Nobody Wants to Die Review

The plot takes place in a dystopian New York City in the year 2329, where humanity has conquered death with the help of the Ichorite device, which allows the transfer of consciousness from one body to another, providing immortality... for those who can afford it.

The elite of society have usurped this process, turning it into a mass production. According to local laws, every citizen who has reached the age of 21 is required to sign up for a subscription-based consciousness transfer program. If a person does not have the means to pay for the procedure, their body is sold at auction, and their consciousness is sent to the Memory Bank until payment is received.

The main character is James Carra, a retired detective who is going through rehabilitation after the tragedy in which his wife died. He drowns in whiskey, cigarettes, and pills to cope with the desynchronization after the transfer of consciousness to a new body.

James dreams of returning to duty, but for this, he needs a successful synchronization. By chance, the police commissioner gives him a delicate task — to arrange the death of an influential politician Edward Green so that no one will know about it until he is "resurrected" in a new body.

At the crime scene, James begins his own investigation and realizes that Edward Green's death is irreversible. A mysterious killer aims to destroy the powerful, and this case may lead James to the solution to the death of his wife. Ignoring the rules, James decides to solve this case on his own.

Following James, players explore the darkest corners of the New York of the future: from Edward Green's mansion and the flying bar Icarus to the slums and a central park with artificial trees.

The main campaign takes between four and six hours to complete, holding attention with well-written dialogue and growing intrigue.

The accompanying character is Sarah Kai, a coordinator assigned to James due to his problems with synchronization. Sarah plays a key role in the story, her personal tragedy intertwined with the main plot, and her character and motives are developed more deeply than those of the main character.

James spends most of the game interacting with Sarah via radio. These dialogues are important for revealing the characters and forming an idea of ​​the world. The choice of answer options affects the ending, but sometimes negatively affects the gameplay.

Investigation

The game is a linear walking simulator with a detective component that does not challenge the player. The main gameplay involves investigating a crime scene and comparing clues on the board. The key element is restoring the chronology of events with the help of a reenactor, reminiscent of the "braindance" system from Cyberpunk 2077.

The use of gadgets is limited by the script framework, which does not allow you to feel independent. Sarah constantly prompts what to do and when, which creates the impression that the game considers the player incapable of independent thinking.

However, this helps maintain the pace of the narrative, avoiding a drawn-out search for solutions. Unfortunately, the game does not allow you to experience the satisfaction of solving the puzzles yourself.

The only moment when the game allows you to think for yourself is when you compare clues after an investigation. This mechanic is reminiscent of the "Mind Palace" from Alan Wake 2, but the right solution can be easily found by enumeration.

Visual style and atmosphere

The game attracts with its excellent graphics and atmosphere created using Unreal Engine 5. There were no technical problems on PlayStation 5, but on PC, players report unstable frame rates, even on the most powerful systems.

The neo-noir style is emphasized by the musical accompaniment, combining jazz and electronic ambient, which creates a unique atmosphere of a cyberpunk detective.

The localization is presented only with subtitles, which does not interfere with enjoying the original voice acting thanks to the measured dialogues.