It’s been three years since Disco Elysium’s release, and while “Disco-like” isn’t officially a subgenre of its own, comparisons to other games continue to grow. ZA/UM’s sad RPG murder mystery (which really isn’t the only one) shaped our expectations of how deep video game creation and player choice can go.
Disco Elysium is a game written in a way most RPGs don’t try. Conversing with Revahol people is the primary way to interact with and learn about the game. Gain skill points that change how you approach the central plot and what kind of side activities you initiate. All of Disco Elysium’s systems want players to immerse themselves in the world and think critically about the people in it.
The same goes for Norko from Citizen Sleeper. (opens in new tab)and Pentimonto (opens in new tab)— The three games announced this year indirectly reflect the spirit of the Disco Elysium story. They each care a lot about how they navigate their dialogue choices and slip their outcomes into the story as it progresses, and next year, ZA/UM’s RPG of his There are several games underway that we hope will reflect more closely. right side of screen (opens in new tab).
The Disco Elysium 2 sequel isn’t one of those games. At this point, the fate of Disco Elysium 2 feels impossible.corporate fraud (opens in new tab)Ironically, I dismantled ZA/UM, an artist collective turned game developer. His three main developers, writer Helen Hindperle, artist Alexander Rostoff and lead designer and writer Robert Kurwitz, are no longer with the company. And there was a job posting for an environmental artist and a lead environmental artist, in July (opens in new tab)the game’s editor (who left the studio sometime during development) said a sequel was unlikely.
For sequels or other follow-ups to 2019’s groundbreaking RPG (and Top 100 Kings of PC Gamers) (opens in new tab)) does come out, it’s probably going to be a very different game than what its biggest fans had in mind. Kurwitz’s prose alone defined the game’s conversation-driven frenzied dream of the chief cop’s idea being a picky party member. A game of Disco Elysium without poetry other than shudder, depicting a city worn and pierced by a failed revolution, is not a game of Disco Elysium, is it?
Disco Elysium 2 may never happen. But despite the uncertainty of the fate of ZA/UM and its next project, 2022 will be filled with many other games heading its way, and 2023 promises more. .
bummer vibe
Alexis Ong interviews Norco developers (opens in new tab) Just days before its March release, Yuts agreed that the adventure game is all about “a disappointing atmosphere.” Norco and Disco Elysium take place in a community where something has been lost and everyone is too tired, beaten down or unable to find it again. In Norco, a real-life slice of Louisiana for which the game is named, a growing oil empire continues to claim the lives of those who survive. His Revachol of Disco Elysium is also dying and is under the control of the Capitalist Federation after slaughtering the city’s hopes for a better future.
Norco’s protagonist, Kay, doesn’t have the powers of Disco Elysium’s chief cop, Harrier “Harry” Du Bois, but she’s around town on a detective mission. Kay isn’t shaped like Harry by putting points into her skills, but she can make several decisions that affect her direction throughout the story. Both games help you internalize your character’s point of view by having a thought map to fill out. At Norco it’s a mind map system, at Disco Elysium it’s a thought cabinet. Both characters’ histories have personal conflicts to resolve, but their narrative focus zooms out quickly enough to account for the overwhelming structural collapse that surrounds them.
Rich world building and dialogue are the main points of these games.
Disco Elysium and Norco are politically driven games with branching dialogues with numerous characters. Like Kentucky Route Zero before them, rich world-building and dialogue is all about it. In her review for Norco (opens in new tab)Ong praised its ability to empathize with characters of different social identities, writing that it “forces us to re-examine our relationship with video games as a medium of escapist pleasure.” Both games focus on certain real-world parallels, so you can’t miss how they reflect the realities of the people who created them.
Development started at Norco in 2015, but it’s clear that the design has followed the same path as the Disco Elysium. Norco accompanied both Citizen Sleeper and Pentiment this year. These games take a similar approach to storytelling and wrap mechanics that adhere to the ethos of “fail-forward” tabletop RPGs. A bad roll in a task in Citizen Sleeper could reveal even more of the cyberpunk world, and failing his skill check in Pentiment is a sure bet, but the character’s reaction is more like a central murder. Help solve the mystery. Like Disco Elysium, these games give you the opportunity to fill in the blanks of a larger story.
on the horizon
We have some games that need a piece of the narrative pie next year. Description of Developer Drop Bear Bytes broken road (opens in new tab) As a “narrative-driven RPG” set in post-apocalyptic Australia. The game is very similar to Disco Elysium with its isometric perspective and understated color palette. Characters and quests are inspired by the Moral Compass morale system, gathering a party of five his members to aid in turn-based combat. Broken Roads has his 2023 release date set.
arcane ebb (opens in new tab) The Steam page only says “coming soon”, but it could be released next year, even calling it a “disco-like CRPG”. It quotes Planescape Torment and Baldur’s Gate. Set in a fantasy city where coffee shops were blown up before a historic election. You play as a cleric who can participate in skill-check-based dialogue and magic-based combat during investigations. Disco Elysium’s version of Thought Cabinet is also here. As you work to uncover the cause of the explosion, the “explore tree” will display a dialog leading to a chase.
sovereign syndicate (opens in new tab) I wouldn’t say it’s a Disco-like CRPG, but it’s certainly similar. It’s set in Victorian steampunk London, but otherwise looks a lot like Disco His Elysium. There is a “tarot card chance” system that determines how other characters will react to you and what actions they can take.Unlock unique dialogue and skill checks as you learn about the world Acquire skills that can be deployed for The isometric game promises many branching options and already has a demo available on Steam.
The heart of Disco Elysium still beats.
Some levels removed from the hyper-specific Disco Elysium inspiration she dreams elsewhere (opens in new tab)Starting development before Disco Elysium, this surreal adventure RPG blends Undertale’s retro aesthetic with neon ink art. It has a turn-based combat system and a “connection” system that lets you pick your favorite character and follow the story. As Thalia, your goal is to find a way to escape the dream and consider the anxiety and other mental health issues that appear in that world. She Dreams Elsewhere feels like Disco Elysium if you turn up the weirdness all the way up to 11 and take a bath. The Steam page says it’s coming soon, but the developer says: twitter (opens in new tab) We will have an update on the project next year.
Three years after its release, Disco Elysium seems to have set the framework for many games to come. Each mechanic centers around dialogue and text-based storytelling, but offers a larger set of tools to influence them through alternate skill systems and combat. The joy of skill checks and dice rolls is when things go surprisingly well or go wrong and sway you down new paths. In that moment, it seems like you broke the rules, but then the story progresses and, ultimately, you’re left with a history of unexpected consequences that distinguish your story from the rest.
The heart of Disco Elysium still beats. You can hear it in every game that’s deeply inspired by it, intentionally or not. It’s still exciting to see all the new directions we’re in. Disco Elysium 2 may not be available anytime soon, but it’s worth it to take on the fearless creativity and redundancy of plenty of game disco. It’s probably a more appropriate follow-up than the sequel to.
