that collectively create a rich, atmospheric experience, despite some critiques regarding gameplay length and linearity. Overall, the atmosphere is described as captivating, gritty, and artistically impressive, making it a standout feature of the game.
“This game offers an immersive and moody cyberpunk world that strongly evokes the dark, futuristic atmosphere of *Altered Carbon*.”
“From the moment you step into this vividly crafted setting, you're enveloped in an atmosphere that feels both hauntingly familiar and refreshingly original.”
“The atmosphere is one of the best I've experienced in years; the retro-futuristic world feels truly alive, beautiful, and miserable.”
“At first, the visuals and atmosphere of the game really captivated me, but after only an hour of playing, it started feeling dull and worn-out.”
“The dialogue often feels forced, and the overacting by some voice actors only adds to the unintentional humor rather than the intended atmosphere.”
“The characters and atmosphere are nothing we haven't seen many times before.”
- music88 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its ability to enhance the noir atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its emotional depth and fitting orchestral arrangements that evoke a sense of nostalgia. While some found the soundtrack to be memorable and captivating, others noted moments where it felt repetitive or mismatched with the gameplay. Overall, the combination of music, sound design, and visuals creates a compelling and immersive experience, though a few critiques suggest it could have pushed boundaries further.
“The soundtrack perfectly encapsulated the 1940s noir atmosphere despite being set in this futuristic nihilistic universe.”
“The music wraps around you like a smoky jazz club after midnight, the visuals painting a grim picture of a city that’s seen better days.”
“Nobody wants to die is an incredible experience, with an engaging detective story, an incredible soundtrack, all set in a fascinating Blade Runner-esque world where each decision changes your path, one of my favorite games in a long time.”
“The soundtrack is sadly not very memorable.”
“The music is alright, I feel like in some moments the music doesn't really hit very well with what's going on in the moment though.”
“It underdelivers on every front outside of the visuals and music.”
- optimization67 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, including stuttering and frame drops, even on high-end systems. While some users report decent performance with modern upscaling solutions like DLSS, others find the game poorly optimized overall, suggesting it requires further patches and improvements. Despite its stunning graphics, the consensus is that the game struggles to maintain smooth performance, particularly in demanding scenarios.
“Thankfully, all kinds of modern upscaling solutions from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel are implemented to help with performance while maintaining visual fidelity.”
“The game’s performance is impressive given the quality of the visuals.”
“It did have a tough time running on my system; it could definitely use some optimization.”
“The game has potential, but it was released too early and needs a lot of optimization.”
“Performance is completely down the drain; usually, my PC can handle high-end games with relative ease, but this has had my PC crash and freeze up multiple times even with all graphics settings floored to the minimum. I would not recommend buying until it's fixed (if it does).”
- replayability24 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting limited value due to a lack of substantial branching paths and only a few endings. While some enjoyed the detective mechanics and dialogue choices that can slightly alter the experience, many felt that the game does not justify multiple playthroughs. A few players found enough incentive to replay for different endings or achievements, but overall, the consensus leans towards a short, story-driven experience with minimal replay value.
“Has great replay value and a really cool story.”
“Even if it stole ideas from many different sources, the mix is a wonderful short game of 5 hours of gameplay, but with high replayability.”
“A big redeeming factor is that the game has choices that matter, with things like 'so and so liked that' or 'this choice will affect the story,' which makes it quite a bit more interesting and gives some replay value.”
“Replayability isn't huge; I think there's only two endings, and I finished the game in 6 hours, but I think a story that doesn't try to be too much is worth it.”
“Really cool game, I love the setting/world, but just note that it doesn't have much replayability.”
“Honestly, there isn't much replay value in the game, so you won't really feel like replaying it just to try to get a different ending.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly in the detective mechanics and puzzle elements, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the engaging story and short gameplay length, many express frustration with the convoluted controls and the need to replay the entire game for different endings, making the experience feel laborious. Despite these criticisms, some still recommend the game for those who enjoy slow-paced narratives.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Altogether, replaying the game didn't feel compelling enough to do and sounds tedious.”
“The mechanics get very tedious, very quickly.”
“I refunded it as the tedious detective mechanics got too annoying.”
- stability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 64 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant glitches and freezing issues, particularly during loading screens. However, many others report a smooth experience with no crashes or major bugs, praising the game's technical polish and performance on various hardware setups. Overall, while there are some minor issues to address, the game generally runs well for a majority of players.
“Technically polished, beautiful graphics, no glitches, freezes, or bugs encountered during my playtime.”
“Yes, it is very short, but runs great right on release and I can't ask for much more than that.”
“Runs great, great graphics.”
“If Cyberpunk and Life is Strange had a baby with more glitches than their parents combined.”
“After restarting the game, I now can no longer finish the loading screen because the game freezes up.”
“I did experience a few glitches during my first playthrough that made me need to reload, but it was only once or twice and in sequences that had frequent quick-saves.”
- humor11 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- -18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a well-integrated blend of lighthearted banter and clever jokes, enhancing the otherwise dark noir atmosphere. Players appreciate the amusing interactions and secrets, as well as the engaging dialogue that feels natural and adds depth to the experience. Overall, the humor effectively balances the grim themes, making for a uniquely entertaining narrative.
“And I just loved that, unlike too many noir things, they didn't just make it pure dark but rather had a fitting amount of humor and lighthearted banter in it.”
“The conversations don't feel forced, the humor is light but convincing, and the ambiance is perfect (sitting on the neon sign smoking a cigar was a great moment).”
“Some of the dialogue with NPCs is funny too, and it's the first time I've seen the concept of a shared apartment bathroom which you call and then it comes to your apartment has been put to effective use lol.”
“If it was supposed to be funny, then any sort of humor is eradicated by the behavior of the characters following it.”
“The jokes feel forced and often fall flat, making the humor more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I found the attempts at humor to be juvenile and lacking in creativity, which detracted from the overall experience.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, players found the game emotionally engaging, with a haunting soundtrack and a story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. While some felt a strong connection to the narrative and characters, others criticized aspects like voice acting and pacing, leading to mixed feelings about the emotional resolution. Despite its brevity, the game succeeded in evoking a range of emotions, though some players were left feeling disappointed by the ending.
“I cried at the end, like a baby.”
“The sound design, including the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, further amplifies the emotional impact of the story and gameplay.”
“The story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time; yes the game is short but I was hooked the entire time.”
- character development5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and purposeful progression, contributing significantly to the narrative and world-building. However, some players feel that the development can be superficial at times, lacking subtlety and depth in certain aspects. Overall, the character arcs are intertwined with the plot, enhancing the storytelling experience.
“The game takes you through some genuinely interesting story-building and lore-building, doing detective work on a series of related incidents, while also doing a lot of character development for the protagonists.”
“✔️ Good world building & character development.”
“The character development is skin deep and really on the nose.”
“The plot felt deep, as did all the character development, but the progression felt odd; like I was waiting to unlock new tools or choose the next mission, although I suppose that's for a different game or style.”
“Each action feels purposeful, contributing to the overall narrative and character development.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users feeling that the advertising misrepresents the gameplay experience, suggesting it is more passive than interactive. While the graphics and atmosphere are praised, there is a sentiment that the game industry often prioritizes profit over artistic integrity, contrasting this title with more commercially-driven franchises.
“Like most advertisements, it looks a lot more interactive than it actually is.”
“Awesome graphics and atmosphere; it's games like this one that remind me that games are an actual art form, while the Call of Duties, Battlefields, and Fortnites of the world do their best to convince me that gaming is nothing but a disgusting cash grab.”
“The story does seem kind of flat and confusing so far, but they have some pretty cool ideas; I definitely think they are advertising it a little wrong though because it is way more of a 'you walk around and the game happens' as opposed to 'you make stuff happen.'”