Once I got to the end of Norco I really didn't feel anything, prior to that the game had definitely got a mixture of emotions out of me but this game, one with fantastic world building, great dialogue and beautiful pixel art - this game, one I thought I would love I just felt... nothing really.
Like a cliché break-up maybe it's me and not you (Norco) but the game didn't click how I expected it to and maybe it just wasn't our time.
I sit here trying to figure why I didn't care for Norco as much as others, as much as I expected to myself.
I look to see if different endings would make me care more, they don't.
Maybe it's because some of it's comedy didn't hit? But that's not it, it made me laugh more than once and game writing is not always the best for that.
The only negatives I can really say and there are three that come to mind are all either minor or arguably not true.
Games are subjective after all I guess?
The first is the "combat" there's a few bits of combat in the game and they're basically QTE's with a JRPG-like display and really they were easy, pointless and added nothing.
I'd have much preferred the "combat" taken place in the writing, especially when we've seen how effective that can be with the likes of Disco Elysium.
The other two negative points go hand-in-hand.
The world building is good, there's a lot of detail but I felt a lot of it was front loaded or at least I struggled to make a picture of this world as easily as I should have because I was battered with it from the start before I'd even got to move a cursor.
This ties into Blake, the brother. He felt like a completely blank slate and the dialogue choices at the start which where there to help paint a picture didn't feel at all like interesting or powerful decisions.
For me, the entire game long quest to search him felt off, he felt more like a McGuffin than a character.
Considering this game is "free" and not particularly long, I may reappraise it in the future. Right now I can still recommend it but who knows, maybe my hollow feeling will actually temper expectations of anyone playing it after and they will enjoy it more.
Possibly the world's stupidest review because honestly, I think it does everything right but also it definitely doesn't but I can't figure out what.
It's me Norco.
Like a cliché break-up maybe it's me and not you (Norco) but the game didn't click how I expected it to and maybe it just wasn't our time.
I sit here trying to figure why I didn't care for Norco as much as others, as much as I expected to myself.
I look to see if different endings would make me care more, they don't.
Maybe it's because some of it's comedy didn't hit? But that's not it, it made me laugh more than once and game writing is not always the best for that.
The only negatives I can really say and there are three that come to mind are all either minor or arguably not true.
Games are subjective after all I guess?
The first is the "combat" there's a few bits of combat in the game and they're basically QTE's with a JRPG-like display and really they were easy, pointless and added nothing.
I'd have much preferred the "combat" taken place in the writing, especially when we've seen how effective that can be with the likes of Disco Elysium.
The other two negative points go hand-in-hand.
The world building is good, there's a lot of detail but I felt a lot of it was front loaded or at least I struggled to make a picture of this world as easily as I should have because I was battered with it from the start before I'd even got to move a cursor.
This ties into Blake, the brother. He felt like a completely blank slate and the dialogue choices at the start which where there to help paint a picture didn't feel at all like interesting or powerful decisions.
For me, the entire game long quest to search him felt off, he felt more like a McGuffin than a character.
Considering this game is "free" and not particularly long, I may reappraise it in the future. Right now I can still recommend it but who knows, maybe my hollow feeling will actually temper expectations of anyone playing it after and they will enjoy it more.
Possibly the world's stupidest review because honestly, I think it does everything right but also it definitely doesn't but I can't figure out what.
It's me Norco.
Angry_Kurt
1 year ago
Started this too and whilst the atmosphere is great. I’m not emotionally invested in it. Not sure whether to continue or not.