NARC (2005) Is Absolutely Insane

[@viscountrainbows2857]

This is more budget True Crime than GTA, but it definitely shares DNA with every early-mid 2000s 3rd person shooter of the time. Gritty post 9/11 absurdity and over the top edginess meets grimdark "Hey man, I'm serious! This is Societal CommentaryTM!" energy. It just made for games that were almost never boring, but for the most part, unremarkable when the competition was so steep. Those "You had to have a big brother who had that game to even have heard of it", kinda games.

[@MrHammers]

That last sentence is the perfect way to describe these types of games!

[@shawnz12ss]

You coined a genius term for a new genre right there ngl, add 25 to life into that category.

[@thefallenknight2354]

@@shawnz12ss 25 to life was a good game.

[@unkxwnunkxwn8790]

Remember this game was 2D

[@jamesgribben798]

Well said my an, I was born in 82 and grew up with all this games

[@purest_evil]

My dad always watched me play this, got me into Curtis Mayfield and he got all nostalgic about the music; Mom however, was not at all happy

[@YoungBlaze]

That liquid soul was a no no

[@mgiebus1869]

Yes the soundtrack on this was amazing!

[@cristianroy21]

Curtis is a G

[@purest_evil]

@@cristianroy21 Swear it; I thought so, my dad thought so, my mom even hating the game thought so. She also lightened up when she heard White Lines playing too.

[@noz7076]

It got me into Curtis Mayfield, Happy Mondays, and The Stranglers

[@WaylonYT]

I remember playing this as a kid and the reputation system was so funny. If you ran out of Rep completely you would be kicked out of the force and be homeless. You would have to turn drugs in to get your rep back and get back on the force.

[@themollymachine]

The early 2000s was the best for games... It was like the wild West because of rock star. You can literally make a game out of any subject you wanted to

[@RootVegetabIe]

Thanks to widespread digital distribution, games are more varied now than they've ever been.

[@honorableundead2273]

​@@RootVegetabIefor me they feel mostly the same. Like a recycled news article

[@9mmtrilla]

@@honorableundead2273 But games and genres were probably "Oversaturated" for you in late 2000s or early 2010s I bet...

[@12reeves12]

This game isn't rockstar bud.

[@AL-lh2ht]

Odd era because the industry started getting the hang of 3d tech but before everything became obsessed with hyper standardized games like in the post COD world.

[@VexxyKay]

Oh man, I remember playing this, only reason I found out about it is because of those sites that show alternatives to gta games

[@kobra6660]

Funny thing midway planned to make a gta clone featuring snoop dogg but went out of buisness

[@marcusjohanson1064]

Scarface was also awesome

[@VunderGuy]

You spelled God wrong.

[@fakename503]

I had this game too. It's the type of game that after you tried all the drugs, there was no reason to keep playing lmao

[@graysid9769]

@@VunderGuy???

[@nottoday9182]

Been waiting like 20 years for someone to talk about this game. It is pants-on-head bonkers!

[@konflicted1729]

Lol

[@audiosurfarchive]

TehSnakerer has a very in-depth breakdown.

[@dasjerkstore]

I've been waiting like 30 years

[@MrHammers]

Fo sho

[@Space_Ghost_Hunter]

Its actually so weird I emulated this a couple weeks ago and just beat it, the entire time I was playing it I was looking for videos about it and there was nothing. Now like 4 days after I beat it this drops? ThE sImUlAtIoN iS rEaL.

[@DJDizzy8]

This game has some of the funniest dialogue I have ever heard. In one mission Jack threatens to break some dudes toes. And the dude goes ham about it. God damn hilarious.

[@GodlikePariah]

Real classic missed when games were actually fun

[@jakeen229]

LMFAO I remember that shit

[@theobell2002]

@@GodlikePariah Games are still fun?

[@GodlikePariah]

@@theobell2002 nope

[@pAWNproductionsDE]

Even if the game was largely pretty bland and forgettable, I had a decent amount of fun with it when I was younger. The drug mechanics were really unique and had a lot of potential, even if they weren't implemented all that well

[@wick2005]

I was probably about 10 and my dad bought this for me at the store probably because of the advertised $19.95 price listed on the box. I loved it and have been waiting for a video like this for a long time. I played it nonstop from beginning to end, all the while my dad saying "I heard that" at the foul language coming from the room, love it. Also amazing soundtrack!

[@vinniecorleone62]

A fantastic retrospective on "Narc", I can't wait to play it now after your excellent profile on it! I've had this game in my Xbox collection for years because I liked the Box Art & premise on the back described, but never played it, that will change now! I love your thumbnails for your videos also, quite effective & enticing my friend!

[@MrHammers]

That's awesome! It's a neat little game with a lot of promise to it, just not executed in the best way. And thanks a bunch my man 😁

[@UhDuhMass]

As a child I had so much fun patting people down and looking for people to arrest. This game holds a core spot in my mind, alongside state of emergency. You never fail to bomb all the nostalgia centers in my mind and free everything kept deep down.

[@MrHammers]

Love digging deep for those nostalgic games!

[@8ullfrog]

If you need more stop and frisk action, might I suggest the True Crime series?

[@aint4nun]

💯💯💯

[@thegamebei]

state of emergency was sick bro. I remember that it was mayhem as soon as you start the game!

[@AmericanWireman]

State of emergency was fire,

[@thatmovieguy7778]

"wanna buy some shit" 😂 My uncle heard that and yelled out to my grandma what we were playing and she just laughed good times State of emergency was great for what it was it needs to make a comeback

[@WaldoBagelTopper]

Absolutely man. I love these little forgotten gems.

[@viscountrainbows2857]

State Of Emergency was sooooo fun. Whether it was "good" is subjective, but I had more fun just running around causing mayhem than completing missions. And I had no desire to see anything but the world burn in that game 😹 I mean, the fact I could level random buildings, unlike the controlled demolition missions in GTA titles, was just a godsend to lil ol me.

[@Stats2BackIt]

Found this at Gamestop for like $6.99 when I was about 10 and my grandma bought it for me 😂😂 fell in love instantly

[@pachucodreams]

I remember playing Vice City as a kid and trying to get the real estate value up at the strip club. Following the guide it tells to get a dance from a stripper. My dad walks in to my character just sitting there as a rigged polygonal stripper gyrates awkwardly. He looked so pissed saying 'Michael what the hell are you doing?' I look sheepishly and say 'It's part of a mission.'

[@KingDevoneoGotBeats]

😂

[@3ShotTGK]

The starting mission with a remixed version of DMX "The Shooter" will always stay with me

[@gloryxkid]

I remember renting this game and being blown away lmao the drug use is wild

[@MrHammers]

Drug use is out of pocket in this game for sure lol

[@theicon9269]

The only thing I really remember about this game is my cousin let me keep it and then my mom taking it away from me after she found out about the drug use I still got to play gta though

[@Bl4ckD0g]

Dude, I loved the hell out of this game. It was such a fun romp. Great soundtrack too. I always had way more fun with it than GTA3.

[@kobra6660]

Nothing says war on drugs than buying the flamethrower and minimum and going all out on enemies

[@hatednyc]

16:25 *“Liquid soul is made from people!” Is a reference to the classic film Soylent Green: “Soylent Green is PEOPLE!”*

[@AlfredFJones1776]

This is now your second most popular video and I’m so glad it’s on a game I suggested!

[@khaledkabouche1325]

Man, God knows how much I searched for the game I played when I was young and I wasn't good In English, all I remember is that you play a cop and can do drugs I looked everywhere as if the game had disappeared and no one knew it. Thank you you made my day

[@mrchicken388]

I still have my copy that I bought new when the game out, this video brings back memories. When I first saw the game in a preview in Game Informer it took place in the 70s if I recall correctly.

[@MrHammers]

Idk if it is explicitly stated in the game or not, but feels like a 70s or 80s vice cop movie

[@kingarthurj]

True story, I'm Facebook friends with a guy who made a song for this soundtrack. We went to college together and he dropped out to pursue music. Goes by the name "Camden" and made the song South Block

[@PoyoPancakes]

Cool! Hows he doing today? Does he still do video games?

[@MrHammers]

Nice! That's pretty dope

[@kingarthurj]

@@PoyoPancakes I’ve seen him say because he was young and looking for exposure he basically got fleeced. He does graphic design and production. His wife is a DJ. So still involved in music but not video games or rapping.

[@madperrot]

Just the fact that you can arrest and then beat handcuffed people is wild to me 😄

[@MrHammers]

Not only can you do it, it's a core part of the gameplay

[@venicec3310]

Just like cops in real life

[@tonypine3434]

yep this game is like a real life cop simulator@@venicec3310

[@merciless41582]

Now we know where EA got the idea for Battlefield Hardline. This game was a million times better than Battlefield Hardline. Better story, better gameplay, and better all around actions. Narc was way ahead of it’s time. The early and mid 2000, as I would call it the second coming of the 90s had some legendary games. You had the GTA games, Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam Fight For NY, 50 Cent Bulletproof, Red Faction, Resident Evil Code Veronica, Dino Crisis, True Crime Streets of LA, True Crime NY, Max Payne, Narc, Max Payne 2, Red Faction 2 a lot of great games man.

[@ShmeksNowWat]

NARC hell yea I still have this game in its case

[@86lanzo]

"I'm yo moma I'm yo daddy I'm that nigga in the alley " The soundtrack to this game was crazy..it randomly came back to me the other day..The main theme is like the drug dealers nation anthem.. Crazy how things can stay with you for 20 years

[@Onionrings96]

This game was my optional game after beating GTA San Andreas

[@Nothingforever192]

Never got to play this but mine was Marc Ecko’s Getting Up after a play through of San Andreas

[@Onionrings96]

@@Nothingforever192 I used to play Marc Ecko's Getting Up as well! That game was way ahead of its time

[@doloepicmusic]

This was my shit growing up. Simple gameplay, amazing soundtrack, wild yet engaging story lol we need a sequel

[@emanuelespinoza9325]

I remember renting this from Hollywood Video back in 2005. I beat the game before it was due and then I returned it. I need mine the game. I kind of enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind getting it just to relive the memories even though I don't think it might hold up. But hey, who knows? It might hold up in some areas. I think you should touch on the "True Crime" games in the future.

[@viscountrainbows2857]

Oh hell yes those games were my shit. From the soundtracks to the option to be a public nuisance, and the world reacting to your shenanigans accordingly. I sunk so many hours into both, particularly NY. And when I found the debug cheat for NY... ohohoho let's just say I had a little too much fun with that.

[@flyingsierra180]

I played this game as a kid, one of my favorites! Not the greatest thing i should've played lol but I had a blast wasting time on 3 card monte

[@marquesjacobs1824]

The part where you talk about the guy smoking crinacc one last time had me in tears 😂😂😂😂

[@MrHammers]

This game got ridiculous so fast 😭

[@GodlikePariah]

Real classic!!!! i miss when games were actually fun

[@KalHimself]

I remember buying this alongside True Crime: Streets of New York. I never got deep into it because True Crime got all my attention.

[@zackmooretalks]

I was 15 when this came out and was at GameStop with my mom - I saw it was $20 and used my allowance to buy it because that was about all I had, and though it’s absolutely a piece of shit, my brother and I had fun messing with it. What a fucking weird game lmao. Thanks for the dose of nostalgia as always, sir!

[@ramirezmanuel117]

I loved this game. It was short but i was definitely worth the blockbuster rental

[@josesosa3337]

I forgot how old i was but the sniper mission made me cry until I realized I could switch to my other weapons to protect the diplomat.

[@synthgal1090]

9:27 that midair ladder grab tho, that's the good shit

[@crnlonewolf3195]

I remember wanting to rent this game at blockbuster honestly thought it was going to a be like an action shooter like the arcade game haha

[@MrHammers]

I feel sorry for the fans of the arcade version when this came out lol

[@crnlonewolf3195]

@@MrHammers same

[@VetriVade]

God I miss blockbuster

[@josh1345d]

This was Driver Parallel Lines, True Crime, 25 to Life & 50 Cent Bulletproof all rolled in one lol

[@frankebayb]

This game seems to never get brought up, but this game was the coolest shooting game I played in my childhood. With GTA, True Crimes, and the Max Payne types this is the game I can remember just enjoying for hours. Truly loved it

[@bulldogchvke]

Max Payne was life back then. That and GTA

[@bulldogchvke]

True crime was also another favorite game of mine to play

[@muchlovegambine949]

I dint remember much about this game but i do remember the Curtis Mayfield somg "pushaman" playing constantly

[@Rizzbulla]

Forgot all about this game, best generation in gaming in my eyes.

[@Only1SamRaw]

There was quite literally to many games out during that time, multiple sports titles multiple shooters multiple gta clones, what a time!!!

[@bloodrunsclear]

This was kind of like open world games teething. It walked so later games could run. Also it says a lot about the story you had so much to say about the characters!

[@MegaAmir46]

Not gonna lie some those drug effects used to scare me..was unexpected

[@jakeen229]

LOL I swear that Liquad Sol creation was a jab at Solent Green

[@OTOSoundsandVisuals]

I played this game on mushrooms when I was like 17, 33 now. Tripping lsd on here while on shrooms in real life was fucking intense.

[@edgersimpson1281]

Yo I couldn’t for the life of me remember the name of this game till I saw your thumbnail and instantly remembered all the wild stuff this game had us doing

[@TH-xp9ro]

I really don't get why Jack is voiced by Michael Madsen, he looks like he should be someone who sounds at least 30 years younger

[@MrHammers]

Drugs are a hell of a drug

[@jimrustle643]

I remember this game so well. My ex wife bought it for me and I beat it that night, then replayed it hust for the free roam afterwards. The good old days of PS2

[@Reacher_2215]

Damn good game. Damn good memories.

[@Fight1012]

Thank you!!! I couldn’t find any videos on narc that were good

[@dhop1653]

Loved this game as a 7th grade punk. I played this game alongside The Punisher and of course The Punisher was a much better game, but this was still good for it's drug use and free roam. Great review and thank you for touching on this topic.

[@FrankyCpunishmentSTYLE]

Dude I loved the punisher

[@algame3]

Really, the game only takes 2 hours to beat? I remember playing it for months, just running in the streets and having fun

[@theopatino2379]

Unrelated to NARC... for some reason, I thought you did a video for Escape from Butcher Bay, but I can't find it, which is weird because it would flow well with your content. Great video and content as always.

[@MrHammers]

Nah I haven't. That have doesn't emulate well and I don't have an original console to play it on at the moment

[@Mike0193Azul]

Narc was awesome! ‘Till this day there’s nothing like it especially with how pg games have gotten including Rockstar games. The music in Narc was also absolutely fantastic. The music and effects made you understand and feel the different drugs haha without ever having to try them yourself. Best anti drug media in my opinion

[@Wetknees]

2:12 I’m subscribing just because i’ve been trying to remember what this game was called, or if it was even real!

[@Lord_Mad_Dog]

this is what true crime nyc avoided being lol. by the way that would be a good franchise to check out at some point

[@serendipity_hunter3974]

This game is such a guilty pleasure of mine. I remember playing state of emergency 1, and 2 with friends. And of course NARC

[@blackgamerboi6199]

i remember playing this as a kid thinking this game is wild lol

[@curtisgeist6122]

As soon as voice talent was mentioned I thought “Michael Madsen” and lo and behold 😂

[@aaron_exclusive]

The names at the end of your videos are always so funny 😂

[@MrHammers]

🤣🤣

[@lewciferlovesyou]

Dude liquid soul is just valkyr from max payne

[@coreyjones7254]

I remember that game! My friends and I would get high AF and just laugh our asses off watching our character just constantly O.D. and end up in jail. CLASSIC!

[@HeavenOrHell74]

Just noticed the SOR4 title screen music in the background. One of ny favorite games of 2020 and i still play it online today. Salute

[@Des_Armoni]

Game was underrated! awesome originality and fun af. i had no business playing it at 10 or 11yrs old

[@Larry]

8:36 well the game was developed by Vis, who also made JFK Reloaded, so they know about depicting people having their heads popped off by snipers :P

[@MrHammers]

🫢🫣🫢

[@PandemonicHypercube]

Nah VIS didn't make JFK Reloaded. The Wikipedia page says that the founder of the company that did, had previously worked at VIS though, which is maybe where the confusion arises.

[@misterkefir]

Ahh.. the golden age of gaming. Good stuff.

[@AGeezPlays]

Me and my little brother got this game at a Chinese market in Hialeah. I remember having so much fun with this game idk why. This brings back memories I forgot this game existed…

[@Hype679]

All things considered, it was a great game for 20 bucks. The campaign was surprisingly long, the soundtrack awesome, the combat/gunplay was actually decently high bar for it's time. There weren't many other games that had bullet time other than Max Payne and Enter The Matrix. All-in-all, at the time? 10/10 for $20.

[@Jakepearl13]

I love how they clunkily shoehorned the company from the original NARC into this game,even keeping the name “boss island”

[@MrHammers]

Me too, like they changed so much about the have why not rename some shit lol 🤣

[@theedguardian]

This game lives rent free my head to this day because of that soundtrack.

[@LVSkinny]

I use to fuck wit this game because of the song “Pusherman”. That shit was hot 😭

[@billsmith30]

I vaguely remember playing this game as a rental when I was little. The only real memory I have of it is that if you're rep got to 0 the game just crashed. Like they didnt account for you to fuck up that bad.

[@iamwrong2239]

This game seems like a good time. Any way I can get it?

[@MrHammers]

Xemu emulator is the best option.l, better than PS2 version. But of course physical copy would be best

[@piqol2681]

Damn I remember being stuck on the mission where you have to save Marcus from some asian gangsters without being detected. Drove me crazy for weeks.

[@Wiseolslime]

I absolutely loved this game and can’t seem to find it on any emulators on the market now

[@almightybree2779]

"You want some shit" been stuck in my head for years

[@philipott6691]

I remember the arcade version of Narc. It was all blood spraying, limbs flying, explosions. 11/10 wish I had the cabinet in my living room.

[@OgopogoDG]

The story is actually pretty compelling and complete in your brief explanation.

[@mgiebus1869]

Spent hours in this game and ever even beat it. Just ran around listening to Golden Brown in slow motion. Man was it fun

[@Mr.Pyromaniac]

First. Which means nobody has ever watched all the way to the end.

[@srgoti8234]

You might honestly be a bigger loser than I am

[@EddieB-rs8bv]

Could you imagine a game like this remade today with more cities to explore and more content that had you play to unlock instead of pay for? Long story line, side missions etc would be epic

[@MisterM0nkey]

I used to love this game, but seeing the gameplay now... it's ruff.

[@sakepapi]

The soundtrack for this game slaps ngl

[@symbolic503]

this game was absolutely hilarious. definitely worth a playthrough back in the day

[@Time4theJuice]

I remember my dad not getting this for me for some reason. I was going to see tons of horror movies with him and had even played Duke Nukem before this. It’s probably cause I mentioned “You could do coke and it would give you powers.”

[@Tmartinez114]

I talk about this game all the time with my friends and they never know about it. This game and "Getaway" one of the most random but coolest games. I loved Getaway because it let you use blinker lights in the cars and it was in London lol

[@Name-yu1dc]

This was one of the first five games I received on the PS2 slim when I was in elementary school. Glad to see there’s a video essay on this classic.

[@Andy-cr2dc]

Finished it a year ago was a pain in the ass to find a version that is in english.

[@mrmusickhimself]

I love how, when you go to China, you can't frisk ANYONE because they all know kung-fu and just throw you to the ground EVERYTIME. It's like in The Sopranos where Tony B. fights his Korean business partner, and the latter starts breaking out martial arts out of nowhere.

[@Chrissimpson-oo4qx]

The only saving grace about the game that the game was so bugging most people didn't play it to get that message.

[@bigjim2times]

The Pusherman song engraved deep into my braincell after playing this game.

[@RichardBarkman]

I wouldn’t mind see soft reboot with open world today current versions of gaming consoles

[@osees5197]

As a 12 year old, i smoked so much crack in this game

[@judsongaiden9878]

Notice how Officer Durden's jacket has two white stripes on the upper left sleeve which aren't there in the cutscenes. Anyway, gotta appreciate that they pay homage to both Lethal Weapon AND Soylent Green. 5:51 It actually does alter your perception of time (or so I've read), so that has some basis in reality. 19:08 Mr. House meets General Knoxx. 19:38 Saigon style!

[@unusuallydegrassi]

the fact that this came bundled with the xbox I got for my 11th birthday is crazy lol

[@Farfetch_]

On all my years on KZbin I’ve never seen or heard of this video game before

[@felipenascimento1083]

holy shit you unlocked some old forgotten memories

[@BriGuyIL1980]

Will you be doing Dead to Rights anytime soon? Campy cop goodness.

[@Adventure3Man]

When I first started at my job I was 19 and I went to go smoke weed with one of my coworkers after work and he made me play this game. It was an experience

[@nilssonschmillson5395]

I remember this getting horrendous reviews at launch, obviously avoided it for that reason but it looks hilarious