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A must for anyone
interestedin narrative-
driven games – nuanced,
fascinating, and full of
personality.VERDICT
forces us to re-examine our
relationship with videogames as a
medium for escapist pleasure. This is
where Norco offers a refreshing
challenge within its chosen genre,
forcing the player to pay attention to
the problems of their own world
without turning away.Understanding the heart of (^) Norco
is very much realising that the real
protagonists in the game are the
Garretts – a cult of obnoxious boys
who end up driving the final act of
the game. They evolve from
pernicious ‘mall Nazis’ to a group of
degenerates who tried, in their own
misguided way, to actualise a sense of
self. There’s a real depth to each
Garrett subtype, elevated by Yuts’
unparalleled ability to build empathy
and connection between the most
disparate social identities.
Norco is a bastion of evocative
storytelling that invites any player to
take refuge in its world. But, it cuts
deep as a sobering, but loving portrait
of a modern dystopia – a community
on the edge of great change. There
are few games in the world like
Norco, and it belongs unequivocally
in the highest tier of narrative
experiences in the medium today.
TOP: (^) New Orleans’
most iconic tourist
location: the French
Quarter.
RIGHT: Hell hath no
fury like disturbed
Airbnb guests.
MEET THE GARRETTS
The development team invested a bit of
themselves in these odd ladsSMILEY
A grotesque
caricature of Yuts
himself.BEARDY
The hirsuteGarrett
was based on coder
Aaron Gray.GRUMPY
Anime-style barefoot
Garrett has a touch of
artist Jesse Jacobi.