Cyberpunk is a style of genre that I love. Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Altered Carbon, Cyberpunk 2077 and Observer. I just can’t get enough of that dystopian future dancing between low life and high tech. So, when I first saw Polish studio Critical Hit Games latest game Nobody Wants to Die in action, I was sold in seconds.

Nobody Wants to Die is gritty noir detective tale set in the Cyberpunk-inspired New York of 2329.

New York dystopian future in art and media

You play as Detective James Karra who has had a near-death experience. This development sees you tackle off-the-books case from your chief, starting out with a murder scene.

No Dying in Time

That itself is a big deal as in 2329. In the game world, death isn’t really a thing anymore for the wealthy. And so, to be truly dead is a huge deal.

The game oozes style and grit through its top-tier writing. Nobody Wants to Die crafts a world that is believable, one that grounded and rooted with modern day issues.

Nobody Wants to Die explores class divides, the growing gulf between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and ask the very topical question: do you ever truly own yourself?

Action sequences in adventure games story narrative

And this is all before you get a good look at protagonist, Karra. A detective riddled with conflicts and substance issues whose enduring some mental health issues. Throughout the game, Karra is having hallucinations of a woman he believes to have been his wife.

Sights to Behold

Gameplay, though very flashy and eye catching, can be boiled down to a point and click adventure style, and that’s not a bad thing. There are no real fail states to speak of during the investigation sections. Your job is to uncover the bread trail that leads you to your conclusions using an array of cool and high-tech powers.

This is an extremely scripted and well-paced tale where your job really is to peel back the many layers to get to the tale the game wants to tell. Nobody Wants to Die jumps between a number of heavy topics; like religion, life and death, as well as the true meaning of it all on your road to the truth.

Nobody Wants to Die is striking visually and will often have you sitting back in awe of the sheer scale and some of the vistas you’ll see. You’ll also have moments more intimate and lonely moments to strike that awe into you – driving though rain, or feeling truly alone in a dense, grimy cityscape.

Minority Reportage

This style bleeds into the gameplay too. You can reconstruct events that lead to the untimely end of the victim, in a very cool Minority Report-esque system. Players have a glove that can rewind and fast forward time to test their hypothesis.

You also have an extra chance to spot clues and leads, while being able to freely walk around the scene. Finding certain clues will see you use the appropriate kit to follow cables or blood trails. These are all part of your efforts to rebuild the sordid events that took place at that scene.

Your choices will also have a huge impact on the tale. And this can be as simple as your tone when answering a question, up to destroying evidence at the scene of a crime. Your actions may see some other corrupt entity taking the fall. On top of this, Karra’s witty or blunt answers build his character as well as having that impact.

Sounds of Urban Decay

Sound is top tier across the board. The voice acting breathes character into the cast and contains the same level of polish as the soundtrack. The synth tones and voicework married with the visuals create a world that truly feels bigger than what you see.

Nobody Wants to Die is a gripping and thrilling dive into a New York of a ‘what-if future. And all told through the eyes of a broken man. Nobody Wants to Die is a bit ‘on rails’ at points, but it’s a brilliant and enjoyable cyberpunk yarn. One that fans of the genre will enjoy from begin to end.