In 2015, Netflix introduced the world to one of its first original productions, Narcos. A biographical crime drama by Chris Brancato and Doug Miro, Narcos tells the tale of the rise, fall, and aftermath of El Patron himself, Don Pablo Escobar, as well as the struggles of the authorities to bring him and the Medellin Cartel to justice. The show was met with critical praise and commercial success. Viewers praised the authenticity, attention to detail, and diversity of the acting. Narcos would go on to have three seasons, and a spin-off series with Narcos: Mexico. However, with the exception of the mobile game, Narcos: Cartel Wars, there has not been a proper Narcos video game until now. Developed by Kuju and published by Curve Digital, Narcos: Rise of the Cartel is a turn-based strategy game, set during the events of Season One of the Netflix show. While most licensed games tend to be average, or below-average, Narcos: Rise of the Cartel is a simplified but engaging tactical game that uses the license well, becoming a title that fans of the show, as well as fans of tactical games, will find worth investing time into.
Narcos: Rise of the Cartel focuses on the first season of the Netflix show. In the first season, viewers are introduced to Pablo Escobar, and his work to create the ruthless Medellín drug cartel. Following the changes of geopolitical climates in South America, most notably the regime of Augusto Pinochet in the country of Chile, Pablo becomes a Robin Hood of the people of Colombia. The locals, many of whom are fully aware of his drug and criminal activities, give their unyielding support to Don Pablo as he gives back to the community. Cocaine eventually reaches the shores of the United States, and the DEA responds. The DEA puts their boots on the ground and works with Colombian officials to strike back against the rise of the cartels, connecting military resources and forming the Search Bloc. One agent, Agent Murphy, is both the primary protagonist and the narrator of Narcos, portrayed by Boyd Holbrook. Agent Murphy takes on the assignment with patriotism and vigor but soon learns that this is the 1980’s and the cocktail of cocaine, guns, and money make a trifecta of blood and death.
Narcos: Rise of the Cartel is a turn-based tactical strategy title, where players can join either the DEA or The Cartel, though players need to play as the DEA first for a few missions before being able to launch a new campaign as The Cartel. The opening missions properly introduce turn-based mechanics to players. For players familiar with X-COM, they’ll feel right at home with the mechanics of Narcos: Rise of the Cartel, though the overall experience is more straightforward. Players have their action points, though the action points are not individually assigned. The action points are shared, meaning that when it is their turn, the player must select one character and make the necessary moves. This is drastically different from having individual action points assigned to each member of a team.
While the basis feels familiar, Narcos: Rise of the Cartel does add additions to the tactical formula. Rise of the Cartel introduces the counteract mechanic which allows the player to take control of a character and manually aim their weapon to open fire. This action is automatically activated and completely depends on the actions of the enemy team. If an enemy moves and happens to be within range, the counteract will activate. This mechanic is essential for victory as the enemy is smart as well as aggressive. The enemy, whoever it may be, also has access to the counteract mechanic, making every move made the potential for success or disaster.
Additionally, Narcos: Rise of the Cartel uses the killshot mechanic. When dispatching an enemy combatant, there is a chance to place the killshot. If an attack leaves an enemy with only one more segment of HP, the killshot can be engaged. This action slows down time and allows the player to manually place the last shot on an enemy foe to ensure that they are neutralized. The rest of the turn-based mechanics of Rise of the Cartel are tried and true. Each member of your team has their own class and perks, such as more speed or more accuracy. Finally, the squad members that are designated as Leaders must survive each mission. If they are eliminated, the mission is a failure.
Between missions, Narcos: Rise of the Cartel allows players to recruit or dismiss members of their squad. Upon the successful completion of each mission, players are also awarded skill points. These are shared amongst the whole team, and it is the prerogative of the player to decide who receives them. Skill points level up the character, giving more health and capabilities for the upcoming mission. Though, more important than skill is money. Money is everything in the business of Narcos: Rise of the Cartel, and while players are rewarded sums of cash, they will need to spend wisely. Money heals injured teammates and hires new team members to fill in spots. Spend too much at once and the drug war becomes that much harder. During missions, players are encouraged to accomplish side missions for more currency and to increase their end mission ranks.
With the changes to the traditional turn-based strategy, Narcos: Rise of the Cartel certainly carves its own trail and loyal enthusiasts to the genre may feel that it is a lighter version of other, more established turn-based experiences. However, the tactical thrill and excitement that comes with the genre is not missed in Rise of the Cartel. The game provides a solid challenge, with enemies using the advantage of their home turf to flank and fiercely eliminate you and your squadmates. Using the Counteract and killshot mechanics provides a small pump of “I got you,” and provides fulfillment and motivation to complete the rest of the mission. Utilizing the different soldiers and their skills brings new tactical options for each mission, as well as the ability to change deployment zones to maximize tactical options. With the exception of a few AI bugs, the tactical action in Narcos: Rise of the Cartel is fast-paced, action-packed, and tactically rewarding.
The presentation of Narcos: Rise of the Cartel is the area where the game is both polished and well-presented, but also, underwhelming. Rise of the Cartel does a fantastic job of immersing players into the style and visual direction of the show. Murphy narrates the events and some mission briefings leading up to the beginning of an operation. Supporting characters, such as Javier Peña, also have a moment to speak during briefings. The use of Spanish voice actors helps immerse the player and the sudden ques in music assist in both reinforcing the style of the show, as well as the danger of the missions. Rise of the Cartel splices in clips from the show as well, making the game truly feel like an extension of the show, instead of just representing the show on the surface. However, the big setback is the fact that the game serves as a retelling of the first season and doesn’t act as a continuing story for the show. With only three seasons, it would have been interesting to tell a continuing story or an epilogue to the series from the perspective of Murphy or Peña. It is interesting to see a “Season 1.5” of Narcos told between the cracks of the first seasons, though, I feel it could have been done better. Perhaps a showing of how Pablo’s cocaine was affecting Americans, mixed with actual research and media clips, could have expanded the world of Narcos a bit more.
While making a few adjustments to a tried-and-true formula, Narcos: Rise of the Cartel is a surprisingly enjoyable tactical strategy game that does its job well with the Narcos license. The missions and combat encounters are well built and executed, and the overall style and dangerous elements of the world of Narcos are captured well. While Narcos: Rise of the Cartel could have benefitted from more polish and perhaps a larger realization of its world, the game does a proper job in having players relive Season One of one of Netflix’s best shows. Narcos: Rise of the Cartel is muy bien.
A PS4 digital copy was provided for the purpose of review. More information can be found on the official website.
