On the surface, Norco may look like a fairly traditional point-and-click adventure title, but this greatly undermines what the game really has to offer. The grungy, dystopian, post-capitalist mining town of Norco, Louisiana, is a ruggedly beautiful setting for a glorious story.
Offering a unique cross-pollination of religious and scientific imagery, players assume the cloak of Kay in this game. Kay is a woman who has returned to her native town of Norco in search of her missing brother Blake in the wake of her mother’s death.
Expect satisfying puzzles and even more satisfying writing as you unravel this mystery. Writing in games is exceptional. Every passage oozes character, wit, and strange beauty. The prose, even in its innocuous circumstances, has a poetic levity, making it one of the most satisfyingly written games we’ve seen on this side of Disco Elysium. Also like its title, Norco has a deliciously wicked sense of humor, often finding reasons to laugh in dark scenarios. You don’t want to ruin a hopeful situation, but be prepared to feel a range of emotions.
However, the writing is not lonely and appreciates the game. The art direction is exquisite, depicting pixelated environments with great detail, delivering both beauty and grotesqueness in every corner. The music is great too, offering a chameleon-like score that easily adapts to every wild tonal swing the game has in store.
In fact, the only area it disappoints is the UI. Cursor-based games on consoles are lagging behind at first, but navigating through what you can interact with is especially tricky in Norco. The cursor likes to reset, so I often have to drag it across the screen. It’s very easy to accidentally repeat dialog selections. It may take several attempts to hover over something before the interactive prompt actually appears. Apart from this, this game offers a rich and fulfilling experience, so try to experience it as soon as possible.
