This is probably one of the easiest 10/10’s I’ve ever given.
Disco Elysium is a special little oddity, it’s concepts don’t seem outwardly foreign, you are a detective tasked with solving a murder, with a variety of skills on hand, you can talk, fight, or think your way through most problems, even the amnesiatic spin isn’t anything new. The real brilliance comes in the execution and complete breadth of the games world. Martinaise, Revachol, and the entire in-game world have politics, flora, fauna, and interpersonal connections that seem to be moving and developing every second that the player does. The dialogue is the greatest indicator of this, conversations with one person can go on for minutes on end, with truly individual personality and takes on the war-weary land they have to sit in. This, alongside the brilliant and detailed watercolor backgrounds transport you to this fictional country.
My favorite part about this game was diving into the mind of your main character. He’s unmistakably fractured, and this is heavily represented by twenty-four independent chemical personalities floating around and verbalizing themselves in his head. The leveling and skill checking RPG elements of the game go directly towards the power and influence of these voices, crafting a protagonist who may be a walking encyclopedia, or perhaps a screaming electrochemistry driven meathead. It’s one of the first games in a while where I feel a distinct level of say in who I’m controlling.
I’ve circled around it a bit, but the writing is truly this game's main attraction. A brilliantly tight script that lends itself to any number of playstyles, full of legitimately fun characters was all I could think about between play sessions this past week. The impact of every action you take sending ripples across the world, that was continuously and directly expressed through nearly every interactable character was just astounding.
All in all, I can truly say that I loved every second playing this game, and I felt a drive that I so rarely feel when it comes to media with narratives this heavy. Please seek out a copy of this masterpiece for yourself, and enjoy.
Disco Elysium is a special little oddity, it’s concepts don’t seem outwardly foreign, you are a detective tasked with solving a murder, with a variety of skills on hand, you can talk, fight, or think your way through most problems, even the amnesiatic spin isn’t anything new. The real brilliance comes in the execution and complete breadth of the games world. Martinaise, Revachol, and the entire in-game world have politics, flora, fauna, and interpersonal connections that seem to be moving and developing every second that the player does. The dialogue is the greatest indicator of this, conversations with one person can go on for minutes on end, with truly individual personality and takes on the war-weary land they have to sit in. This, alongside the brilliant and detailed watercolor backgrounds transport you to this fictional country.
My favorite part about this game was diving into the mind of your main character. He’s unmistakably fractured, and this is heavily represented by twenty-four independent chemical personalities floating around and verbalizing themselves in his head. The leveling and skill checking RPG elements of the game go directly towards the power and influence of these voices, crafting a protagonist who may be a walking encyclopedia, or perhaps a screaming electrochemistry driven meathead. It’s one of the first games in a while where I feel a distinct level of say in who I’m controlling.
I’ve circled around it a bit, but the writing is truly this game's main attraction. A brilliantly tight script that lends itself to any number of playstyles, full of legitimately fun characters was all I could think about between play sessions this past week. The impact of every action you take sending ripples across the world, that was continuously and directly expressed through nearly every interactable character was just astounding.
All in all, I can truly say that I loved every second playing this game, and I felt a drive that I so rarely feel when it comes to media with narratives this heavy. Please seek out a copy of this masterpiece for yourself, and enjoy.