Disco Elysium: PC Game Review
As an old school gamer, there are many games that are released these days that feel like the gaming equivalent of fast junk food. Pretty looking, but ultimately shallow experiences that are nothing more than glorified testosterone fantasies... or time wasters with no real meaning other than an addictive loop.
So, when I started hearing reviewers raving about a new RPG called Disco Elysium in 2019, I was a little bit intrigued. I held off on buying it for quite some time, as I have this huge game backlog... and I had never heard of the developers ZA/UM before. I mean, how good can a game possibly be that requires one to jump in at full price instead of waiting for a nice discount or a drop on Humble Bundle?
So, I waited... and in the middle of 2020, I finally took the plunge and bought the game! Here are my thoughts for what they are worth!
The Setup
Okay, the first thing to say about Disco Elysium is that it strangely familiar yet weird... it is hard to describe it, but much of the world is based around modern philosophical and political concepts that make the game somewhat more highbrow than your traditional game fare... and somehow, it manages to tread that fine line between being overly pretentious and being intellectually stimulating at the same time!
How does it do that? Well, many of the high minded concepts are cunningly smeared with a healthy dose of sarcasm and plan half-drunk craziness... it feels like the game equivalent of a first-year university drunken bullshit fest where kids fresh out of school start to feel like they can solve all of the Universe's problems!
... and speaking of drunken... well, that is how the game starts! With classic amnesiac main character... although, this time, you have lost your memory presumably by abusing your brain with a touch too much drink and substance, at which point your brain decided to call it quits and take a breather!
I have to say that the choice of setting for this RPG was genius! Most RPGs are rehashing Tolkienesque fantasy tropes, and the rest are loosely sci-fi with technology replacing magic. Disco Elysium takes a twisted setting that is not real, but decidedly contemporary with all the clashing philosophies and political sides that we are all too familiar with. Like I said before, everything is weirdly familiar yet different... and that might be the biggest drawcard for the game!
The Game
Right from the start, you are confronted with a curiously twisted character generation process. You can definitely create your own main character, but I ended up choosing one of the archetypes. If you end up opening the "Create your own" tab, you will be overwhelmed by the choices and lack of clarity as to what all the different attributes/skills are. However, that is part of the charm... after all, your character is barely holding it together as it is... and the confusion that would be more frustrating in other games seems to make the aspect of discovery and learning so much more interesting!
Ahhh... there are no epic heroic quests. This game doesn't pretend that you are a world-saving hero at the start, destined to confront some great evil. Nope, you are a stinking, wasted drunk that has just regained consciousness in a ruined room. Your primary quest at the beginning is to try and sober up and find your clothes and regain some semblance of public decency!
You soon meet with your "partner", Kim Kitsuragi. He is the straight laced cop to your... well, whatever you are. Incredibly patient given your complete ineptitude and lack of knowledge/memory... or is that your cunningly disguised genius?
What you start to notice, is that this is a very text heavy game. There is lots of reading to be done, and lots of choices to make that get locked in hard. This is a real role-playing game, one where even the "combat" has been abstracted away to the text. You have your physical and mental health, and choices can deplete them leading to a game-over situation, but you won't be doing any turn-based or pause-time battles here! Read read read... it is strange at first, but you start to enjoy it, as it really is a bit of a throw back to really old school gaming!
Now, in many other games... the flavour texts that you find all around the game world are generally pretty dull and bland. However, in the case of Disco Elysium, I found myself devouring it all! Something about the game-world really drew me in, I suspect it was that curious mix of the familiar and strange that I mentioned before that did it!
What is a RPG without equipment and a character sheet? Well, it isn't a RPG...
The character sheet for your main character is quite a strange one... each "skill" is a sort of voice in your head that you converse and argue with, that encourages you to choose different options for better or worse. Some of them can be quite logical and rational... whilst others are leaning towards the slightly unhinged end of things! Taken together, they define the way that you can approach the text-based situations and the manner in which you succeed or fail at them.
It is like having a complete party of crazies in your head... it is odd at first to see them popping up in the text box and "talking" to you, but again, it starts to grow on you and really is quite a refreshing new take on the "skills" of RPG gaming.
Much of the game focuses on your internal and mental growth. You encounter different philosophies and political beliefs during your adventuring, and you can start to contemplate them and add them to your "thought cabinet". I guess that in other RPGs, these would be called "perks", but the way it is presented here... you need to take time (in-game) to think and mull over these thoughts...
... and after the requisite time is passed, you come to a resolution of the philosophical problem and internalise the solution. This results in the corresponding stat increases and the familiar perk bonuses from other similar games. Again, this is familiar yet different take on a familiar gaming mechanic, but one where it seems more natural than a "ping" and menu selection.
... and the inventory! Well, on this point there isn't that much that is very new and exciting here. It is pretty much standard fare, with the interesting thing that some of the objects can be interacted with on this page... to give rise to more text box RPG-ing! Or some of them need to be equipped and interacted with in the appropriate place. Nothing revolutionary... but the rest of the game has already done so much!
Visuals, Sound and Performance
I am blown away by the presentation of this game... the visuals have that washed out, almost comic book style that is a pleasure to look at. Everything seems just a little bit washed out, which fits in with the depressed and jaded setting of the city and protagonist.
The soundscape is likewise a pleasure to play alongside. Normally, you can get some irritatingly catchy tune that just gets stuck in your head after it loops after only a few seconds (ahem, Divine Divinity!)... but the soundtrack to Disco Elysium was quite fitting and a real experience. In some ways, it reminded me (the sounds and the music) to the sounds of Planescape Torment.
My Thoughts
Finally, I got to experience what all the reviewers were raving on about! Disco Elysium is really quite an engaging and incredible RPG experience. The setting, slightly contemporary but so very different... alongside the interesting text and philosophical/political allusions... all of it makes for a great experience for the gamer who is looking for an in-depth RPG that isn't all dwarves and elves and cartoon good/evil.
Disco Elysium, a definite recommendation from me! But only if you like reading and have good taste in games!
Review Specs
Played at 1080p (144Hz) on:
XMG Fusion 15
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: SSD (SATA/Nvme)
GPU: Nvidia GTX 2070 Max-Q
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Fast junk food. Pretty good explination, games come and go so fast these days. Players I think are to blame for all these issues.
Yeah, the player base is definitely very different to what it used to be a couple of decades ago. Now, it is a real industry... that has to cater to the mass market tastes.
Not going to comment on the taste of the masses now... I miss the good old days.
Ah, yes... But there is also much that is better these days. I made the mistake of revisiting some of the old favourites...
There are still some really nice gems that recapture the real achievement in gaming, without all the hand holding. Mostly in TBS, RPG (not arpg) or grand strategy though.
What are some of those games, what are your favorite games to play at the moment?
I've been enjoying Phoenix Point, Wildermyth and Othercide at the moment in the TBS side of things.
Also I've started on The Council, interesting game. We will see how the story plays out!
Please let me know how that one goes, I'm about to set up a vpn to play empire earth and age of mythology.
Sure will, when I get around to writing a review! Your games are pretty old-school! I don't think I've played any of those franchises for quite a long time!