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In this way, the game feels decidedly old school.
On the contrary,Norcousesits retro presentation to play with scale, detail, truth, and perspective.
There is an overworld that shows the entire settlement glinting at night.
But for all its surreal imagery,Norcofeels rooted.
Norcoreminds me of a handful of other works.
At one point, a character called Roland says ruefully, Were trapped in this limbo.
A long twilight that bleeds out to the edges of time where even the most fantastic things become banal.
LikeKentucky Route Zeroand a slew of narrative-first titles released in the 2010s, the wordgamefeels like a misnomer here.
Theres little challenge to speak of beyond paying attention to the story and following its narrative threads.
However, the most explicit moments of gaming arrive during its occasional puzzles.
At one point, having infiltrated the cult, you oughta make a guard leave their post.
Its delightfully mean-spirited; playing the snitch has never been so much fun.
Norcos biggest shortcoming is its characterization of Kay.
This could have been effective if it didnt reflect a character who, at times, lacks depth.
Norcois named after its setting for a reason.
This assured, compelling debut asks you to look and listen closely, rewarding curiosity while avoiding easy answers.
As one character puts it, youre just following the mayhem.
