Disco Elysium - The Final Cut

As soon as I start the game, the writing feels like it's trying too hard. Then it tries to be funny and I realize it's Millenial Writing. My character has amnesia due to alcohol. We're just starting and there's already a plot contrivance. So I guess I'm a cop, down on his luck, that has to solve a murder? Okay, but why should I care? Because the game is here to be played? I wandered around and talked to people for a few hours because that's what the game expected me to do, but I was bored the whole time and stopped. The art direction looks like an oil painting, which is nice, but it's not enough to keep me awake.

This game is one of the few that can truly stand out in the medium. I personally enjoy how it's primarily text-based and doesn't involve combat, relying skill checks instead. Because it's mostly text, the level writing is really given the spotlight, and it is superbly written. Other characters are very well fleshed out and interesting in their own right, and the focus of the game on 'your' mental world is what gives the game it's unique character. The fact that you can be as inquisitive or dismissive as you desire only makes it better. This also gives it a decent replay value, as based on your decisions regarding 'your' mental state and recovery and attitude (like being/not being a racist, political beliefs), the game will take a somewhat different path. Strongly recommend even at whatever price.

If you like ridiculous political beliefs and being depressed, then this is the game for you! After getting broken up with I decided to jump into this game and discovered a world I could finally lose myself in. Amazing soundtrack, every NPC has an impact, and every dialogue has something to say. Great game

Yes, Disco is not a perfect game, it maybe lacks some inventory puzzles to add to the "detective" experience, but even without it it deserves the top spot. It is entertaining, gripping, relevant and it is not taking players as dumb keyboard-bound people. It respects them with heavy theoretical discussions about the word we are living in and with great humor. It tries to improve (or at least optimize) well known RPG playing methods. I have not been able to finish any long distance RPG games in decades because I just get bored with the same old "save the world" mantra, but I am glad I finally finished a full length game with the help of Zaum! pro: -story, story, story -great humor -finally something adults can play -relevant in the world we are living in cons: -no inventory puzzles -art style is a bit generic

This type of game it really maxing out what a dialog-system in great RPGs should be. Even every little not so important seeming sentence could thrive you forward in your case. Lot of unpredictable happening, thats pretty cool. Lot of dialog options, even later in game you could/should come back to some NPCs and get new options to talk about, cause you got new informations you wouldnt connect to these maybe. The dialogs are from serious to nonsense talking, but mostly pretty funny. You even can sometimes talk to your horrified necktie... or usually it talkes to you ;) Its kinda funny to play a ruined cop, obsessed of bad habbits, with his memory lost after heavy drinking session it seems and still up to every situation (your subconscious will remind you!) which could give him the next shot, fix or drink. You are no super hero or bulletproof badass cop! Exactly Ive died also from heart attack at some point or when I recovered a loveletter from my beloved woman(?) from former times, I collapsed unconsciously for 1-2 hours ingame, while my mate Mr. Katsuragi was away till next day he said. But for my luck he came back directly afterwards and I woke up in his car, giving me to drink. It is this unpredictability that makes this game working so fine "just on dialogs"! Lot of freaky stylish outfits to gather, that let you be a kind of Disco Stu or Brawler Cop - depends on how you set your skills. I visually love this impressionism/dadaism/abstract art-style pretty much. Besides Im no big fan of this alternative-timeline with french/english 1940-civilwar-style (what I would think of) of architecture, lore and history, very lot of strange sounding names and locations, even there are dutch or finnish elements of language visible - If Im correct. But all this suits well and usually is not failing for anyway great atmosphere and makes it also very unique.