Disco Elysium - The Final Cut

Two things I'd like to say about Disco Elysium. One: gameplay-wise I somehow feel the urge to describe it as sort of like a mix between Planescape: Torment (stripped of any kind of combat) and Kentucky Route Zero. But this barely scratches the surface. Two: this is probably THE best game I have ever played. So poignant, almost unbearably so.

Very unique setting and atmosphere. Love how it takes familiar influences and flips them all on their head.

Greatest RPG of all time? The perfect balance of humor, depth, and avante garde style, all backed by luminous sound.

Disco Elysium is a whole experience relying on an exceptionally well written script to create a world full of memorable characters and moments. It's hard to describe how it manages to convey a believable yet surreal, sometimes poignant, sometimes zany atmosphere. I like to imagine it as if Georges Simenon, Bertolt Brecht and William Burroughs suddenly came back from their graves, had a copious amount of alcohol, then decided to write together a commentary on today's post-modern global society in the form of a videogame. It is true that the game plays more like a point-and-click adventure rather than a "proper" RPG, and there is practically no combat to speak of, but in a production that subvertes the usual staples of the genre, it is to be expected. What really sucks you in, though, is the astounding number of ways you can follow to develop your character, thanks to the different abilities (some of which are really outlandish, like Shivers and Composure) and the thought system. You can become a disillusioned individual trying to reconcile with its past while hoping for a new revolution to come (my case), a shoot-first-ask-questions-later drug-crazed psychotic, or a goofball "disco" wacko with a fixation for some imaginary insect, which maybe is not imaginary at all, and more. In addition to that, your actions have a really deep and complex impact on how the events will unfold and the other characters' reactions. Speaking of characters, they all reveal hidden aspects and faces in the course of the game, starting from Ltn Kitsuragi, a great companion to your character, which will always try to act more like your best friend, rather than just a colleague. They feel anything but stock figures put there just for scenery. You will often change your opinion of them as you get to know them better. The only "complaints" I have are the relatively small size of the game world and the lack of localization in my language (Italian), but apart from this, I absolutely enjoyed it.

Amazing soundtrack, world, dialogue and basically everything regarding aesthetics, art and characters. the weakpoints are only the 2nd half of the games pacing, hypocritical developer pandering to socialist narratives through in real life interviews and only rarely coming through in the games arguments in dialogue which has become a rarity nowadays. very neutral game regardless of political spectrum you choose. though as a moralistic fascist you can be a god among gods too and finish the game without many mistakes, getting all the good endings and in fact be right about more things than wrong. its about making the right decisions and having the right moral arguments rather than bruteforcing your way through people. gripping narrative and deep innerconflicts you will never forget. intellectual variety and challenges, philosophy is grey, not black n white. plenty of redpills and blackpills and whitepills and greenpills and bluepills, pick n choose your bias gameplay. the dialogue or monologue with the innervoices alone could be a game i´d give a 5 out of 5. an issue is some of the extra finalcut content and sci fi content is out of place. good controls, theres barely anything bad to say about it except some technical issues before the patches hit at release, but now, pretty solid all around. i guess the game is a bit harsh on the dicethrows and you can cheese them by savescumming and some of the items you can buy and pick up often have no meaning or worth. but honestly, this game is a marel you shouldn´t miss out on. mostly fps fan here and i was addicted to this type of gameplay i usually don´t like to no end. can´t wait for the, hopefully still neutral by then, sequel.