Narcos: Rise of the Cartels

  • November 21, 2019
54%
Game Brain Score Based on 124 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels Game Cover
Overall, Narcos: Rise of the Cartels offers some unique strategy mechanics to help distract you from the game’s slow nature.
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"Narcos: Rise of the Cartels" is a video game based on the hit Netflix TV series. Choose to ally with the DEA or the Narcos, and form your team to take part in brutal turn-based combat. Explore familiar locations from the show and participate in events that define the war on drugs, with consequences for your actions. Authenticity to the series is a key feature.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 124 reviews
story7 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique turn-based strategy mechanic that requires careful planning and tactical decision-making.
  • Fans of the Narcos TV series will appreciate the thematic elements and voice acting that connect the game to the show.
  • The graphics and audio are generally well-received, providing an immersive experience that complements the gameplay.
  • The gameplay is hindered by the limitation of moving only one unit per turn, which can lead to repetitive and slow-paced combat.
  • The AI is often criticized for making poor decisions, resulting in unchallenging encounters that lack depth.
  • Many players find the missions to be repetitive and lacking variety, diminishing the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • story61 mentions

    The game's story has been criticized for its poor execution and repetitiveness, often feeling like filler rather than engaging content, which detracts from the overall experience. While it attempts to mirror the narrative of the first season of the "Narcos" TV series, many players found the storytelling dull and unoriginal, leading to impatience during missions. Despite having dual campaigns featuring well-known characters, the lack of depth and excitement in the story left players wanting more.

    • “The game has two story campaigns - the DEA campaign where the team leaders are some famous characters from the TV series and the Narcos campaign where the team leaders are Pablo Escobar's associates, also known names from the TV series.”
    • “The story is intriguing, particularly the Narco storyline; it follows the same plot as the show, which is also well-made.”
    • “And the story is great, of course, so if you liked the show, you'll love this game!”
    • “The game has very poor storytelling and it makes the game very boring.”
    • “Very often, I would feel like they get a certain amount of words they need to fill for each of the story parts, and because they have nothing interesting or exciting to say, they just keep repeating the same things in different ways.”
    • “There was so much potential with this story, but the combat is lame and repetitive.”
  • gameplay40 mentions

    The gameplay of "Narcos: Rise of the Cartels" has received mixed reviews, with players noting its interesting tactical mechanics reminiscent of XCOM, but criticizing its clumsy execution, simplistic AI, and repetitive nature. While some appreciate the unique single-unit turn system and immersive overwatch mechanics, many find the overall experience frustrating due to bugs, limited options, and a lack of depth in strategy. Overall, the game offers fun moments but falls short of delivering a compelling and challenging gameplay experience.

    • “Gameplay, I'm hooked :)”
    • “The battle is so challenging and intense with the one unit move per round mechanic, very recommended.”
    • “Good thing about mechanics: I like the new overwatch where you control whether or not your characters' overwatch attack hits or misses by aim/los... more immersive, I like it.”
    • “Didn’t take long for me to drop this; there’s not a lot to do here. The turn system is confusing, and killshot mechanics often don’t work even after you shoot them in the head multiple times.”
    • “The game has some similarities to XCOM, its graphics go for a realistic style, but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. The artificial intelligence is very simple, which ends up offering no challenge. The scenarios are small, lacking more tactical details that would be well received in the game. The equipment could be more realistic, as in the game Jagged Alliance: Back in Action. Finally, it's not worth the price; by the poor mechanics, I rate this game at 20 reais at most.”
    • “A mix of stupid AI and poor game mechanics ruins the bit of potential the game has.”
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as nice, with appealing character artwork and a realistic style, but some reviewers note that they feel dated for a 2019 release, resembling a mobile game port. While the visuals are complemented by good music and video clips from the associated series, there are calls for significant graphical improvements to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, yet they fall short of expectations for a game tied to a popular show.

    • “It's a fun and interesting turn-based combat strategy game; it's got nice visuals, good music, and video clips from the Narcos.”
    • “I think the graphics are great, and the gameplay is fun.”
    • “Because this game has nice graphics and interesting mechanics.”
    • “The graphics are pretty dated for a 2019 game that seems more like a port of a mobile game.”
    • “With some much needed improvements and graphical upgrades, this could have been an amazing tie-in to the show, but it seems that they just didn't find the right developers for bringing the show to gaming.”
    • “[Gets repetitive real fast, poor visuals and sound, doesn’t do enough to stand out]”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unnecessarily prolonged, with side missions feeling repetitive and lacking meaningful rewards. The design choices, such as limiting character usage per turn and poor AI behavior, contribute to a slow and frustrating experience, detracting from overall enjoyment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The side missions begin to get tedious once you start raking in money, making it pointless and more of a way to prolong the game with 'content.' I think unlocking the main missions should require 3 side missions instead of 4, but other than that, the game is solid.”
    • “This design decision makes the game incredibly slow and tedious; the AI is incredibly stupid, making nonsensical decisions and often just running backwards and forwards, with no real depth in unit types and no incentive (other than permadeath) to swap anybody out.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised, featuring good voice-over work and original tracks from the TV series, which enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the integration of music that complements the game's fun and engaging turn-based combat strategy elements.

    • “Good voice-over work, original TV series music.”
    • “Great game for what I paid (80% off original price). It's a fun and interesting turn-based combat strategy game, with nice visuals, good music, and video clips from the Narcos show.”
    • “Great music that is featured in the show.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. Players express frustration with the gameplay design, indicating that despite these flaws, the gameplay remains more enjoyable than the story.

    • “Bugs and glitches everywhere.”
    • “Further, for me, the game was really buggy.”
    • “It made me very impatient listening to it, and I just wanted to go right into the mission, because even though the gameplay is badly designed and buggy, it is still a hundred times more fun than the story of the game.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Users highlight that games offering significant replayability, providing over a week of engaging gameplay, deserve financial support for further development.

    • “Games with replayability and their developers, who provide more than a whole week of gaming fun, deserve the necessary funding to continue their development.”
    • “The variety of choices and outcomes in this game makes me want to play it over and over again.”
    • “Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, thanks to the different paths and strategies available.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
    • “The repetitive gameplay mechanics diminish any desire to replay the game.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Players appreciate the character development system that allows for the selection of two skills per level, as it enhances the sense of progression and customization compared to a more limited choice of one skill.

    • “The allowance of 2 skills per level enhances the character development experience, making it feel more dynamic compared to selecting just 1 passive or active skill per level.”
    • “The depth of character development is impressive, allowing players to truly shape their characters' abilities and playstyles.”
    • “I love how the character development system encourages experimentation, letting me mix and match skills to create a unique build.”
    • “The allowance of 2 skills per level gives a stronger sense of character development compared to selecting just 1 passive or active skill per level.”
    • “Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful choices that impact gameplay.”
    • “The progression system is too linear, making character development feel predictable and uninspired.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of the official Narcos game is criticized for feeling like a cash grab, lacking depth and thoughtful design compared to the beloved show.

    • “Narcos is one of my favorite shows, and it's such a shame that its only official game, aside from the cash grab mobile games, is poorly done with not much thought put into it.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by the absurdity of situations, such as a character surviving a shot that should have been fatal, creating a comedic contrast between player experiences.

    • “Funny... I shot the bad guy and he still survived, whereas when he shot my guy, my guy died immediately.”
    • “The dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud.”
    • “The absurd situations the characters find themselves in are both hilarious and unexpected.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

52% average critic score

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