NOLA is Burning Demo

Organized crime is always a hot subject for movies and video games, because there are so many interesting concepts that can sprout out of it. Whether it’s the violence itself or the characters that are part of it, people enjoy watching fictional mobsters get away with illegal activities. Naturally, there are all sorts of video games on the subject as well, so you can pretend to be in the mob from a more personal point of view.

NOLA is Burning is an adventure game with text-based mechanics, in which the main goal is to help your character get out alive from a world ruled by violence. You can choose to take part in this violence or use other methods to survive, which means that every playthrough is unique to some extent. Magic is a part of the equation as well, so you are not limited to guns and fists.

The story starts when your boss demands you to rescue his lover, who is actually your lover as well. Given the fact that that the boss is the most dangerous gangster in New Orleans, you cannot really protest, but the ending is entirely left up to you and your decisions. Thus, things can evolve in a variety of ways as the story unfolds, depending on what you choose to do or say.

Since you are basically a gangster yourself, violence is always an option, but there are other ways to obtain what you want. Hence, it’s possible to bribe the police for information or protection, as well as make use of voodoo magic to take out your enemies. The range of possibilities is pretty neat, so it’s difficult to get bored too quickly, especially if you are a fan of text-based flicks.

Speaking of which, there is no artwork to admire along the way and no music playing in the background either. Instead, the screen is constantly occupied by text, which means that a lot of reading is required in order to get through the adventure. That shouldn’t be a problem if you know what to expect in the genre, but newcomers might find it difficult to stay focused sometimes.

NOLA is Burning is only as good as your imagination sometimes, because you are pretty much in control of what happens to your character and the world around him. Thus, text-based fans should find everything to their liking, but new players can easily jump straight in as well.