After all, a picture’s worth a thousand words and nothing I can come up with can give justice to even just the screenshots I’ve included, let alone the game in motion. Though I could go on, I feel like I’d just start talking in circles. In a place that seems like it’s dying at every level of magnification - from the space surrounding the world all the way to the inner depths of your mind - color is used as a symbolic oasis, that life and peace still exist in a city pockmarked by war. These contrast starkly against the bright accents the artists use with certain people and places. The game takes place near the end of winter the muted grays, blues, and browns evoke chills as you can almost smell the melted snow mixed with mud and dead leaves that were left to rot the previous autumn. It’s a setting and style that reminds me of what Dishonored‘s world would be like if it were set 150-200 years in the future. While I’ve been impressed with the art style of other cRPGs like Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, and Torment: Tides of Numera, there’s something about the organic, hand-painted feeling of this game that just… does it for me. I feel like I’d need an art degree to even begin to describe Disco Elysium‘s graphics. TL DR – Disco Elysium is an oil painting that never dried, cobbled together with bits and pieces of our world’s history, blended vigorously, then tossed onto a canvas against the Pale. In this case, the pen (or well-rolled dialogue skill check) is mightier than the sword. While I like battles and brawling as much as the next guy, this has been a welcome change of pace. You’re going to be so engrossed with juggling conflicting perspectives and goals from all the parties that stand to lose something throughout the course of your investigation anyway. There’s no true combat like other cRPGs such as Baldur’s Gate, Fallout 1 and 2, or Pillars of Eternity, but that’s fine. Put more points into Intelligence (the blue ones at the top) and you’ll be able to recall useful knowledge, make better persuasive arguments through logic, and come up with analytical breakdowns at different scenes, deducing bullet trajectory, wind speed, and other factors instantly. Invest a lot into your Physique (the red skills) and you’ll be able to bust down doors and go toe-to-toe with those who challenge you to a fistfight. The stronger one is, the louder it becomes. Instead of party members, you have these voices all vying for your attention. There are still hallmark cRPG elements - isometric perspective, branching dialogue trees where your choices matter with skill checks sprinkled in liberally, an inventory system, skills and perks - but they’re all turned on their head.įor instance, above you can see 24 different skills but each one represents a part of your inner monologue. ![]() It borrows a lot from a lot of different games, sociopolitical philosophies, art styles, and eras in history, mixes them all together and served up to unsuspecting players trying to make sense of it all. TL DR – While the world of Disco Elysium is violent and chaotic, you fight your battles with skill checks alongside all the voices in your head that serve as party companions.ĭisco Elysium is what I lovingly refer to as a beautiful mess. However, if you want to at least know why I get so giddy talking about this game, join me for a moment, won’t you? Gameplay Mechanics ![]() From how I’m starting this reaction off, you can already guess what my verdict is going to be. You’re also figuring out who you were before a three-day binge of alcohol, drugs, and violent depressive episodes that everyone else remembers but you. ![]() But you’re not just unraveling the crime. ![]() On the surface, it’s a dialogue-based cRPG surrounding a workplace lynching and you’re the protagonist who swoops in to figure out who done it. It felt familiar and foreign, comforting and frightening all at once. All I knew was I needed it, especially by the time it came out given a few things I was going through. When Disco Elysium was first teased, I wasn’t sure what I’d be getting into. Hell, a good portion of our content is dedicated to storytelling and lore, analyzing questlines, and finding the deeper meaning behind dialogue that’s all too often skipped over.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |