NARC

Written by Glenn Wigmore  on January 18, 2005

First Impressions: "GoodЕ badЕ I'm the guy with the gun."

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Back when NARC hit the arcades in 1988 (and then the NES in С89), it was obvious that Midway was doing something a bit different then most of the other games out at that time. The fact that you were a narcotics cop was a good indicator of where they were going, but when first firing an explosive rocket round into a junkie, you really got a sense of how different the game was. Like many games from that era, it hasn't dated that well, but you can still play it today (provided you have an emulator, some old NES copy or Midway Arcade Treasures 2) and smile at all the various actions you can do. Capping trenchcoat-wearing druggies, picking up bags of cocaine, and cuffing guys instead of killing them were all fun things you could do in NARC. In fact, the aforementioned Уrocket-round shotФ was even a form of dual wielding, as it was fired out of a separate gun (take that, Master Chief!!!). If you played NARC back when it came out, you'll remember it, maybe not by name, but you'll at least remember it.

Well, Midway has decided to re-make, re-imagine and re-vamp the drug-busting classic and it is slated to hit the Xbox this March. It would seem that this is a can't-miss-hit because of the source material, and especially due to the recent success of Grand Theft Auto, but let us not forget the lesser lights such as True Crime: Streets of LA or The Getaway; both were lukewarm titles that either gave you too much poorly implemented open-ended freedom or too little control over the experience altogether. For NARC to succeed, it will have to overcome the balancing act that the GTA series has managed to perfect so very well over the years.

In NARC, you will play as either Jack Forzenski or Marcus Hill, both whom are undercover narcotics officers. Combing the streets for junkies will be your game and how you play it is truly up to you. The promise is that each cop brings his own attitude to the game, but more importantly, each choice you make will alter how the game plays. With titles like Grand Theft Auto, the way you played didn't truly impact the game experience; while you might have been able to go about your missions in various ways, you couldn't really stray too far from the way a mission was setup. In NARC, getting too physical with a perp will affect your УREP,Ф which is a system of monitoring how good or bad you've been in your drug-busting travels. Interrogating and berating a suspect may get you ahead quicker in the short term, but it can ultimately punish your REP, and in turn your rank, and make things more challenging. If you do drop down in rank from being too malicious on the job, you may have to use alternate means of finding weapons or going through alternate channels to get your information, as the police force will either limit your activities or kick you off the force altogether. You can earn your way back on the force though, but you have to act as sort of a citizen-cop, all the while dealing with police officers that will be coming after you.

Your experience as an undercover cop will have you snooping in on conversations with microphones and cameras, sneaking around and interrogating the right people for information, and just straight-up shooting it out to get what you need. Your weapons will be a solid blend of pistols, machine guns, shotguns, grenades and specialty weapons, such as flamethrowers. These will be often issued to you by the police force, but if you get out of line as detailed above, you may have to seek out some black market dealers to get your УgatФ on. Mission variety is always the key ingredient for this type of game, so hopefully NARC delivers on what it promises.

What has made the most noise for NARC heading towards its release has been the inclusion of drugs in the game, but more so that you can actually use them on the job. This certainly ensures a mature rating, but for those of age, there will be several different drugs to use (in game, of course). Some drugs like marijuana or speed will change the pace of the game. In УWeed Time,Ф you'll be able to move ala Max Payne and get the jump on enemies, whereas speed will give you quicker movement and more aggressive combos. Other drugs such as ecstasy will make your enemies not attack you for a while, whereas quaaludes will focus your vision into a sniper view to survey the area more efficiently. The game's most potent drug, the fictional Уliquid soul,Ф will make your attacks devastating, but you will be unable to discern friend from foe. These drugs will all have short-term benefits, but the long-term effects will be the trade-off for the using them. You will be constantly battling an addiction meter and if you use a drug too much, you may find yourself unconscious and missing most of your inventory in some bad part of town. Also, you might have to report to the station Ц if you're still on the force Ц and be drug tested. The interface for this test requires you to track a finger with your eyes, but it will be harder if you are more heavily addicted. Morality issues aside, the use of drugs are a curious and inspired addition to the crime/action genre, indeed.

The team at VIS Entertainment has also included some solid Hollywood voice talent for the principle roles in NARC, as well. Movie-worn (and voiceover worn, for that matter) actor Michael Madsen will play the role of Jack Forzenski, while Bill Bellamy will play the other (potentially) crooked cop, Marcus Hill. Your orders will be given by Ed Kowalski, voice by Ron Perlman. The main villain will be a returning Mr. Big, voiced by recent Halo 2 prophet, Michael Wincott. An extensive hip-hop and urban rap soundtrack is also going to be implemented in order to sustain the gritty, nighttime feel that the game is going for.