Disco Elysium - Some kind of Superstar

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Disco Elysium is probably by far (as I haven't played everything obviously) the best game of the year. I'm only like 12 hours in and still on Day 1 but it's so good. The writing is top-notch so far and having conversations with yourself and for example a mirror makes for really interesting and hilarious moments.

You'll have random moments like your character will catch a glint of light in the distance and you'll tell yourself, "It's just what superstar law officers do - they squint at lights. And they solve shit." Also, I just found my 2nd shoe at the 10 hour mark.

It's really refreshing to play a dialogue driven game where you shouldn't just go through all the dialogue options for each NPC because just like life, saying/asking certain things can be a really bad idea. So you have to pick and choose what dialogue options to go through. Also, there's no combat so the game can focus squarely on being an RPG. But that doesn't make the game easy because of said dialogue options where you can just die from the conversation, and you can die from a lot of things like trying to get your tie off a ceiling fan or sitting in an uncomfortable chair.

 

[Elfgore]

So going by your description, this game is just a modern Planescape: Torment with all combat removed?

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

It's pretty high up there on my games of the year list too. Writing, art and music are legitimately fantastic and it goes to show just how much better games could be if the people writing their stories were just slightly more talented. It was a gem and at the end of the day my biggest complaint is that there isn't more of it. I really hope the developers have a long and successful career ahead of them.

 

[Erttheking]

It's a game I want to buy, but it's a bit pricy at 40 bucks and I have a backlog I really should be working through, so I'm forcing myself to wait. I don't game as much as I like to lately because when I get home from work I often end up falling asleep, so that?s another reason I really should wait.

Maybe when my last semester of school is finished.

 

[Baffle]

I'm downloading it as we don't speak.

 

[Baffle]

I've played five minutes and I think I'm in love.

 

[Dalisclock]

So going by your description, this game is just a modern Planescape: Torment with all combat removed?

I've heard it compared to "Planescape Tormment mixed with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a bit of Perdido Street Station thrown in".

So yeah, can't wait to try it out soon. I bought it full price(a rare thing for me) based off Jim and Yathzee praising the shit out of it.

There is combat of a sort, but it's more about skill checks and dice rolls then traditional combat. There's a couple spots which feel like boss battles where you can and probably will lose physical and emotional health due to being hit with certain "attacks".

Justified by your character being in rather poor physical and emotional shape from years of unhealthy living and the whole very recent drug and alcohol binge that wiped out large chunks of his memory(As in, he forgot his name, what city he's in and the year, among other things).

 

[Baffle]

It's like being rescued in the desert by a pretty lady who laughs at my jokes. I'm really enjoying it. Love the humour.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Just finished Day 1 and there's quite an interesting little bit after you fall asleep.

Also, Finger Pistols thought gives you +1 Suggestion when your hands are empty, I fucking love this game.

 

[Dalisclock]

Started playing it this morning. Quite like it so far, maybe if nothing else you can totally go for the "I have no clue what I'm doing, I don't remember anything about the year or place" in dialogue and actions and your "partner" just rolls with it. He clearly notices you're having significant problems but it's like "You know what, sure, why not?"

I was also quite amused by a interior dialogue you can have with a trucker where you discuss the big strike where suddenly you're having a conversation without yourself over if the workers or the management should be executed and ground into paste, including one where you discuss the fact you're spending time deciding this at all. Ubisoft will cower behind "IT'S NOT POLITICAL! None of our games are Political!" while this game just leans into the dark comedy potential of class struggle from the get go. It's refreshing.

I was doing okay, then had a conversation with a couple of high teens, attempted to throw a punch, failed the skill check, missed and died. Yeah, that was not what I expected. So now I know you can die from doing something presumably dumb.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I stumbled upon this interesting read about Disco Elysium, which is basically about how very distinct and different it is while just about every RPG fits a certain archetype.

https://www.pcgamer.com/disco-elysium-has-ruined-the-outer-worlds-for-me/

 

[Dalisclock]

It's like being rescued in the desert by a pretty lady who laughs at my jokes. I'm really enjoying it. Love the humour.

A pretty lady who is a saint or a war criminal depending on who you ask.

But yeah, I love the worldbuilding. Especially when you get deeper into the odder stuff about the world, such as the Pale. Some games I more or less stick to the main plot and do sidequests as I need to either to make the main quest easier or pick the ones that seem interesting. In this one I'm ignoring the main investigation like 75% of the time to wander off and look for ways to sing kaoroke and find out why the local bookstore is "cursed" because I'm just that into exploring everything the game has to offer.

There's apparently a million words in this game. I have no doubt this is true.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Heard nothing but good things for this but I have too much on my plate atm and the ps4 version isn't out yet so I'm fine waiting. I'm 80+ hours in trails of cold steel 3 and I just only reached chapter 4 lol.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The writing in this game is legitimately laugh-out-loud. I just learn Kim worked busting juveniles in a Pinball ring, he had to train 9 months to become a pinball champion!!!!!!!

I also came across this awesome video about the game. I wholeheartedly agree with how combat has totally held back RPGs. I love the ending sentiment of the video:

I want Disco Elysium to reclaim the term RPG to, once again, describe video games in which you actually role-play.

 

[CaitSeith]

you can die from a lot of things like trying to get your tie off a ceiling fan or sitting in an uncomfortable chair.

Definitely GOTY material!

 

[meiam]

Started playing it, I love it but really wish the thought cabinet system was separated from the skill system, it incredibly suck when a thought is finished and it turn out it sucked, not only did I have to waste a skill point unlocking the slot, but I'll have to burn another one getting rid of it too!

Also wish that there was one more way to reset white check, like maybe they reset every night or something, I keep failing the perception check on the corpse even though I have 90+ chance of getting it. Similarly some action shouldn't be a skill check or they're always should be an option to have kim do it, like I fail this check to yell at some point, it's barely belivable that my character can't yell, but then Kim just stand there and do nothing. Also would like it if there were more alternate skill check to do the same action, some of them are just plain weird and it feel like they were struggling to come up with enough skill check for all the skill so they just changed check from the obvious skill to another one that barely make any sense.

Anyway the writing is more than strong enough to ensure I'll do another play trough despite my annoyance at the skill system (one with a shitton or quick save/reload and looking up the thought effect ahead of time). Kim is an awesome character and most of them would be standout in just about every game they'd be in. The only one I dislike is Evrat for being too "in your face" evil, could have done with a little bit more nuance.

 

[Dalisclock]

Started playing it, I love it but really wish the thought cabinet system was separated from the skill system, it incredibly suck when a thought is finished and it turn out it sucked, not only did I have to waste a skill point unlocking the slot, but I'll have to burn another one getting rid of it too!

Totally agree on the thought cabinet. Without knowing what you're gonna get out of various thoughts it doesn't feel like it's worth really investing the points in it. It begs you to consult a guide to get the best stats out of it, else you might as well just toss points into your attributes.

I didn't realize that having a very high skill in something can be just as much of a detriment as an advantage, because that skill starts getting very vocal and omnipresent and it makes me regret not going more in on certain skills in a more roleplaying sense.

Also, I someone reminded me the game has a quicksave/quickload function. Which somehow I completely missed until now, but then again, some of those checks are worth failing. Notably the "Sing Karoke" quest, where failing the final skill roll is probably worth it more then passing it, just to how hilariously awful the Detective's singing is when you fail. You still complete the quest either way though.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I don't mind the thought cabinet increases not being told to you beforehand. I just go for stuff that I feel makes sense to my character vs what stats I'll get out of it. I internalized Finger Guns because that's totally my character and getting the +1 Suggestion is quite sensical. I would agree that you shouldn't need to point to forget a thought though, but I get why it's there because you could utilize the perk (increasing a skill cap, then maxing out said skill) then discarding the thought because it's no longer useful.

 

[Dalisclock]

Finished the game today and really enjoyed it. Basically one of those games I never realized I wanted until I played it(after the glowing recommendations). It feels like it clicks in so many ways and was made with soul.

Oene thing that did have me wondering. In the Tribunal scene

Spoiler

Is it at all possible to minimize how many people die? I managed to save kim and myself(with some nasty injuries) but almost all of the Hardie boys were killed. At least the 3 Mercs went down as well

It feels like I did as well as I reasonably could but still failed pretty horribly.