Narcos: Rise Of The Cartels

NETFLIX TIE-IN IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN WHITE GOLD

- Chris Burke

If you haven’t watched the Netflix show Narcos, seriously, what the hell are you doing with your life? Based on the true story of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the DEA’s attempts to bring him down, the show is must-watch TV, with some great performances and compelling narrative – told from both sides of the ’80s/’90s drug war. While the devs were not able to bring all of the original cast to the game, the voice of Boyd Holbrook ensures that at least DEA agent Steve Murphy, the show’s American narrator, is present.

Rise Of The Cartels is an XCOMstyle, turn-based tactical game, in which squads of DEA agents engage in strategic actions against the Colombian cartel, and vice-versa. There are two campaigns to play through – as the DEA, fronted by Murphy, or the gangs fronted by drug lord ‘El Patron’. ‘Sensitivity issues’ have prevented the developers from actually naming Pablo Escobar as such, but the other main players such as Escobar’s men Primo and Poison, police captain Carrillo of the uncompromising Search Bloc squad or DEA agent Peña are present, and all actors’ likenesses are rendered in appealing cartoon style, similar to Rockstar’s GTA load-screen art.

Pablo money