Release Date: March 24, 2022
NORCO is an adventure game that presents an unusual vision of the future composed of elements of dystopian science fiction and southern gothic. The player explores the industrial suburbs of New Orleans in search of his lost brother.
NORCO is an adventure game mixing science fiction and genre known as Southern Gothic. It is a debut game of Geography of Robots studio.
The action takes place in the near future, in the decaying industrial outskirts of New Orleans, located near the typical Louisiana swamps. The region was the site of a civil war several years ago, which left the industry and infrastructure in ruins. Life goes on there, however.
Our protagonist returns to his hometown on a mission to find his brother Blake, who disappeared without a trace after their mother's death. Old friends and neighbors seem to have no idea what happened. However, we quickly fall on the trail of a rogue cyborg who formerly worked in the security services of a local corporation and seems to have the information we need. Getting to him won't be easy, however.
NORCO is a traditional adventure game where players explore the world, engage in conversations and solve puzzles. There are a lot of puzzles and they require, among others, finding objects in locations, collecting and cleverly using objects and manipulating devices in the game world.
The game is strongly non-linear, both in terms of story and gameplay. We regularly have to make decisions which direct the story on new tracks. Starting the game we also shape the character's past, which then influences important elements of the story.
Most of the problems also have some alternative solutions. For example, we repeatedly encounter characters who are hostile to us, and it's up to us whether we fight them, or maybe try to convince them with arguments or trickery, or simply sneak unnoticed.
NORCO offers a single player mode only.
The strength of the game is the design. NORCO uses a pixelated retro style. The explored world is very well made. Each pixelart location is a small masterpiece. In addition, the game gains a lot from the unusual vision of the presented world. It combines the sultry and swampy atmosphere of southern gothic with colorful futurism and a heavy industrial atmosphere. The end result is truly unique. The effect is reinforced by the great music composed by Gewgawly I.
Platforms:
PC Windows March 24, 2022
PlayStation 4 November 17, 2022
Xbox One November 17, 2022
PlayStation 5 November 17, 2022
Xbox Series X/S November 17, 2022
Developer: Geography of Robots
Publisher: Raw Fury Games
Age restrictions: 16+
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System Requirements for Norco Video Game:
PC / Windows
Minimum System Requirements:
Intel Core i5, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB Intel Iris / Radeon RX Vega 8 or better, 4 GB HDD, Windows 7.
Recommended System Requirements:
Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 1050 or better, 4 GB HDD, Windows 10/11.
Game Ratings for Norco Video Game.
Checkpoint Gaming: 9 / 10 by Edie W-K
Even if you don’t normally enjoy point-and-click adventures, Norco is a must-play for anyone interested in story-driven games. It’s one of the best-narrated tales since Dysco Elysium, rich with the real-life history of the town of Norco with some imaginative fiction mixed in. It’s dark, funny, and scary in all the right places, and even if the ending doesn’t wrap up all the mysteries it opens, it’s still sure to leave its mark on you.
Metro GameCentral: 8 / 10
One of the best story-based games of the year, with a complex mix of dystopian sci-fi, religious meditation, and a razor-sharp script.
Washington Post: by Emily Price
This pairing of humans and the natural world up against a common antagonist, not necessarily as allies but as common victims, makes it clear how intimately Norco is tied to the swamps, valleys and fields that surround it. This interconnection between individuals with little in common on the surface but a shared place and history is where “Norco” locates the possibility for hope, a provocation that might offer those of us playing a model for our own local responses to corporate encroachment and environmental devastation. Through these mutually affecting connections between humans, nature and technology, “Norco” creates its own robotic story, disturbing, personal and fresh, an experience that should not be missed.
Average score from votes.
![[0:30] launch trailer (console)](https://cdn.gracza.pl/galeria/filmy/640x360/705860312.jpg)
