It’s entirely possible to die within the first few minutes ofDisco Elysium. There’s an early skill check which, if failed, causes the main character to die of a heart attack. Though this moment was originally touted as an infamous quirk, it serves as the game’s thesis statement. By mocking the save-or-die mechanics of other RPGs,Disco Elysiumshines a spotlight on the punitive tropes it avoids.
Disco Elysiumdefies a number of established RPG conventions. The game features very little combat, but still presents a story that remains engaging and action-packed throughout. The conversations inDisco Elysiumpresent the same strategic battle of wits that combat does in other games. But failing a conversation never results in a dead end; it just means the player needs to try something else.
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Disco Elysium: Thinking Out Loud
OfDisco Elysium’s many innovations, one of the most impressive is the way it portrays skills. Instead of static numbers on a character sheet, each skill is represented by a different voice in the main character’s head. Skills speak more often as they gain points, frequently butting in with their ideas for how to proceed. A player’s experience ofDisco Elyisumis ultimately dictated by what they’re good at, because those are the voices that get to tell the story.
Skill checks inDisco Elysiumare determined by dice rolls, and can be attempted multiple times. Once a player fails a check, they need to put more points into the relevant skill in order to try the roll again. In addition to making the game feel more realistic, it also gives each check higher stakes without punishing players for failure. Players hoping to gain more skill points will need to earn experience by exploring other areas of the game — which could reveal an entirely different solution.
Tougher Than It Seems
Substance abuse is amajor theme inDisco Elysium, giving players the option to consume alcohol and amphetamines with reckless abandon. The main character struggles with addiction, and believes that continuing to use drugs and alcohol is vital to his success as a detective, even though it’s ruining his life. In terms of game mechanics, he’s not wrong. Drugs and alcohol make players more likely to succeed at skill checks, and become especially attractive towards the end of the game when time and re-roll opportunities are limited.
It’s a rare example of a game mechanic that can help players empathize with an experience they might not otherwise understand. Drugs seem like an easy mechanic to ignore at first, but quickly become the deciding factor between success and failure. Thoughdrug use inDisco Elysiumcarries some mechanical downsides, they’re so easy to mitigate that drugs remain a constant temptation. By using drugs to succeed at a critical skill check, players ultimately fail to help the main character kick his self-destructive habits.
Time For Plan B
Disco Elysiumnever talks down to its players, offering a mystery filled with complex political intrigue. The world adapts to the player’s successes and failures so seamlessly that it’s easy to forget that it’s a game. By not punishing its players for failing skill checks,Disco Elysiumis able to emulate more organic mediums of storytelling. It puts players on a different path, allowing them to see an aspect of the story they might have missed otherwise.
By establishing trust with its audience early on,Disco Elysiumensures that players will stick aroundno matter what the game throws at them. Most of the objectives in the game have multiple solutions, which can be completed by players with different sets of skills. Scrawny characters might not dare to start a fight with the massive, tattooed bouncer they meet early in the game, while less intellectual characters may never complete the mural on the wall next to the marina.
Though it’s impossible to see everythingDisco Elysiumhas to offer in a single playthrough, it never feels like a missed opportunity. It feels like the player is getting exactly the story they’re meant to.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cutis available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Stadia.
