Item: Disco Elysium
Rating: 8.5
Author: Kenzie

Disco Elysium is a funny game, and I mean that in the best way possible. Wildly entertaining and stylish, it appealed to me as someone who enjoys introspective metanarrative, cosmic horror, and self-deprecating humor. My favorite aspect of the game is how its mechanics inform so much of the world. I loved the flavor text of my abilities, my wardrobe, and my thought chamber almost as much as the writing and dialogue of the main story itself. HDB is a fun character to play and I enjoyed tailoring my playstyle with his ridiculous personality. The game is very pretty - not just in the gritty art style, but the intelligent user interface. I never felt overwhelmed. Spoilers ahead... while it can admittedly get clunky and slow in the investigation phase, you never really get lost and the puzzles are satisfying enough. It also gets you into heart-racing moments - the mercenary tribunal stands out to me as one of my favorite moments in video games. Following the keys and getting to the heart of the mystery was fun because uncovering characters and locations made Martinaise come to life. As a whodunit, I didn't like the conclusion of the mystery but was sufficient to give the story a neat and satisfying close. CRPG fans are already wild about this title, and it does feel like a fresh take on a genre that's largely disappeared. The world and its lore are pretty tight and easy to get into if you're prepared to play a game with a lot of reading. Overall, its style and mythos are so rich and charming (and distinctly Estonian), you'll surely enjoy something about the experience.

Disco Elysium is a funny game, and I mean that in the best way possible. Wildly entertaining and stylish, it appealed to me as someone who enjoys introspective metanarrative, cosmic horror, and self-deprecating humor. My favorite aspect of the game is how its mechanics inform so much of the world. I loved the flavor text of my abilities, my wardrobe, and my thought chamber almost as much as the writing and dialogue of the main story itself. HDB is a fun character to play and I enjoyed tailoring my playstyle with his ridiculous personality.

The game is very pretty - not just in the gritty art style, but the intelligent user interface. I never felt overwhelmed.

Spoilers ahead... while it can admittedly get clunky and slow in the investigation phase, you never really get lost and the puzzles are satisfying enough. It also gets you into heart-racing moments - the mercenary tribunal stands out to me as one of my favorite moments in video games.

Following the keys and getting to the heart of the mystery was fun because uncovering characters and locations made Martinaise come to life. As a whodunit, I didn't like the conclusion of the mystery but was sufficient to give the story a neat and satisfying close.

CRPG fans are already wild about this title, and it does feel like a fresh take on a genre that's largely disappeared. The world and its lore are pretty tight and easy to get into if you're prepared to play a game with a lot of reading.  Overall, its style and mythos are so rich and charming (and distinctly Estonian), you'll surely enjoy something about the experience.

Disco Elysium

Review Title

Player Score

Kenzie