Gorgeous games with a cyberpunk setting may not exactly grow on trees, but neither do those with a more retro approach to their settings or a focus on mystery. Critical Hit Games’ Nobody Wants to Die is one such title, launching on July 17th for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. It’s set in a future where death has sort of died, and prolonging life, instead of savoring it, has seemingly become humanity’s raison d’etre.
With a cinematic announcement trailer that’s generated tons of buzz, not to mention a recent extended gameplay showcase with almost half a million views, Nobody Wants to Die is certainly worth keeping an eye on. Here are some things you should know before buying.
Setting
Nobody Wants to Die takes place in New York circa 2329. The metropolis is very 1930s-esque with its neon signs, drive-thru movies, architecture and clothing, but traffic consists of hundreds of flying cars at different elevations. Certain monuments are also in ruins, and masses of wiring can be spotted between buildings. Then there are the facilities where bodies are stored and possibly repackaged for those who can’t meet the “subscription program.”
Consciousness Transfer
The central theme is humanity’s conquering of death, but not through some magic elixir or straight-up immortality. Instead, humans can choose to store their consciousness in memory banks, allowing them to prolong their life beyond their mortal shells. If you pay the subscription, you can transfer your consciousness into another body. Naturally, this poses serious questions on the nature of life and death, but it’s also led to things like nature and culture effectively dying out due to humanity’s stagnation. Of course, there’s also that bit about people who can’t pay the subscription fee having their bodies auctioned off. Surely, that won’t come into play at any point. Right?
In-Game Choices and Conflicts
As interesting as the theme sounds, it also ties into certain choices that players will have to make. Some conflicts may also emerge, though Critical Hit Games didn’t outline whether these would impact the overall direction of the story or result in a different ending. Regardless, it wants to “inspire players to think about contemporary values, the rules of the world, and what is important in life.”
Characters
The protagonist of this story is James Karra, a 120-year-old detective with the Mortality Department. Not only has he suffered a “near-death experience” but he also acclimates to his new body. Extended gameplay shows that he’s suffering from hallucinations, perhaps from his past body (or bodies).
Nevertheless, when a serial killer begins targeting the wealthier citizens of the city, James unofficially takes up the case. Assisting him is Sara, who’s relatively new to the force, and acts as a liaison, providing advice and understandably losing her mind when encountering true death. Then there’s the mysterious object that James discovers, which seems to have its own mind. How it connects to his hallucinations and the mysterious woman that keeps appearing remains to be seen.
While James has a lot going on, Sara also has secrets. As the two spend more time together, various facets and potential revelations about their characters will be revealed. The developer also notes that both are protagonists, indicating that Sara may be playable at some point.
Time Manipulation
As a murder mystery, you won’t just arrive at a crime scene and investigate with standard forensics. James possesses an augmentation that allows for manipulating time. Using reconstruction, he can rewind events to see how they played out. It’s then possible to slow them down, isolate and completely stop specific portions for closer examination and analysis.
This can lead to some more grisly moments, as you’re watching a murder victim slam their head into the floor rapidly before their subsequent death or a knife realistically entering or exiting someone’s head. On the other hand, there are some pretty cool effects, like Matrix-style bullet trails or extensive particle effects when something blows up. You may even spot objects, like a pocket watch, floating in mid-air at specific points, which can be more thoroughly examined.
Taking Photos
The camera is another investigative tool and arguably as important as time manipulation. It allows for taking pictures of crime scenes and locating opportunities for evidence, whether it’s from a victim’s charred face or a set of numbers inscribed on a tree. That same evidence can lead to other clues that further aid James’ investigation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as freeform as a proper Photo Mode, but maybe there’s one for those who want to capture all the sights of Nobody Wants to Die.
X-Ray and UV Light
At certain points, you can also employ a handheld device with various modes, like X-ray, to locate and follow the wiring to interactable sections that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. It’s also obviously useful for spotting fractures and broken bones in victims, though how that comes into play is unknown. You also have a UV light for spotting things like blood trails, identifying a victim’s blood type and following the trail while opening up more opportunities to reconstruct events (like the aforementioned victim slamming their head into the floor).
Arranging Evidence and Clues
During certain points, you’ll return to James’ apartment to piece together the evidence collected thus far. At one point during the first gameplay reveal, a grid-based arrangement of pieces is showcased, allowing players to organize clues. On top of evidence, you may also have to consider certain doubts and questions Sara may have for a certain case and how to resolve them.
Unreal Engine 5 and Visuals
While Unreal Engine 5 has had its share of praise and mixed reactions over the years, there’s no denying that it brings New York 2329 to life in gorgeously vivid detail. The extended gameplay walkthrough alone features immaculate weather effects, with rainfall and droplets realistically coating windows and spattering against the hood of a vehicle. The ambient light, coupled with the real-time reflections and neon signs, is also incredibly life-like. One of the more impressive bits is viewing the cityscape through rainy glass, as the surroundings look foggier and less distinct. Of course, other aspects like particles and fire effects look fantastic, especially rewinding or fast-forwarding through the destruction of environments.
PC Requirements
If it wasn’t obvious already, Nobody Wants to Die has somewhat demanding system requirements. By default, you’ll need a 64-bit CPU and OS, preferably Windows 10, and 30 GB of installation space (no mention of a solid-state drive being required, but it’s undoubtedly preferred). Minimum requirements include an Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, 8 GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super, AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 or Intel Arc A750. The recommended requirements include a Core i5-10400 or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, Radeon RX 6750 XT or Arc A770. While it doesn’t appear too heavy on the CPU side, you’ll need an above-average GPU to truly appreciate New York’s dystopian fidelity.
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