Nobody Wants To Die: Icarus Bar Walkthrough

Nobody Wants To Die is a cyberpunk noir detective game set in a retrofuturistic New York City. As the outcast detective, James Karra, players must piece together a series of mysterious murders in a world where the substance Ichorite enables consciousness to be transferred between different bodies.

As a result, the identities of both victims and perpetrators, as well as Karra and his allies, are never certain, and there are always deeper layers to every case than first meets the eye. While the game is primarily linear and story-driven, several of the cases open up for players to explore larger areas, with one such case being the Icarus Bar.

Having witnessed the crash of the Icarus airship from his apartment, James makes his way to the scene in the hopes of finding out some clues related to Kovalev, the suspected killer of Edward Green. Since the Icarus is known to have an exceptionally rich clientele, there is plenty of information to be garnered about the murders as well as the world at large. The mission objectives are presented in the form of questions, which will change as new evidence is discovered around the bar.

Is Kovalev Among The Victims?

The first thing players will need to do is identify some of the bodies around the bar. This can be done by approaching any victim and photographing them, which will prompt Sarra to confirm or deny their suspected identity as Kovalev.

After three victims have been photographed, James will move on to reconstruct the scene using the Reconstructor gadget. This can be initiated by approaching the back of the bar and entering into the anomaly bubble.

Is There Any Evidence From Before The Bar Explosion?

Having partially reconstructed the explosion by reversing time, players may wonder what they are supposed to look for in this particular bubble. The answer is the flying safe in the air, which can be analyzed and prompts the next stage of clues to emerge.

Having analyzed the safe, James will then be able to reconstruct more of the scene to see where it was originally placed. However, there is insufficient data at this point to continue with reconstruction.

What Happened Before The Bar Explosion?

Next, head round to the front of the bar and examine the pool of blood located there. This will enable James to use the UV light to trace the movements of Kovalev from one side to the other.

Having reached the far side of the bar, it will then be possible to reconstruct Kovalev being shot in the shoulder.

It may be necessary to stand back from Kovalev while doing this since getting too close can cause the Reconstructor to disappear and be lowered.

Why Was Kovalev Bleeding?

Having reconstructed the scene to the point where Kovalev has been shot, it will be possible to analyze the wound in his shoulder.

This may require moving around to the other side of the bar as Kovalev’s body can block a direct view of the wound from behind.

Analyzing the wound will prompt James to bring out the X-Ray gadget, which will enable him to trace the trajectory of the bullets.

Who Shot Kovalev?

Tracing the trajectory of the bullets will lead players across the bar and up the stairs to a small platform overlooking the central area. A body will be revealed on the floor, and players can photograph him to obtain an identity. This will enable reconstruction, which shows the man firing at Kovalev before being taken out himself.

Players will need to photograph both his face and gun, then reconstruct the scene and analyze the blood pool. Then, reconstruct the scene further and analyze his gun. This will enable players to move on to other clues around the room.

What Happened Before The Bar Explosion?

The next closest clue is the charred body on the circular mosaic floor at the base of the stairs. Analyzing him will show that he was burned to death and that his identity is that of John Park, one of Edward Green’s associates from the photograph found in Green Tower.

Using the X-Ray on him will show that his ribs were crushed, indicating a forceful impact rather than just burning. Scanning the ribs will then allow further reconstruction to show a flammable substance present on the body. Use the UV light to trace the substance to the nearby lounge on the right hand side.

Who Are The Characters In The Lounge?

Having traced the source of the explosion that killed Park to the lounge, players will notice that there were three characters sitting there prior to the explosion. Make sure the Reconstructor’s pin is aligned with the gold section, then examine the man next to Park on the leather sofa.

Next, head to the man opposite and examine the small folded scarf next to him. This will enable another reconstruction where an anomaly will appear around the booth. Inside, scan the standing man’s hand to reveal a code. Having scanned the code, reverse time again to before the explosion and examine the documents between Park and his accomplice.

What Happened Before The Bar Explosion?

Having finished with the small lounge scene, head over to the other side of the central bar to the man in the red suit who has been impaled on the floor. Scanning him will enable a short reconstruction where the metal rod can then be analyzed.

This will lead to a further reconstruction and another clue in the form of a dog tag on his neck. The dog tag reveals the victim’s name to be Nils Dean, an officer at the same police department as Karra.

Where Did The Victim Come From?

Reconstruct the scene further, and then use the UV light to scan the blood platters on the floor. Trace the blood to another nearby booth where another clue can be scanned. Reconstructing this clue will show how the victim jumped over the railing of the booth while being shot at.

This will enable a further reconstruction, where another clue can be found on the victim’s calf, a gunshot wound, indicating that he had taken a hit as he fled.

Is There Any Evidence?

Analyzing the gunshot wound will then prompt a further clue to show up inside the lounge/booth itself. Here, another dead body can be found slumped next to a locked briefcase. Scan the blood marks on the back of the leather seat to move on to the next clue.

Who Is The Victim?

To identify the victim on the seat, it will be necessary to photograph him three times. The first photo should cover the victim’s face, the second his tie, and the third photo should be of the briefcase itself. With all three photos taken, use the X-Ray tool to scan the back of the chair itself. This will reveal the trajectory of bullets and allow for a further reconstruction of the meeting.

Next, adjust the Reconstructor to align with the gold section again, and analyze the second victim’s face to reveal his destroyed Ichorite.

What’s In The Suitcase?

Having scanned the Ichorite, players will then be able to open the suitcase. Inside, a set of blueprints can be found, along with a lot of cash. Players will have to take the blueprints as evidence for a later mission, but, unfortunately, will have to leave the cash.

Are There Any Traces Around The Bar?

After checking out the briefcase, head back to the bar where Kovalev was shot. A small shell casing can be found on the floor near Kovalev. Examining it will allow for a further segment of reconstruction which shows Kovalev throwing an explosive into the first lounge before killing the onlooking guard in a gunfight.

What Was Kovalev Doing Before The Explosion?

Following the reconstruction further, it will reveal that Kovalev then moved around the bar and shot Nils too, just as the Icarus crashed into a building which caused the metal rod to impale the officer. The next clue can be found on the floor next to Kovalev: a blood splatter.

Which Way Was Kovalev Going?

Following this clue, players can trace the blood trail with the UV light to show Kovalev attacking yet another guard and killing him with a knife. Analyzing the blood pool next to the stab victim will then prompt another reconstruction where James comments that Kovalev has dropped something. Head back to the bar and search the floor next to Kovalev for the stick of dynamite he has dropped.

What Caused The Bar Explosion?

After finding the first stick of dynamite, move forward slightly more in time using the Reconstructor to the point where Kovalev is kicking the guard. Here, another stick of dynamite can be found on the floor next to Kovalev and will enable another clue of blood to be traced. Follow the trail of blood around the bar to the safe in the middle. This will lead to a final reconstruction, where Kovalev can be seen in a bomb-vest rigged with dynamite.

What’s In Kovalev’s Safe?

Having now reconstructed all elements of the scene, move the dial back to the time before the explosion and look inside the safe. Inside, players will find a card and a letter, which James will take automatically, and a bottle of scotch whiskey, which is optional. Taking the whiskey will enable James to drink from it later in the story, and will open up new dialogue options with Sarra.

Shoot Or Don’t Shoot George Boyle?

Before leaving the bar, James’ signal to Sarra is interrupted by a character simply referred to as the “Stranger”. The Stranger instructs James to head over to one of the bodies, and identifies him as the mastermind behind a new “body tax” which is soon to be imposed.

Players will then have the choice of whether or not to blow the unconscious man’s Ichorite out of his head, essentially killing him permanently, or sparing him. This is an action which will have consequences later on in the story.