BACKDATED LOG
I have lost the records for when I started this game, but I think I finished it the day I wrote the Steam review.
Steam review from 1 Aug, 2021:
"Disco Elysium was sold to me as an immersive role playing game, but I feel like that might be an inaccurate way of describing it. There are certainly role playing elements to it - many of your actions in the game are decided by dice rolls and skill checks, but this is far more a point and click adventure than it is a number crunching, character building experience.
Do expect to read. A lot. The game demands patience from you, as most of the game is told through richly detailed, well voice acted blocks of text that describe the game world and its inhabitants. Visually, the game is stunning too, with every corner of the game world being presented through its gorgeous, oil painting-like art style. The muted colours of the real world are melted into surreal dream sequences and visions that the game uses to enhance that trippy aesthetic it's going for. I rarely take screenshots of games, but there were many moments during my time with this game that made me compelled to.
While the seemingly intricate stat and dice rolling systems make for an interesting, dynamic experience at times, in the game's later hours I started to become tired of them, and their shallow nature began to show. Often, if I was pushing for a particular outcome that I felt suited the type of detective I was playing as, I would be stopped by skill checks that boil down to random chance on whether or not I can progress, making this system feel at odds with the "endless freedom" the game offers. I found myself reloading saves and re-rolling the same check over and over in order to get the outcome I wanted, which was definitely an immersion breaker. It is worth noting, however, that the game does attempt to remedy this by using other systems to allow you to retry previously failed skill checks, though this is time consuming and less of an option in the late game, especially if you pursue all the side content early on, like I did.
Even with these nitpicks in mind, my 30 hours spent with this game have left such a strong impression that I'll always remember it; there's nothing else quite like it out there right now, and I couldn't recommend it enough to someone looking for a well written, immersive crime drama. My recommendation isn't universal however - if dozens of hours of reading text boxes and walking doesn't sound appealing to you, this probably isn't for you."
I have lost the records for when I started this game, but I think I finished it the day I wrote the Steam review.
Steam review from 1 Aug, 2021:
"Disco Elysium was sold to me as an immersive role playing game, but I feel like that might be an inaccurate way of describing it. There are certainly role playing elements to it - many of your actions in the game are decided by dice rolls and skill checks, but this is far more a point and click adventure than it is a number crunching, character building experience.
Do expect to read. A lot. The game demands patience from you, as most of the game is told through richly detailed, well voice acted blocks of text that describe the game world and its inhabitants. Visually, the game is stunning too, with every corner of the game world being presented through its gorgeous, oil painting-like art style. The muted colours of the real world are melted into surreal dream sequences and visions that the game uses to enhance that trippy aesthetic it's going for. I rarely take screenshots of games, but there were many moments during my time with this game that made me compelled to.
While the seemingly intricate stat and dice rolling systems make for an interesting, dynamic experience at times, in the game's later hours I started to become tired of them, and their shallow nature began to show. Often, if I was pushing for a particular outcome that I felt suited the type of detective I was playing as, I would be stopped by skill checks that boil down to random chance on whether or not I can progress, making this system feel at odds with the "endless freedom" the game offers. I found myself reloading saves and re-rolling the same check over and over in order to get the outcome I wanted, which was definitely an immersion breaker. It is worth noting, however, that the game does attempt to remedy this by using other systems to allow you to retry previously failed skill checks, though this is time consuming and less of an option in the late game, especially if you pursue all the side content early on, like I did.
Even with these nitpicks in mind, my 30 hours spent with this game have left such a strong impression that I'll always remember it; there's nothing else quite like it out there right now, and I couldn't recommend it enough to someone looking for a well written, immersive crime drama. My recommendation isn't universal however - if dozens of hours of reading text boxes and walking doesn't sound appealing to you, this probably isn't for you."