Narcos: Rise of the Cartels

 PC
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels Image
Metascore
45

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
2.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

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  • Summary: Welcome to Colombia, 1980's -- the fires of El Patron's empire have been lit, its influence spanning borders, and expansion unabated. Influence and corruption is rife; cops, guards, politicians and those in between are falling into the pocket of the Medellín Cartel, and after years ofWelcome to Colombia, 1980's -- the fires of El Patron's empire have been lit, its influence spanning borders, and expansion unabated. Influence and corruption is rife; cops, guards, politicians and those in between are falling into the pocket of the Medellín Cartel, and after years of production, America is finally taking notice.

    Narcos: Rise of the Cartels tells the story of the hit Netflix TV series, of the rise and fall of El Patron. Choose your side and ally with the DEA or conversely side with the Narcos. Explore recognisable locations from the show and take a role in pivotal world-altering events and battles that will define and shift the war on drugs.

    Form your team from a variety of class-specific roles, join leading characters, upgrade your skills and take part in brutal turn-based combat, where your actions will have consequence. Plata o Plomo?    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 14
  3. Negative: 7 out of 14
  1. MGG
    Nov 20, 2019
    65
    Fans of the series will appreciate to rediscover the characters and universe of Narcos, as the game will remind them of the events and places of the first season. The graphics are good, provided that you don't get too close and don't mind about strange camera angles. The targeting can sometimes be problematic, but the strategic aspect and the third person real-time actions are quite effective. We liked being able to switch sides between Narcos and D.E.A but, unfortunately, the game is too repetitive.
  2. Strategy Gamer
    Nov 19, 2019
    60
    In the end, Narcos: Rise of the Cartels is a game with good production values, let down by a tactical layer that doesn’t seem to have been fully thought-through. There are impressively few flaws here, but the ones it does have are so key to the nature of the game that they end up dragging down the whole experience. Like Pablo Escobar’s intrinsic arrogance which led to his downfall, so does Narcos’ rather basic assumptions ruin what could have been a very exciting tie-in game.
  3. Worth Playing
    Dec 19, 2019
    50
    Your enjoyment of Narcos: Rise of the Cartels is going to be heavily based on whether you can accept its strategy game conceit. If you're good with the idea of only being able to control one unit at a time per turn, then you might be fine so long as you're also willing to accept the inherent lack of strategy that goes along with the very limited objective set. If you want your strategy games to be a little more traditional, where every unit can do something on a turn, then you'll hate this game to the point that even the counteract mechanic can't make things interesting. In short, Narcos is a hard sell for fans of the series, let alone strategy game fans, unless you can find it for a very deep discount.
  4. PC Gamer
    Nov 20, 2019
    41
    A mediocre XCOM-like in the form of a deeply worrying depiction of militarised police.
  5. Riot Pixels
    Jan 16, 2020
    40
    This anemic game is not worthy of the amazing TV show it is based on.
  6. Meristation
    Jan 4, 2020
    40
    The game presents some interesting innovation in the genre, a level design that should match, but is weighed down by a movement system that only allows one unit to be controlled for each turn.
  7. PC Invasion
    Nov 19, 2019
    30
    Bland, boring, and uninspired, Narcos: Rise of the Cartels isn't quite the tie-in product that fans of Netflix's series would want to see. It's bogged down by flawed fundamentals, a repetitive campaign, and unengaging gameplay.

See all 15 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 4 out of 5
  1. GamerGuysNGals
    Nov 21, 2019
    7
    Narcos is a strategy game based on the hit Netflix show and that really comes through in the games voice acting and cut scenes. It didn't takeNarcos is a strategy game based on the hit Netflix show and that really comes through in the games voice acting and cut scenes. It didn't take me long to tell that. The opening cinematic really let me know what I was in for with this one. It also inspired me to check out the show, and I'm so glad I did. They are both the series and the game really quality storytelling and acting. Lot of quality actors involved in this one, as well as writers. If you like movies like Heat or Sicario you will really get into the story of this game. The story isn't the only thing addicting about this game though. I really enjoyed the game play as well.
    You play as a DEA trying to take down the cartel. You start with a certain amount of money to use to purchase missions and new recruits. Some missions are free,and some cost a good bit but you are rewarded with money and skill points for completing them. There are different types of recruits to purchase. My favorite is Demolition they have grenade launchers and are so much fun to use. You can also get Agents with shotguns, police with pistols, guys with SMGs as well as ARs. You can level these guys up, and they unlock perks as you do. Things like extra moves, auto reloading, special firing modes, etc. All of these really come in handy, and you have to be smart when deciding what you do. You also have to be careful in the field , because if you die out there you lose that character and have to purchase another.
    Another cool thing about the game is you also play as the Narcos in campaign as well. A whole different campaign that tells the story from their side. You get to purchase the same style of characters as cartel. This added a lot of extra game play for me, and ways to play. Seems the Cartel missions were slightly tougher to me though. Felt like the DEA AI was a lot smarter than the Cartel, but I could be wrong.
    I'm not a huge strategy game fan, but this one really pulled me in and had me hooked.I really recommend it to that genre fans, also really recommend it to fans of the series, or fans of cop show style games. It looks really good from the game play to the cut scenes and cinematics. I was surprised by the graphics in this one. It seemed really well developed overall. I even enjoyed the music. It really fit into the total package well highlighting the entire story and game. Same can go for the sounds and voice acting. Narcos is just a really well developed title that really caught me off guard.

    Pros: GREAT voice acting
    Excellent storytelling and characters
    Music really adds to the overall experience
    Addictive strategy game play
    Tons of replay

    Cons: Ai can seem kind of simple at times

    Overall: 7.2 Narcos Rise of the Cartels is a strategy fan's delightful experience. Loaded with tons of great voice acting, storytelling , and even a lot of replay value.. If you loved the show or content like it your going to be drawn in by this story as well.    … Expand
  2. Klewer
    Mar 16, 2021
    3
    Very poor turn based game. Single move combat, plays poorly and looks average. Not worth playing.
  4. DPblX043
    Nov 19, 2019
    3
    Крайне слабо. Казалось бы благодатный антураж (латинская Америка, наркокартели). Можно было сделать что-нибудь похожее на Jagged Alliance.
    Но    Крайне слабо. Казалось бы благодатный антураж (латинская Америка, наркокартели). Можно было сделать что-нибудь похожее на Jagged Alliance.
    Но увы.
    1. Глупейший ИИ.
    2. Невозможно сменить оружие после миссии (к примеру взять вместо дробовика, автомат).
    3. Разрушаемости нет.
    4. Имбовое лечение (просто нажал отдыхать и лечишься).
    Ужас. Не берите это. Лучше перепройдите JA2. Или XCOM Long War.    … Expand
  5. dooshenozzle
    Aug 9, 2020
    2
    If you take away the fun aspects of XCOM: strategic unit placement, choosing between defensive and offensive tactics, deciding squad loadoutIf you take away the fun aspects of XCOM: strategic unit placement, choosing between defensive and offensive tactics, deciding squad loadout and customization of appearances, you get Narcos: RotC. It's a boring tit-for-tat combat system that is neither enjoyable nor rewarding. You cannot even rename your random recruits.… Expand
  6. avengeds
    May 14, 2021
    1
    No es divertido ... El combate es pobre. No volvería a jugar.

    Omitir esto..

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