Disco Elysium - Review @ IGN

HiddenX · October 19, 2019

IGN has reviewed the dedective RPG Disco Elysium:

Disco Elysium Review

Murder on the dancefloor.

Like all good detective stories, what appears simple at first becomes so much more than that in Disco Elysium - and here it gets so, so much weirder, too. It takes the age-old mechanics of tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and twists them in strange ways around a macabre tale of violence, poverty, and a society on the brink of collapse. Through sharply written dialogue and an expertly crafted world, it uses some unique game mechanics - such as debating against 24 different sections of your own brain - to create an experience that will stay with me for a long time. And, somehow, it manages to make all of this fun and, surprisingly often, funny.
The premise of Disco Elysium is straightforward: A body has been discovered, hanged from a looming tree in the backyard of a hostel, and it's up to you to work out how it got there over the course of the 30-hour story. Everything that surrounds this core mystery is far from simple, however, not least being that you kick things off with an almighty dose of hangover-induced amnesia. You can't even remember your name, let alone that you are a cop on a murder case. A part of your consciousness described as your ancient reptilian brain - which you literally engage in conversation with - attempts to persuade you to give up your quest even as your snivelling limbic system battles against it. As you stumble around your wrecked bedroom searching for remnants of your former self, it quickly becomes clear that this isn't simply a whodunnit, but a journey that will challenge you to solve crises on both profoundly personal and societal levels. It's a gorgeously designed isometric RPG that makes you think at every turn of its painterly streets.

[...]

Verdict
Disco Elysium is a unique blend of noir-detective fiction, traditional pen-and-paper RPGs, and a large helping of existentialist theory. Its twisting plot, cast of memorable characters, and sheer depth of choice combine to create an experience that begs to be savoured. A few minor gripes aside, it hits on almost every single one of the marks it sets out to achieve and left me yearning to spend more time in its world.

Score 9.6/10

Thanks henriquejr!

More information.

henriquejr · October 19, 2019

The game is getting great scores everywhere!

joxer · October 19, 2019

I'm pretty much annoyed with endless almost 10/10 I'm seeing everywhere.
It's an awsome game, but cmon. It is not nearmasterpiece!

Gaming media decadence continues. Or those reviewers never played any proper singleplayer videogame before - the only possibility one can go near 10/10 on DE is if they wasted decades of their life on some usual mmo mediocrity.

There is an opposite example of a review where the point is completely missed, Eurogamer's:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...iew-large-scale-whodunit-with-a-lack-of-focus

Disco Elysium review - large-scale whodunit with a distinct lack of focus

A verbose and rich psychological roleplaying game that doesn't offer enough choice in the role you play.

Say what?!

LOL
Note that Eurogamer is consoles/mushrooms shill. The game doesn't care about mushrooms. This reviewer could have said: "I hate the game because I can't play it with my C64 joystick" and I'd respect it, but no, they went nonsensical blathering instead.

spblue · October 19, 2019

This game isn't a masterpiece? What's your threshold for calling a game a masterpiece? This is the first game I've played in 20 years that really gave me the same vibe as PS:T. When I finished it, I was stuck between wonder and bitterness that it was over.

This is one of the best story RPG since… well since ever actually. It can, and will, stand on its own along with the previous RPG legends. This is a game that will still be a recommended play for story-driven RPG fans 20 years from now.

joxer · October 19, 2019

I've already explained in another thread why this game is not PST. Why some people do mention PST when it comes to DE, I have absolutely no idea. Apart from the same isometric gameplay, we're talking about completely different designs/style.

Disco Elysium is an unique game. Still, being unique doesn't make it (near)masterpiece.
There is a potential for that though so DE2 could be one.

spblue · October 19, 2019

Well, having played through PS:T three times, and finally finding a game that had the same genius storytelling, I'm going to have to disagree. This game might even be better than PS:T.

If you can't see the similarities between DE and PS:T we must have been playing very different games. They both thrust you into a strange bizarre universe. They are both about finding who you were and who you are, and what the relationship between the two is. Does the person you were before matter, if you don't have the memories? Are their sins yours? Will you let it influence who you are now?

The Fade/Limbo are also similar. They're both defined as a vast expense of nothingness with different worlds accessible across it. The themes of both games are very similar, and they're both text-heavy. It's very obvious that DE was heavily influenced by PST. I'm baffled how this isn't immediately obvious to someone who's played both.

joxer · October 19, 2019

spblue said:
This game might even be better than PS:T.

Sorry but no.

About text heavyness, all VNs are text heavy and that doesn't make any of them PST. Nor DE.
Even probably the best ever one, which is a masterpiece: Steins;Gate, is not PST nor DE.

About influences I bet DE was heavily influenced by The Third Man. So what.

You're missing something, I didn't say the game sucks. I said it's not nearmasterpiece, but is still awsome.
Instead of barking at the wrong tree, back me in this thread please as I'm fighting against windmills alone:
https://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43960

spblue · October 19, 2019

Seriously, of all the points I made, the fact that it was text-heavy is the one you've chosen to nitpick? Did you even finish DE? In any case, I think you're wrong and my opinion is just as valid as yours. Just like PS:T, this game will still be talked about in 20 years. It's a masterpiece.

joxer · October 19, 2019

Man…
I picked one thing because I'm not the walls of text poster to go analyzing one sentence by one.
I could add you're not an immortal being in DE while in PST you're not a person before but numerous different characters of which some you'll "meet" later. And that's the story, not the game itself.

But what'd be the point of posting that (or pointing you to my yesterday's post about DE finished) when obviously we disagree on two things:
- You say DE is masterpiece, I disagree
- I say DE has nothing in common with PST, you disagree

Great, respect, now let's move onto other stuff.
Before you reply, and if at all, please calm down and reread things, I believe you missed a certain link.

JDR13 · October 19, 2019

This is one of those rare times I actually agree with joxer. I think it's great that some people are enjoying Disco Elysium as much as they are, but it didn't really grab me.

From what I've played, the writing seems really, really good, but I need more than just dialogue and descriptive text in a game.

To be honest, I don't even understand why it's being labeled an RPG. It really isn't one. It's a point & click adventure game with some RPG elements. I know that comment will probably rankle some people, but that's my impression of it.

ChaosTheory · October 20, 2019

I'm enjoying it, but it's not mind-blowing. And admittedly, it's tough to follow at times. Tangents are aplenty and I'm frequently confused as to what my dialogue options are actually intended to mean. Am I just being goofy? …or if I continue to pick odd responses, does that mean I'm intentionally losing my (PC's) mind?

There seems to be a bit too much whimsy when it makes no sense to be whimsical.

But it's keeping me entertained for now. I'm not advancing very quickly as every other sentence (and there's a lot of those) needs a re-read to ensure I'm following the conversation. Perhaps it's just too cerebral for me. *shrugs*

Cacheperl · October 20, 2019

Disclaimer: I have not played this yet. It's on the list. Don't hate me.

My guess is, that the extremely high scores are (also) due to a general deprivation of novelty and originality in gaming. Combine an actually original concept with decent implementation and it will probably outshine many many other aspects. That's how humans work, our perception is biased and we do not always perceive measures of quality on a linear scale.

A certain pack mentality in gaming journalism may also play a role (including the occasional plagiarism).

Capt. Huggy Face · October 20, 2019

joxer said:
About influences I bet DE was heavily influenced by The Third Man.

One of my favorite films. Truly stands the test of time.

Edit: I guess I'll add a thought about the actual subject of this thread. While I haven't played enough to form a full opinion yet (work, family, etc.), I suspect we have read a lot of truth in this thread, right on down the line.

mbuddha · October 20, 2019

JDR13 said:
This is one of those rare times I actually agree with joxer. I think it's great that some people are enjoying Disco Elysium as much as they are, but it didn't really grab me.

From what I've played, the writing seems really, really good, but I need more than just dialogue and descriptive text in a game.

To be honest, I don't even understand why it's being labeled an RPG. It really isn't one. It's a point & click adventure game with some RPG elements. I know that comment will probably rankle some people, but that's my impression of it.

This is one of those rare times I actually agree with JDR13, and Joxer for that matter. Anyhow, it has grabbed me, I'm entertained, but it's so fricking oddball half the time, even if very funny, entertaining, and twisted in brilliant ways, I do find myself often stuck with dialog options I'm not interested in choosing. It's possible I'll finish it, and I hope I replay it, but I doubt I will.

The constant conversation with myriad aspects of your own subconscious does kind of have me hooked, and I'm following the story surprisingly well, considering how convoluted it is. 8/10

I didn't really get far with PS:T back in the day. I'm more of a Fallout:NV/Skyrim/Ultima/Arcanum kind of RPGamer. Curious how Outer Worlds will turn out.

rune_74 · October 21, 2019

Anyone else having issues with the game technically? Like crashes and what not?

Gwydden · October 21, 2019

rune_74 said:
Anyone else having issues with the game technically? Like crashes and what not?

Mine stutters a bit on startup, and after a few minutes playing it it freezes for a moment and then a white square is stuck in the corner of the screen until I restart the PC. My computer is ancient, however, so it may not be the game's fault.

Capt. Huggy Face · October 21, 2019

On my little work comp with integrated Intel HD graphics that is literally held together with packing tape, it hangs a moment on the opening video but recovers and then runs fine, albeit a bit slowly, in the game itself. On my GTX 1080 rig, no problems during a few hours of play. The game has cloud saves, by the way.

akarthis · October 21, 2019

Just bought the game looks very interesting. I bought it under the impression of being an rpg.

I'll agree with JDR13. It feels like a point and click adventure.

Pelthin · October 21, 2019

akarthis said:
Just bought the game looks very interesting. I bought it under the impression of being an rpg.

I'll agree with JDR13. It feels like a point and click adventure.

I guess as long as you go into it not expecting a crunch rpg with stats and leveling an adventure game can be outstanding.

But how rpg like is it? If it is an rpg, I'll get it. If it is more adventure game I'll wait for a good sale and more reviews.

JFarrell71 · October 22, 2019

I feel strange having to point this out, but point and click adventure games don't have skill checks. Or skills, for that matter. They don't have character progression of any kind. That's a characteristic of RPGs, in their many forms. The sooner everyone comes to grips with the fact that RPGs take many different forms in 2019, the better.

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