Norco may appear to be a fairly traditional point-and-click adventure game, but this would be a gross disservice. Norco, Louisiana is an bleak, beautiful setting for a brilliant story set in a dystopian, post-capitalist mining town.
With a cross-pollination of religious and scientific imagery, you take on the role of Kay, a woman returning to Norco, her hometown, to locate her missing brother, Blake.
In addition to the satisfying puzzles, the game contains exceptional writing. Every passage oozes with character and wit, as well as odd beauty. This is one of the most satisfyingly written games we’ve played since Disco Elysium. The prose is poetic even during innocuous situations. We don’t want to spoil any of the situations you can look forward to, but be prepared to feel a variety of emotions as Norco offers a wicked sense of humor.
While the writing is excellent, the art direction is excellent, depicting lushly detailed pixelated environments that combine beauty and grotesquery all at once. There is a chameleonic score in the game as well, easily adapting to all the wild swings in tone.
Only the UI lets it down. Games with cursors on console are already at a disadvantage, but navigating what you can interact with in Norco is particularly frustrating. It’s easy to accidentally repeat dialogue choices, and hovering over something takes a few tries to see the interaction prompt. The cursor is fond of resetting, so you have to drag it across the screen often. As well as this, the game offers a rich, fulfilling experience that you should try as soon as possible.
Pros:
- Exceptional writing.
- Detailed world with sharp wit.
- Artwork is stellar.
- A great soundtrack.
Cons:
- UX annoys.
- The interactivity sometimes doesn’t work.
I give it an 8 over 10.
