Punk developer and former industry underdog studio ZA/UM continues to expand and recruit new talent following PC Gamer’s Game of the Year 2019. (opens in new tab), Disco Elysium. These job posting details may only shed light on the next project the studio envisions.
A few months ago, ZA/UM brought in new writing talent and the latest job postings. Found by user An_Italian_Meal on Reddit (opens in new tab)is for environmental concept artists, lead environmental artists, and sales and monetization specialists.
Perhaps most eye-catching here are the references to ‘science fiction’ in the artistic stance, with environmental concept artists posting ‘new worlds’, ‘universe’, and recruits ‘understanding what’s out there’ It contains the striking declaration that “You must.” There is more to heaven and earth than can be dreamed of in philosophy. â
The knee-jerk conclusion might be that ZA/UM is going in a completely different direction with their next game than Disco Elysium, another historical setting in the mid-20th century, but I don’t think it’s that clear cut. Ingeniously named Reddit user TheFrankofTurducken points out that ZA/UM is heavily invested in the world of Elysiumâ âthe core team has been building Elysium off and on for about 20 years now. I’ve been
In addition, Good Frank points out the metaphorical possibilities of language. .” they continue.
It’s a sentiment I can definitely stand by, and it’s consistent with the intriguing public statement about ZA/UM’s future endeavors.Amazing 2020 GameSpot Videos (opens in new tab) Focusing on Disco Elysium’s interface, lead writer Robert Kurvitz says one of the most exciting things I’ve ever heard about the unannounced game regarding the studio’s future work. 1.â Kurvitz further describes Disco Elysiumâs tabletop-esque skills his system in more intense, higher-pitched scenarios where he could use his system, previously mentioning how he wants to expand his cabinet of game sorts. was
Additionally, Kurvitz teases more about the studio’s next steps in the fantastic coffee table book that accompanied the limited physical release of Iam8bit’s Disco Elysium. [Elysium]: Martinaise district of Revachol West of Insulinde. I can’t begin to tell you how introductory it is. â
“Thanks for your interest in our idea, we were able to see more of it. Jamrock, I hope. And to the other Isolas.”
All in all, I still believe ZA/UM’s follow-up remains a direct sequel (or something close to it) to Disco Elysium. The position of the environmental concept further requires knowledge of “architecture or city planning”, which certainly fits in with the game set in Jamrock, a larger urban district adjacent to Martinez. I interpret the claims of the ‘science fiction’ ethos as referring to fantastic alternate technologies for settings and dreamy otherworldly metaphysics.
A more concrete conclusion to come from these posts is that ZA/UM’s next game will use Unreal Engine 5 instead of the Unity engine used to create Disco Elysium. Environmental lead posts specifically mention candidates with Unreal experience. This could lead to some interesting stylistic or mechanical changes in the Disco Elysium sequel. I can’t immediately think of a game that achieves Infinity Engine-style fixed camera angles with pre-rendered backgrounds using Unreal Engine. And while middleware has proven to be surprisingly flexible over the years, it has always been defined by: Real-time full 3D environment.
I wonder if ZA/UM will ever try to translate Disco Elysium’s unique art style into a full 3D isometric presentation like Divinity: Original Sin 2 or Owlcat’s Pathfinder games. Developers may even be looking at a change of perspective that could be facilitated by a fully 3D environment â its CRPG predecessors Troika and Obsidian were the first to appear in Vampire: the Masqueradeâ âBloodlines and Fallout: Each produced phenomenal results when shifted to first person in New Vegas.
A final detail worth mentioning is the sales force’s responsibility to “maximize and diversify revenue streams for full games, add-ons, and live service content.” The last one certainly provokes a fight-or-flight reaction in me, but I don’t think it means ZA/UM are working on their own Destiny or anything like that. It’s very likely that you have, or you’re looking for a live service experience that helps drive more traditional RPG expansions and DLC content.
In any case, the creators of Disco Elysium are committed to: Something Pretty big alongside them nutty fashion line (opens in new tab)and I can’t wait to see it.
