Interesting story, its just not my kind of a game.
This review contains spoilers
I've read plenty of reviews for games where people complain about a story going off the rails. I like to think that I can appreciate a proper rollercoaster of a game, even if it's unexpected.... and I did really enjoy Norco- but ok fine I understand where these types of people are coming from now.
There's so much that I find compelling in Norco... they just spent too much attention on the Gaerett Cult; pawpaw and his jesus bloodline stuff should be violently escorted out by a bouncer; and the moment i read dialog in the shield masquerade ball I knew this game would lose me by the end.
If the game choose what it focused on differently, i would have really loved it, instead i'll just have to settle for saying it was pretty cool.
Anyway, they really nailed the tone, writing and setting here, wow it is all so evocative. Norco is blunt and murky ,heartfelt and amusing, grounded and absurd, strange and mundane, morose and striking - all of those words that come to mind are contradicting, that's how you know they did a good job of capturing life. I'm very impressed that I was able to vibe with it so much, since the game is operating in a genre that I would normally consider not my style. Maybe i'm just an easy fish to bait by putting in cool sci-fi elements
Shoutout to superduck! That sure is a concept! The phrase "internet of flesh" still lives in my mind. This unique fusion of AI and organic life is quite interesting, especially with the nuance of being a virus that mutated from a sketchy memory backup. The Quack jobs app is a neat idea on top of that.
The setting of Norco doesn't take that many steps away from the present- which is weird to say given the inclusion of Robots and AI. The writers obviously wanted to write about reality, and just take a few sci-fi concepts along for the ride. To be clear, that's not a complaint- they pulled it off great. It's super cool how they mixed diet cyberpunk elements into a place that's both burdened by its past and cynical on its future.
I was on board for the game's storytelling starting from the very beginning. I adore the intro to this game. The first imagery defining the setting is incredible and the way they catch you up on Kay's life story are incredible. They use the classic game thing of occasionally giving you text choices between the walls of text, but the ones here game really come out swinging in a way that strongly contributes to the setup of tone and characterization. (A great example is the description of kay deciding to leave despite bleak's pleading and being able to choose "I didn't care" or "I knew he'd get over it"). I've been playing a lot of narrative games that open with an interactive fiction inspired sequence like this lately- that's a trend i will continue to enjoy with great enthusiasm. Always a pleasure to see such a strong use of 2nd person.
As soon as I woke up in the bedroom i began reading the mindmap- and found it quite cool. I'm a bit disappointed that past that point it became a glorified "information learned so far" tracker. It had a lot of potential as a source for cool writing, but generally didn't live up to that beyond the family entries that you see initially. I was excited to check it every time the new notification appeared, and that was rarely worthwhile.
My favorite scene in the game is the retelling of the 3 floods the house has been through, with the addition of the 4th flood that will occur. Shoutout to all the bits in this game that remind me of the shivers writing in Disco Elysium, i adore them.
My 2nd favorite scene is the spaceship-dream-trek through the rooms of the house (with each one dedicated to a specific family member). Even amid an ending sequence filled with narrative elements I cared little for, this stood out as a very satisfying component of the finale. The game really succeeds with its storytelling centered around the family.
I love the structural gimmick of alternating between Kay and Catherine's adventure. I don't think the switching to optimize cliffhangers was really necessary though. I can respect cliffhangers in media that actually has a reason for the audience to wait, but here it feels like cowardly backing away from the current scene. Aside from that timing complaint, I like what these switches do for the pacing. I can't decide whose segments I prefer.
The memory clinic scene that Catherine starts with is fantastic. I also love all the mileage they get out of Catherine's phone. The apps are a neat idea and they are surprisingly effective given their simplicity. Having to pay to travel to locations is a cool touch, even if it's never an actual stressor. The voice memos is a cool idea for a mechanic- both for puzzles and for player note-taking.[In practice the voice memo puzzles aren't that interesting, but i still stand by it being a solid mechanic] I like the added friction of having limited memory. That seems like something that would be a quality of life hit, and it is slightly, but the way it forces you to remove irrelevant memos actually makes it a net positive in QoL. [and removing them automatically would hurt the diagetic nature of the voice memo app. The Aprocypha AR app sets up a really funny jumpscare with ditch man. Giving the phone to Kay in the present after Catherine's story concludes is cool.
Overall the Point & Click Adventure gameplay neither appeals to me nor annoys me. It's not really that involved and never had me questioning what to do next. The combat feels quite pointless. The boating in the lake section is rad, both from the writing of the dive scenes and the actual gameplay of navigating around the map. The drone puzzle has potential in its ruleset, but the actual setup is too simple.
The pixel art in this game is really pretty. The looming background Industry and Infrastructure looks especially cool. These artists have a way with lights (both natural and artificial) that just packs the game with awesome screens.
The music has some nice tracks and fits well, but otherwise didn't feel like a memorable component
There's more to be said about the writing in Norco, but it's ~7am so I'm just going to stop writing my thoughts here. There's some solid humour, characters, and descriptions spread throughout this game.
There's so much that I find compelling in Norco... they just spent too much attention on the Gaerett Cult; pawpaw and his jesus bloodline stuff should be violently escorted out by a bouncer; and the moment i read dialog in the shield masquerade ball I knew this game would lose me by the end.
If the game choose what it focused on differently, i would have really loved it, instead i'll just have to settle for saying it was pretty cool.
Anyway, they really nailed the tone, writing and setting here, wow it is all so evocative. Norco is blunt and murky ,heartfelt and amusing, grounded and absurd, strange and mundane, morose and striking - all of those words that come to mind are contradicting, that's how you know they did a good job of capturing life. I'm very impressed that I was able to vibe with it so much, since the game is operating in a genre that I would normally consider not my style. Maybe i'm just an easy fish to bait by putting in cool sci-fi elements
Shoutout to superduck! That sure is a concept! The phrase "internet of flesh" still lives in my mind. This unique fusion of AI and organic life is quite interesting, especially with the nuance of being a virus that mutated from a sketchy memory backup. The Quack jobs app is a neat idea on top of that.
The setting of Norco doesn't take that many steps away from the present- which is weird to say given the inclusion of Robots and AI. The writers obviously wanted to write about reality, and just take a few sci-fi concepts along for the ride. To be clear, that's not a complaint- they pulled it off great. It's super cool how they mixed diet cyberpunk elements into a place that's both burdened by its past and cynical on its future.
I was on board for the game's storytelling starting from the very beginning. I adore the intro to this game. The first imagery defining the setting is incredible and the way they catch you up on Kay's life story are incredible. They use the classic game thing of occasionally giving you text choices between the walls of text, but the ones here game really come out swinging in a way that strongly contributes to the setup of tone and characterization. (A great example is the description of kay deciding to leave despite bleak's pleading and being able to choose "I didn't care" or "I knew he'd get over it"). I've been playing a lot of narrative games that open with an interactive fiction inspired sequence like this lately- that's a trend i will continue to enjoy with great enthusiasm. Always a pleasure to see such a strong use of 2nd person.
As soon as I woke up in the bedroom i began reading the mindmap- and found it quite cool. I'm a bit disappointed that past that point it became a glorified "information learned so far" tracker. It had a lot of potential as a source for cool writing, but generally didn't live up to that beyond the family entries that you see initially. I was excited to check it every time the new notification appeared, and that was rarely worthwhile.
My favorite scene in the game is the retelling of the 3 floods the house has been through, with the addition of the 4th flood that will occur. Shoutout to all the bits in this game that remind me of the shivers writing in Disco Elysium, i adore them.
My 2nd favorite scene is the spaceship-dream-trek through the rooms of the house (with each one dedicated to a specific family member). Even amid an ending sequence filled with narrative elements I cared little for, this stood out as a very satisfying component of the finale. The game really succeeds with its storytelling centered around the family.
I love the structural gimmick of alternating between Kay and Catherine's adventure. I don't think the switching to optimize cliffhangers was really necessary though. I can respect cliffhangers in media that actually has a reason for the audience to wait, but here it feels like cowardly backing away from the current scene. Aside from that timing complaint, I like what these switches do for the pacing. I can't decide whose segments I prefer.
The memory clinic scene that Catherine starts with is fantastic. I also love all the mileage they get out of Catherine's phone. The apps are a neat idea and they are surprisingly effective given their simplicity. Having to pay to travel to locations is a cool touch, even if it's never an actual stressor. The voice memos is a cool idea for a mechanic- both for puzzles and for player note-taking.[In practice the voice memo puzzles aren't that interesting, but i still stand by it being a solid mechanic] I like the added friction of having limited memory. That seems like something that would be a quality of life hit, and it is slightly, but the way it forces you to remove irrelevant memos actually makes it a net positive in QoL. [and removing them automatically would hurt the diagetic nature of the voice memo app. The Aprocypha AR app sets up a really funny jumpscare with ditch man. Giving the phone to Kay in the present after Catherine's story concludes is cool.
Overall the Point & Click Adventure gameplay neither appeals to me nor annoys me. It's not really that involved and never had me questioning what to do next. The combat feels quite pointless. The boating in the lake section is rad, both from the writing of the dive scenes and the actual gameplay of navigating around the map. The drone puzzle has potential in its ruleset, but the actual setup is too simple.
The pixel art in this game is really pretty. The looming background Industry and Infrastructure looks especially cool. These artists have a way with lights (both natural and artificial) that just packs the game with awesome screens.
The music has some nice tracks and fits well, but otherwise didn't feel like a memorable component
There's more to be said about the writing in Norco, but it's ~7am so I'm just going to stop writing my thoughts here. There's some solid humour, characters, and descriptions spread throughout this game.
"You got to have a clean ass to fight crime. Everybody knows that."
Fantastische Geschichte, cooler Artstyle, wichtiges und bedrückendes Thema. Teilweise verwirrend und einige absurde Momente. Größte Schwächen sind die Puzzles und die Kämpfe. Besonders auf die Kämpfe hätte ich verzichten können. Die Steuerung war an vereinzelten Stellen nicht optimal. Gerade das Reisen von Abschnitt zu Abschnitt wurde erschwert. Ein gutes fesselndes Sci Fi Abenteuer für Zwischendurch.
The thing about magical realism is how it constantly alternates between the surreal and the mundane, how those two are mixed together so as to form a new, cohesive whole.
Now, calling Norco a straight-up magical realist piece of media doesn't feel that coherent, even if there are some heavy inspirations and aspects from the genre as a whole. It dabbles in Noir, too. Also, it's surely sci-fi, as wide-ranging as that genre is, and most certainly cyberpunk, even though calling it just that does close to nothing towards describing what Norco actually is. But then, like, what even is it?
It's pretty much its own thing. Sure, it draws from multiple sources, as stated above, but enhances them all with a very tangible, physical even, setting. Norco is a real city in real life, and it's clear just how much effort and research went into crafting the places you go to when faring through this digital reflection of the city. As such, more than cyberpunk, more than sci-fi even, this game is a bleeding into and from real life, an exchange with it, leaving behind a surreal trail of oil, injected into the mundane.
I said before that I don't really see Norco as an actual magical realism game, and that is probably because of that shock. It doesn't mix in-game mundane with in-game surreal. Instead, it feels almost like a mixture of the mundane, overlooked aspects of life itself, with the surreal. That connection is further explored through the characters. They are great, with smart writing and down to earth motivations. However, with each passing moment, more and more crazy sci-fi things happen to them, so that at some times it's possible to feel a disconnection between the story and the real world. Increasingly, the lives of these people, so outshone by the incessant flames of factories and industry, can’t help but feel surreal. And yet they aren’t. At the peak of its weirdness, Norco throws its physicalness at your face, reminding you how tangible these people, their problems, and their lives are. The weirdness keeps on growing, but the alternation it does so well never leaves you.
In the end, it's pretty much insane just how well put-together Norco is, especially considering how much it was going for. The presentation plays a big part in keeping the themes and setting consistent at most times. I mean, have you seen just how insane the pixel art in this thing is? It somehow made me thoroughly enjoy looking at its various sunset skies for hours on end, appreciating them progressively more as it became clear how the art direction influenced that "realness" of it all.
My main issue with this game is that I feel like there wasn't enough time for stretching out most of the characters. The writing and set up for them, as on point as they are, deserved some more space and time for shining to their full potential.
Upon finishing the game, I was amazed by how many things were bursting in and out of my brain. Again, this game is many things, and trying to wrap my head around it ha s been no easy feat. Maybe that is because some things are just not supposed to be "wrapped at", constantly changing and ever expanding. I at first thought that upon laying down some of my ideas in the form of this review, maybe I would be less dazed then than I was at that initial moment, but I feel just as stunned now, if not even more, by Norco's various aspects. That, of course, just goes to show how lingering the experience of playing it is.
This is game is different, and is boldly so. Albeit for sure not without its flaws, there's no way for me not to consider this a worthwhile experience for everyone with a minimum interest in sci-fi, noir, cyberpunk, text-heavy games, crying, quirkiness, weirdness, and/or talking birds. And everything in between.
Now, calling Norco a straight-up magical realist piece of media doesn't feel that coherent, even if there are some heavy inspirations and aspects from the genre as a whole. It dabbles in Noir, too. Also, it's surely sci-fi, as wide-ranging as that genre is, and most certainly cyberpunk, even though calling it just that does close to nothing towards describing what Norco actually is. But then, like, what even is it?
It's pretty much its own thing. Sure, it draws from multiple sources, as stated above, but enhances them all with a very tangible, physical even, setting. Norco is a real city in real life, and it's clear just how much effort and research went into crafting the places you go to when faring through this digital reflection of the city. As such, more than cyberpunk, more than sci-fi even, this game is a bleeding into and from real life, an exchange with it, leaving behind a surreal trail of oil, injected into the mundane.
I said before that I don't really see Norco as an actual magical realism game, and that is probably because of that shock. It doesn't mix in-game mundane with in-game surreal. Instead, it feels almost like a mixture of the mundane, overlooked aspects of life itself, with the surreal. That connection is further explored through the characters. They are great, with smart writing and down to earth motivations. However, with each passing moment, more and more crazy sci-fi things happen to them, so that at some times it's possible to feel a disconnection between the story and the real world. Increasingly, the lives of these people, so outshone by the incessant flames of factories and industry, can’t help but feel surreal. And yet they aren’t. At the peak of its weirdness, Norco throws its physicalness at your face, reminding you how tangible these people, their problems, and their lives are. The weirdness keeps on growing, but the alternation it does so well never leaves you.
In the end, it's pretty much insane just how well put-together Norco is, especially considering how much it was going for. The presentation plays a big part in keeping the themes and setting consistent at most times. I mean, have you seen just how insane the pixel art in this thing is? It somehow made me thoroughly enjoy looking at its various sunset skies for hours on end, appreciating them progressively more as it became clear how the art direction influenced that "realness" of it all.
My main issue with this game is that I feel like there wasn't enough time for stretching out most of the characters. The writing and set up for them, as on point as they are, deserved some more space and time for shining to their full potential.
Upon finishing the game, I was amazed by how many things were bursting in and out of my brain. Again, this game is many things, and trying to wrap my head around it ha s been no easy feat. Maybe that is because some things are just not supposed to be "wrapped at", constantly changing and ever expanding. I at first thought that upon laying down some of my ideas in the form of this review, maybe I would be less dazed then than I was at that initial moment, but I feel just as stunned now, if not even more, by Norco's various aspects. That, of course, just goes to show how lingering the experience of playing it is.
This is game is different, and is boldly so. Albeit for sure not without its flaws, there's no way for me not to consider this a worthwhile experience for everyone with a minimum interest in sci-fi, noir, cyberpunk, text-heavy games, crying, quirkiness, weirdness, and/or talking birds. And everything in between.
An interesting experience, but not one that I thoroughly enjoyed or was fully engrossed in all the way through. There are moments of almost Disco Elysium levels of brilliance in the story-telling and writing here, but as it stands, it cannot touch those hallowed peaks quite yet. The minigames are a fun distraction, but the ending was very lacklustre and abrupt, and I felt there were definitely aspects of the world and the characters you meet that could have been more thoroughly explored.
Nicely weird story, great side characters, but never felt very fulfilling to me.
This just completely took me for two evenings. Not sure if it stuck the landing but i think it's beautiful all the same.
Excellent art/story with less excellent gameplay. Simple puzzles and minigames can be tedious.
It turned out to be quite an unusual and charming thing. An intriguing mixture of point-and-click quest and visual novel (and even with a combat system) in a dark mixture of not-too-distant cyberpunk and southern Louisiana mysticism that is Norco - a very involving, confusing and at times frightening experience. I was thinking about whether it was possible to effectively transform the old genre of text quests and the execution of the formula in this project is exactly what is needed to return this niche form of video games to modern realities. Beautiful pixel art and painstaking descriptions (and also a wonderful interface) create a truly intriguing world, the web of which is extremely interesting to unravel. The game successfully mixes creepy moments with quite funny humor (though it certainly could have been better in places), and thanks to your involvement in the world, you want to know even more about it even as the credits roll. It’s nice that the game surprises in moments and gives special segments in terms of gameplay (for example, an episode with a theater, which also turns out to be a preparation; or an episode in the town hall), and besides this, almost all the solutions to the “puzzles” are both intuitive (and the game helps well) and not too obvious. The story itself, in addition to excellent world-building and competent work with a parallel narrative structure, succeeds most of all, it seems to me, in deceiving the player’s expectations - several times during the game something completely unexpected happened and radically changed the picture of what was happening. But in the story, as for me, lies the main drawback of the game.
And specifically, unfortunately, its ending. Around somewhere from the appearance of the shopping center, it seems to me that the game loses a little focus of the narrative and where it then goes, although it looks partly logical, it still begins to raise questions. And the ending itself seems to me rather crumpled, written too abstractly at the climactic moments, and even with a choice of several endings, none of them seems satisfactory and does not really answer many questions (although the overall picture can be put together). This is partly just a subjective rejection, since I perhaps expected a different balance of power in this story, but abstracting from this, the entire final part of the game can hardly be called not (at least a little) disappointing. Which of course is a little sad, and only increases the desire to learn more about the world of the game.
However, other than that it's pretty good! Norco does an excellent job of showing the vitality of the genre in modern times while creating a unique mix with a compelling world and (with caveats) a quality story. Sometimes poetic, sometimes creepy, sometimes funny, sometimes surprising, sometimes sad. And it’s absolutely a pity that the Monkey wasn’t with me the whole game.
Monkey stares at you. You stare at Monkey
And specifically, unfortunately, its ending. Around somewhere from the appearance of the shopping center, it seems to me that the game loses a little focus of the narrative and where it then goes, although it looks partly logical, it still begins to raise questions. And the ending itself seems to me rather crumpled, written too abstractly at the climactic moments, and even with a choice of several endings, none of them seems satisfactory and does not really answer many questions (although the overall picture can be put together). This is partly just a subjective rejection, since I perhaps expected a different balance of power in this story, but abstracting from this, the entire final part of the game can hardly be called not (at least a little) disappointing. Which of course is a little sad, and only increases the desire to learn more about the world of the game.
However, other than that it's pretty good! Norco does an excellent job of showing the vitality of the genre in modern times while creating a unique mix with a compelling world and (with caveats) a quality story. Sometimes poetic, sometimes creepy, sometimes funny, sometimes surprising, sometimes sad. And it’s absolutely a pity that the Monkey wasn’t with me the whole game.
Monkey stares at you. You stare at Monkey
The pixel art in this narrative point-and-click adventure game is some of the best and most intricate I've ever seen. This game understands and parodies internet culture and the alt-right in a way I've never seen in a game before. The story, which starts off very personal, then focuses more on cyberpunk themes and then drifts into the metaphysical, really won me over. Dialogue was wonderfully written, the humor was on point but when the game wanted to be serious, I could take it seriously - a fine line that not every game manages to walk. And the atmosphere of dirty, run-down cyberpunk New Orleans was superbly realized. Heavy themes such as racism and the consequences of colonization also find their place here and are handled with the necessary sensitivity....really great game
Very much my thing, this felt like the southern gothic lovechild of Kentucky Route Zero and Disco Elysium. I love when games try dare to try weird and out there things without fear of alienating the audience.
A mix of visual novel and point and click gameplay elements, its real hook is its writing and visuals. It boasts some of the most moving and evocative writing I’ve read in a videogame probably since playing Disco Elysium last year. It’s hard to wrap my head around how a team gets to write and actually design such an experience. It’s also comprised of beautifully crafted pixel art. There’s a particular frame that instantly became my new desktop wallpaper. And the music, what a surprise. Just a terrific moody score that goes so hard.
There’s just so much depth and thematic nuance here, enough to think about for a long time after playing. It oozes creativity and artistry, and a certain kind of weird earnestness and sincerity.
A mix of visual novel and point and click gameplay elements, its real hook is its writing and visuals. It boasts some of the most moving and evocative writing I’ve read in a videogame probably since playing Disco Elysium last year. It’s hard to wrap my head around how a team gets to write and actually design such an experience. It’s also comprised of beautifully crafted pixel art. There’s a particular frame that instantly became my new desktop wallpaper. And the music, what a surprise. Just a terrific moody score that goes so hard.
There’s just so much depth and thematic nuance here, enough to think about for a long time after playing. It oozes creativity and artistry, and a certain kind of weird earnestness and sincerity.
Delirious Eyes 👁️
this is a cyberpunk world, in a not so unrealistic dystopian world, just enough to be human and to be believable
this is a cyberpunk world, in a not so unrealistic dystopian world, just enough to be human and to be believable
The ending felt so abrupt but as a whole I think this was a pretty good portrayal of what a semi dystopian but also somewhat realistic American Deep South might look like. The "combat" and boating mini games felt tacked on and unnecessary. I wish they left those details out to focus on more details or explorable areas.
Ao longo de 2022, vários títulos de peso foram soltados, e no meio desses tantos, alguns jogos independentes passam despercebidos pelo público. Dentre esses, NORCO é um jogo que definitivamente precisamos lembrar e trazer a tona sempre que possível.
Ambientado em Norco, uma CDP em New Orleans na Louisiana, o Point'n Click de estreia do estúdio Geography of Robots coloca você na pele de Kay, um (a) ex residente de Norco que saiu pela vida em busca de respostas filosóficas internas e refletir o seu passado, mas volta quando recebe a notícia da morte de sua mãe, que por sua vez, trabalhava em uma refinaria de petróleo situada nas proximidades da comunidade. Em termos técnicos, NORCO é admirável, cheio de mecânicas interessantes, uma Pixel Art realmente admirável e uma trilha sonora muito boa, além de alternar bem e de forma coesa épocas diferente em uma mesma linha de gameplay. O jogo realmente é incrível.
Todo o jogo é melancólico e busca principalmente com um certo teor de realismo mágico e muita originalidade, propor uma reflexão sobre os males do capitalismo e da indústria predatória. NORCO é um retrato melancólico de todas as feridas da sociedade estadunidense, o fanatismo religioso, colapso econômico, desigualdade social, escravidão, destruição do planeta. Tudo aqui respira melancolia, e mesmo não conhecendo a região real de Norco, toda a região dos subúrbios de New Orleans são familiares e imersivas. É o retrato da decadência e da tristeza de uma comunidade que convive com isso e é afetada por todo o contexto social citado. Um clássico, merece ser lembrado por gerações.
Ambientado em Norco, uma CDP em New Orleans na Louisiana, o Point'n Click de estreia do estúdio Geography of Robots coloca você na pele de Kay, um (a) ex residente de Norco que saiu pela vida em busca de respostas filosóficas internas e refletir o seu passado, mas volta quando recebe a notícia da morte de sua mãe, que por sua vez, trabalhava em uma refinaria de petróleo situada nas proximidades da comunidade. Em termos técnicos, NORCO é admirável, cheio de mecânicas interessantes, uma Pixel Art realmente admirável e uma trilha sonora muito boa, além de alternar bem e de forma coesa épocas diferente em uma mesma linha de gameplay. O jogo realmente é incrível.
Todo o jogo é melancólico e busca principalmente com um certo teor de realismo mágico e muita originalidade, propor uma reflexão sobre os males do capitalismo e da indústria predatória. NORCO é um retrato melancólico de todas as feridas da sociedade estadunidense, o fanatismo religioso, colapso econômico, desigualdade social, escravidão, destruição do planeta. Tudo aqui respira melancolia, e mesmo não conhecendo a região real de Norco, toda a região dos subúrbios de New Orleans são familiares e imersivas. É o retrato da decadência e da tristeza de uma comunidade que convive com isso e é afetada por todo o contexto social citado. Um clássico, merece ser lembrado por gerações.
Type of experience that I appreciated more than I actually enjoyed. “Norco” is a visual novel with walls of text to get through and very little interactability, most instances of which are pretty underwhelming anyway, with the most irritating example being the combat which the game could’ve very well done without.
The environments and the writing do an excellent job of bringing to life this God-forgotten (?) town in Louisiana, with its unique sci-fi flavor and really dark humor. But as the story goes along, the game shifts its focus to plotlines/themes that I found to be some of the least interesting ones presented in the game and with each passing hour (out of roughly 7 it took me to finish the game) I kept losing interest and watching, sometimes in disbelief, the direction the writers decided to take. I can totally imagine an alternate “Norco” set in the same universe, utilizing many of the same levels, including many of the same plot points and NPCs (many of them are really fun to talk to) and overall themes (finding faith, impact of automatization on job opportunities, environmental externalities, the growing chasm between the haves and the have nots) but utilized in a more efficient way that doesn’t lose its focus in a major way.
The environments and the writing do an excellent job of bringing to life this God-forgotten (?) town in Louisiana, with its unique sci-fi flavor and really dark humor. But as the story goes along, the game shifts its focus to plotlines/themes that I found to be some of the least interesting ones presented in the game and with each passing hour (out of roughly 7 it took me to finish the game) I kept losing interest and watching, sometimes in disbelief, the direction the writers decided to take. I can totally imagine an alternate “Norco” set in the same universe, utilizing many of the same levels, including many of the same plot points and NPCs (many of them are really fun to talk to) and overall themes (finding faith, impact of automatization on job opportunities, environmental externalities, the growing chasm between the haves and the have nots) but utilized in a more efficient way that doesn’t lose its focus in a major way.
Quasi novela visual con estilo visual pixelado interesante pero que es blando sin más
I was pleasantly surprised with NORCO, as I’m not really a fan of Point-and-Click adventure games and really only wanted to try it because it's leaving Game Pass this month. Lo and behold, NORCO is one of my favorite experiences I’ve had in gaming this year. As soon as I started the game, I was hooked due to the immediately compelling narrative, gorgeous pixel art and a creepy futuristic southern gothic aesthetic that I absolutely fell in love with. This game goes places that you would never expect, and is beautifully harrowing, macabre, and sometimes downright fucked up in its subject matter. Your journey starts off small in scale but by the end of the game, you’ve realized you’re in way over your head and that you could have never imagined how deep the rabbit hole really goes. I love how overtly NORCO ties religion to social media, as well as the tactful ways this game parodies internet culture and shows the dangers of the mob-mentality that is so abundant in our world today. Occasionally you’re met with some hysterical moments as well, which really do help to break up an otherwise deeply disturbing adventure. Only negatives are the “combat” in this game, if you can really call it that, and the fact that some characters lacked development and could have easily benefited from being explored more thoroughly.
Very well written, good humour, puzzles and combat lacking
it was a trip, but a fun one
1 mission away from finishing. progress got lost waiting to forget main story to replay again.
Pretty engaging story that didn't quite stick the landing in my opinion. The world and characters are interesting, the music is very good, the writing is funny but it knows when to take itself seriously. Unfortunately the gameplay is quite weak, even for a point and click. I would've liked to see more in depth combat (or no combat at all), and the puzzles could've done with some finetuning.
Overall it's still absolutely worth a shot if you can get behind point and click adventure games.
78
Overall it's still absolutely worth a shot if you can get behind point and click adventure games.
78
COMO NINGUÉM JOGOU ISSO AQ, ESSE É UM DOS MELHORES POINT IN CLICK Q JÁ JOGUEI
A supremely weird point and click mystery that really rules. I have so few notes, it feels like a game that is exactly what it wanted to be. It really kept me interested in all the moving parts the whole way through. Absolutely a must-play if you want to work on unique world building. I think the ending I got was a smidge sudden, but overall, what a hell of a ride.
Is it just me or is "let's fixate on the unknowable cosmos as a way to cope with our shitty terrestrial lives" getting to be a trendy theme? I'm sure this means absolutely nothing.
mto foda
Played this and then watched season 1 of True Detective i am never stepping foot in Louisiana
NORCO usa do surrealismo futurista e do expansionismo industrial para entregar uma história interativa que realça uma das mais importantes e básicas verdades da existência humana.
As coisas mais bonitas nesse mundo decaído ainda são as coisas efêmeras. E é através desse jogo de 6 horas de duração que estamos diante de uma das melhores metanarrativas já feitas.
NORCO é quase autobibliográfico ao ser baseado e se passar na própria cidade de NORCO, em Louisiana. Cidade dominada por uma companhias petrolíferas em que seu próprio nome é um acrônimo para New Orleands Refining COmpany. Da mesma forma da cidade do jogo, a agressiva expansão industrial respinga não só na vida dos moradores para como também diversas patologias à ambientação local, como inundações, poluição, erosão massiva etc. O fato da região do jogo ser, a um só tempo, real e ficcional, torna ainda mais tênue a linha entre o jogo e a realidade do jogador.
Nossa protagonista Kay foge dessa vida sufocante para adotar uma vida viajando nessa versão deteriorada e mega futurista distópica dos Estados Unidos. Eventualmente, Kay precisa voltar para casa ao descobrir que sua mãe que antes fora abandonada em casa agora está morta devido um câncer terminal. Kay se vê diante não apenas de uma bagunça familiar, mas laços foram cortados diante memórias confusas embaralhadas no tempo. Não demora muito para NORCO nos jogar em um mistério sobre as investigações clandestinas da sua mãe realizadas antes da sua morte na medida que lida da relação de Kay com as pessoas e com essa tóxica comunidade (nos mais diversos sentidos) que deixou para trás.
Norco combina vários gêneros para contar sua história, incluindo cyberpunk, mistério e Southern Gothic. Este último permeia todo o jogo, tanto no sentido visual quanto textual, com sua valorização da paisagem. A área está sendo invadida e envenenada por tecnologias: algumas do nosso mundo, como refinarias de petróleo e smartphones, e outras que não são exatamente do nosso mundo, como a nuvem corrompida e lucrativa na qual os personagens carregam suas memórias. O enquadramento de Norco como um mistério permite que você entenda como essas tecnologias destruíram sua cidade natal.
Uma das maiores forças de NORCO é que ele é totalmente destemido ao entregar o absurdo. Não um absurdo aleatório ou chocante, mas sim com total contexto dentro da narrativa que ele propõe em elaborar. É um jogo que sabe instigar o jogador para o emaranhado, dando as ferramentas não só em termos de mecânica mas como artisticamente para ele desenrolar o que acabou de presenciar. É uma verdadeira incursão para o mais profundo detalhismo que a escrita de um videogame possa ter em nível poético. O jogo fala de estrelas, céus e muitos olhos, desenterrando aquela ansiedade de observação e vigilância. Ele transforma pântanos em cérebros. Mistura redes neurais, religiões, corporações e cultos com impulsos humanos básicos de se correlacionarem. Pode começar com os problemas locais de uma crise ambiental global, mas logo se expande muito além disso, para inteligência artificial e dados, para privacidade, pobreza, desilusão, a maneira como a internet moderna pode pegar qualquer pessoa separada de uma comunidade em sua rede e radicalizá-los em uma nova rede. E o desespero e a futilidade das pessoas que veem as falhas da sociedade e querem fugir dela e escapar para sempre.
É um título que de cara é modesto mas demonstra que uma experiência rica em narrativa, feita por um desenvolvedor indie de primeira viagem, nem sempre precisa ser ofuscada por exibições ostensivas de lançamentos maiores. Norco pode se referir a si mesmo como uma espécie de pixel efêmero, uma aventura que é um vasto conto cósmico que será lembrado com carinho com certeza, pelo menos por mim, décadas depois.
As coisas mais bonitas nesse mundo decaído ainda são as coisas efêmeras. E é através desse jogo de 6 horas de duração que estamos diante de uma das melhores metanarrativas já feitas.
NORCO é quase autobibliográfico ao ser baseado e se passar na própria cidade de NORCO, em Louisiana. Cidade dominada por uma companhias petrolíferas em que seu próprio nome é um acrônimo para New Orleands Refining COmpany. Da mesma forma da cidade do jogo, a agressiva expansão industrial respinga não só na vida dos moradores para como também diversas patologias à ambientação local, como inundações, poluição, erosão massiva etc. O fato da região do jogo ser, a um só tempo, real e ficcional, torna ainda mais tênue a linha entre o jogo e a realidade do jogador.
Nossa protagonista Kay foge dessa vida sufocante para adotar uma vida viajando nessa versão deteriorada e mega futurista distópica dos Estados Unidos. Eventualmente, Kay precisa voltar para casa ao descobrir que sua mãe que antes fora abandonada em casa agora está morta devido um câncer terminal. Kay se vê diante não apenas de uma bagunça familiar, mas laços foram cortados diante memórias confusas embaralhadas no tempo. Não demora muito para NORCO nos jogar em um mistério sobre as investigações clandestinas da sua mãe realizadas antes da sua morte na medida que lida da relação de Kay com as pessoas e com essa tóxica comunidade (nos mais diversos sentidos) que deixou para trás.
Norco combina vários gêneros para contar sua história, incluindo cyberpunk, mistério e Southern Gothic. Este último permeia todo o jogo, tanto no sentido visual quanto textual, com sua valorização da paisagem. A área está sendo invadida e envenenada por tecnologias: algumas do nosso mundo, como refinarias de petróleo e smartphones, e outras que não são exatamente do nosso mundo, como a nuvem corrompida e lucrativa na qual os personagens carregam suas memórias. O enquadramento de Norco como um mistério permite que você entenda como essas tecnologias destruíram sua cidade natal.
Uma das maiores forças de NORCO é que ele é totalmente destemido ao entregar o absurdo. Não um absurdo aleatório ou chocante, mas sim com total contexto dentro da narrativa que ele propõe em elaborar. É um jogo que sabe instigar o jogador para o emaranhado, dando as ferramentas não só em termos de mecânica mas como artisticamente para ele desenrolar o que acabou de presenciar. É uma verdadeira incursão para o mais profundo detalhismo que a escrita de um videogame possa ter em nível poético. O jogo fala de estrelas, céus e muitos olhos, desenterrando aquela ansiedade de observação e vigilância. Ele transforma pântanos em cérebros. Mistura redes neurais, religiões, corporações e cultos com impulsos humanos básicos de se correlacionarem. Pode começar com os problemas locais de uma crise ambiental global, mas logo se expande muito além disso, para inteligência artificial e dados, para privacidade, pobreza, desilusão, a maneira como a internet moderna pode pegar qualquer pessoa separada de uma comunidade em sua rede e radicalizá-los em uma nova rede. E o desespero e a futilidade das pessoas que veem as falhas da sociedade e querem fugir dela e escapar para sempre.
É um título que de cara é modesto mas demonstra que uma experiência rica em narrativa, feita por um desenvolvedor indie de primeira viagem, nem sempre precisa ser ofuscada por exibições ostensivas de lançamentos maiores. Norco pode se referir a si mesmo como uma espécie de pixel efêmero, uma aventura que é um vasto conto cósmico que será lembrado com carinho com certeza, pelo menos por mim, décadas depois.
Earnest and hilarious computer ecological nightmare adventure.
Is this really what it’s like in Louisiana?