极乐迪斯科

Atmosphere. That's what this game has. Music, sound, voice acting, story and dialogues. Thrill. It maybe lacks actual action, but it still makes you feel action. There can be not enough space to explore for someone, but there is infinite space to discover in Pale and even more – inside hero. And more so – it doesn't tell who you must be. It asks, and accepts your answers.

It's a peculiar game: Isometric, small in size, not much in terms of replayability as you literally have ONE case to solve and there's just one solution to it. HOWEVER, the way it's all done makes it a masterpiece. The story is complex. There are great NPCs, with excellent dialogues and great voice acting. The whole vibe of Revachol is one of a kind, and it's unforgettable. The game is rich in social commentaries and political points of view served in an excellent way that is amusing, sometimes dark, but never boring or clumsy. The NPC partner we get is actually pretty helpful and feels like a real character, not just another NPC that we need to take care of. The music and the whole imaginarium is rich and unforgettable. This game is a very rare case of a gaming gem that truly stole my heart. I can't recommend it enough. And if you aren't convinced... hey, tell me, in how many games can you actually discuss the matters with your reptilian brain? How often are you after a cryptid? And how many good things have been already taken away by the Pale? Go. Play it. Enjoy the experience.

Disco Elysium lives and dies by its writing, and it is written very, very well. You can lean into a redemption arc, take things seriously, get deep and philosophical, and really enjoy yourself. OR, you can lean into various flavors of insanity / absurdity, and nearly die laughing. Either way, this game is a very fun time. Just go in expecting mostly dice-based skill checks, like the ones in BG3 conversations, but little to no "combat" per se. Succeeding at them is satisfying; failing is often hilarious, if it doesn't kill you. Mood, atmosphere, and music are also very lovely. I sometimes put the music on separately to read, inspire writing, or sleep to, depending on the mood.

I find it difficult to summarize how I feel about this game. It is one of the few games that truly impacted me in a way that kind of changed the way I look at life. At a philosophical level it will impact you. The emotions you feel from the characters will feel very real. The writing is extremely authentic, and I kind of feel ashamed that this is all I can say about this game. There is basically no gameplay here; this game is basically all dialogue. If you like this type of game, then I truly think that Disco Elysium will be worth your time. One thing that really prevented me from playing this game was the accusation that this was a "commie game." It isn't. Anyone who says that misunderstood the entire game in order to fit it into their political lens. Disco Elysium is more like a Rorschach test. If you are an extremist then your extremist views will be reflected in the game. This is all I will say on the game. I highly recommend you go into this game without any prior knowledge of it besides trying to optimize skill trees, and dialogue options.

A couple times a year there will come out a game (in 2024: Baldur's Gate 3, Mouthwashing, Helldivers 2, etc.) where the unanimous opinion is that it is among the highest quality of game that can be produced in the modern age. However, maybe only a couple times a decade will a piece of art such as this be released that redefines what can be thought of as possible in game development. Never in my life have I seen a piece of media let alone a video game that has as much depth, nuance, and humanity as this.