347 people found this review helpful
13 people found this review funny
4
2
1
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 231.0 hrs on record (117.2 hrs at review time)
Posted: 1 Apr, 2020 @ 6:57am
Updated: 3 May, 2021 @ 8:20am

What is this game all about?

First, I'm going to explain what it's not.

It's an RPG, but you're not the Chosen One out to save the world.

It's a detective story, but it deliberately breaks every rule of the "fair play" murder mystery.

It's an adventure game, but you never have to click every item in your inventory on the environment.

It's a neo-noir modern fantasy allegory, about an irreparably broken world and a seemingly irreparably broken protagonist. First and foremost, it's a story about repairing yourself, before possibly getting a start on fixing the world around you.

What's good?

The writing. It's good. It's good writing by modern novel standards, which makes it great writing by genre standards and outright unbelievably great by videogame standards. It touches on politics, psychological malfunction, abuse, colonialism, police procedurals, slapstick comedy, and transcendental spiritual experiences. And it nails just about everything it goes for.

What's bad?

Some of the mechanics are a bit obtuse. Also, a fast-travel option couldn't hurt. I get it - an NPC that I feel compelled to work with is very hard and annoying to reach. It's a metaphor. But I'd still pay for a "portal between the container and the bar" DLC.

Final Cut edit - there's fast travel, but it's kinda terrible, and still doesn't take you to Evrart's container and back. Shame.

What should you know before you start playing?

I mean... I wrote four separate guides to this game, which I'd advise you to check out. These[www.beforeiplay.com] are probably the main tips I'd recommend before you start playing.

Recommended?

Oh yes. Absolutely. 100%. Play this, replay this, it's my GOTY 2019.
Was this review helpful? Yes No Funny Award
4 Comments
SPRÆY 9 Jun, 2022 @ 7:51am 
Good review, currently I´m using a mod for fast travelling , is in Nexus
Dante 6 May, 2022 @ 4:46pm 
Thank you, Xander, for all of your MANY contributions to the Disco Elysium community and your constant participation overall. It is an honor to have added you as friend.
I am that dude with over 1.2k playtime. Would like to have a private talk about the game with you one of these days.

You sir, are a superstar detective. Detective god, detect or die! And those who criticize the game without understanding what it is all about: they are just cramping our style!
Xander77 22 Aug, 2021 @ 7:35am 
You'd have to be specific about what you disliked. The fact that the murderer is someone the player has never met before and whose identity couldn't be deduced from the clues provided during the game?

It's part of the whole "breaking the rules of the fair play mystery" - and you'll note that his identity is still revealed in many different ways upon replay, as per Harry's insistence that "it's all connected".
Autumn 22 Aug, 2021 @ 6:02am 
The ending honestly killed off just about any enjoyment. I also think you could've been a little more critical in general, but I suppose that's the difference between me and a dedicated fan.