Disco Elysium

 PC
  • Publisher: ZA/UM
  • Release Date: Oct 15, 2019
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1436 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,203 out of 1436
  2. Mixed: 96 out of 1436
  3. Negative: 137 out of 1436

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. PenetratorGod
    Sep 1, 2023
    4
    I played the game and it was definitely one of the worst and boring games I've ever seen and I deleted it. It's not a game, it's more like an e-book.

    First of all, this is not an open world game. I have no idea how it can be marketed like this, have the makers ever seen an open world game? The NPCs do nothing but sleep at night and the world is a small and frankly empty map. It's static    I played the game and it was definitely one of the worst and boring games I've ever seen and I deleted it. It's not a game, it's more like an e-book.

    First of all, this is not an open world game. I have no idea how it can be marketed like this, have the makers ever seen an open world game? The NPCs do nothing but sleep at night and the world is a small and frankly empty map. It's static and dead and never changes. It's not even a world, let alone an open world.

    It's not a real RPG either. Yes, you have stats and inventory and dice rolls, but that's it. Also, these are just game mechanics, there's a skill tree and inventory like in a lot of games, but they don't make a game an RPG game, and there's no real choice, because the whole difference is tied to dialog options, which you'll click on anyway, further destroying the role-playing part, and for a lot of things, choosing to do something will actually be a dice roll, and the mechanics of retrying the roll are overly complicated and too overwhelming to take the time.

    No matter what you do, you'll be dragged towards a single ending, which makes sense since it's a murder mystery, but as a player you have no choice, the only real choice is at the character creation screen, and from that point on it's pretty much set how you're going to play the next 30-40 hours of the game, which is filled with dialog just to drag it out.

    Yes, you can click on options in dialog windows, but the game will decide for you whether that happens or not, and it will mostly depend on your character's stats and some modifiers. Yes, again, it's an RPG mechanic, but as a player, you don't really get to choose anything or do anything.

    An example of a game where your choices really matter would be Detroit Become Human. Or even Witcher 3. Disco Elysium is nowhere near that level, Detroit is already not an RPG game, Witcher 3 is not a pure RPG, but supposedly Disco Elysium was marketed as open world and a pure RPG, but it's not even half as successful as those games.

    In short, Disco Elysium is not a game to be played even if it's free. I never understood what they liked about this game. It is one of the most overrated games of recent years.    … Expand
  2. cheerful_dirge
    Jan 19, 2023
    0
    This game is incredibly tiring, I deleted her after 3 hours of playing. There was no strength to endure the endless stream of meaningless text.
  3. lb2001
    Jan 2, 2023
    2
    This game is highly overrated... yes there is a great atmosphere, dialogs are interesting and most caracters are complex, but overall the game is boring because burden with tons of text to read, too many inconsistencies in puzzles. There is a deep sense of being highly constrained in this game and unbearable loading times. A very niche game. Unless you are a hardcore rpg player don't buyThis game is highly overrated... yes there is a great atmosphere, dialogs are interesting and most caracters are complex, but overall the game is boring because burden with tons of text to read, too many inconsistencies in puzzles. There is a deep sense of being highly constrained in this game and unbearable loading times. A very niche game. Unless you are a hardcore rpg player don't buy this game. Many SF/dystopic books provide a similar but greater experience… Expand
  4. Sai37
    Dec 25, 2022
    0
    What is advertised garbage? I expected an RPG with the possibility of choices and consequences, karma and so on. Not only is the plot here very average, but here it turns out that the game is just a visual novel and point and click. Terrible.
  5. xxx_nesquik_xxx
    Nov 12, 2022
    0
    “People in Jackets Killed Disco”
    I hope we will never see the sequel of the game without the main ideologues
  6. Teela
    Oct 17, 2022
    0
    Played only 30 min and stopped. All the hype got me buying this from sale for 10 bucks. I'd like to have my money back. So boring. Everybody calls this a masterpiece but i don't see it. At all. Got nothing good to say about this.
  7. Sweix
    Aug 10, 2022
    0
    getting 100 from every critic is a big sus. no way this game is 1st game of all time
  8. Af505
    Jul 26, 2022
    0
    I created an account just to express my most transparent opinion about this game. So here goes. This game and it’s farcical review campaign are one of the biggest scams I’ve seen in gaming. This is one of — if not the most — boring, slow, convoluted, meaningless adventure games I have ever spent 20+ hours playing. Uninspired choices, dull plot lines, literally the worst in my 40 years ofI created an account just to express my most transparent opinion about this game. So here goes. This game and it’s farcical review campaign are one of the biggest scams I’ve seen in gaming. This is one of — if not the most — boring, slow, convoluted, meaningless adventure games I have ever spent 20+ hours playing. Uninspired choices, dull plot lines, literally the worst in my 40 years of adventure game experience. And frankly, after reviewing so very many hyper-positive reviews about this game, I am convinced that a moderately large-scale review campaign was conducted by the developers to whitewash this stinker to glory. Particularly when nearly all of those reviews read in the most generic of nomenclature. Which is the biggest tell of all. I very much resent that I was duped into putting down my forty dollars for it, but, I’ve learned a lesson about being more careful basing my purchases off of positive reviews in the future. Need to review them more closely to avoid generic positive review campaigning. At least, until they figure out how to get around that as well.… Expand
  9. UstInsan
    May 20, 2022
    1
    The game is a complete disgrace, I can say I hated the game. I have never seen a game as bad as this game in my life, I finished the game and I do not recommend you to download a game I hate, even the worst game I have ever played, I can say that the game really sucks. Do not download, I do not recommend downloading.
  10. Imgaming
    May 16, 2022
    0
    Kan inte gå till Hemköp (hemköp)(man kan inte gå dit) (IM Gaming)
    -rep L spel
  11. gentlebenno
    Apr 8, 2022
    4
    The most pretentious game I've ever played. You're hooked for about 3-5 hours until you realize just how bored you are. Your "decisions" are cosmetic and have no impact to the base plot and thus are irrelevant.
    At one point, I died from a heart attack after kicking something. Was this meant to be funny? Or is the game just, that, stupid? Your answer will tell you whether or not you    The most pretentious game I've ever played. You're hooked for about 3-5 hours until you realize just how bored you are. Your "decisions" are cosmetic and have no impact to the base plot and thus are irrelevant.
    At one point, I died from a heart attack after kicking something. Was this meant to be funny? Or is the game just, that, stupid? Your answer will tell you whether or not you will like this game.    … Expand
  12. rxerick
    Mar 29, 2022
    3
    I can't in good conscious recommend the game. This is my second sitdown with it, and it's just not fun. I got over it being text heavy and tried to lean into the story except there isn't much that lures you in. The pace of the game itself, as in the travel, is so god awfully slow. Dying of a heart attack because you kicked a trash can or turned on the lights doesn't have much comedic valueI can't in good conscious recommend the game. This is my second sitdown with it, and it's just not fun. I got over it being text heavy and tried to lean into the story except there isn't much that lures you in. The pace of the game itself, as in the travel, is so god awfully slow. Dying of a heart attack because you kicked a trash can or turned on the lights doesn't have much comedic value to start, but then to have to think about everything I have to trudge through again to get to that point. I don't *want* to save and reload constantly. I want my consequences to stick, but the consequences for *everything* can't be death. This falls under the game type of Undertale where folks are enjoying the story enough to overlook the complete absence of a game. It doesn't help that other reviews lead me to believe that choices don't actually matter.… Expand
  13. 0wn3df1x
    Mar 27, 2022
    4
    A mediocre isometric point and click quest mixed with a visual novel, filled with terrible and boring graphomania.
  14. Fanchylul
    Feb 20, 2022
    4
    Душнейший перехваленный графоманский кусок кала, насколько вообще нужно не ценить свое время, чтобы в такое играть
  15. ass_we_can
    Feb 8, 2022
    4
    Tons of useless and pretentious paragraphs aimed to impress those who have never read a single book in their life. Luckily for developers, there are plenty around.
  16. Mindurbidniss
    Jan 15, 2022
    4
    Buggy as hell. Do not believe the hype of this title. It's trash. The choice options are great but only if you agree with the preset choices. The controls are a mess, leading you down paths you never intended. There isn't really any true choice in the game if you look into it. Accept their (3) choices or default. I expected so much more from this.... It's not there
  17. RedfieldChris
    Dec 9, 2021
    0
    This is the best thing humanity has ever created. The soundtrack, the story, the characters, the art style, the lore, the atmosphere and even the gameplay is all so well done. Definitely my favorite game of all time.
  18. FireRalin
    Oct 2, 2021
    0
    Смешно, что в игре, основанной на вероятностях и выборах есть несколько моментов, когда игра обманывает вас в них. Есть по меньшей мере 2 или 3 проверки, где вы всегда провалите. Думаете, что не увидели чего-то интересно? Перезагружаетесь десятки раз с целью увидеть интересный результат. Ложь и лень разработчиков, скрытая неумело и халтурноСмешно, что в игре, основанной на вероятностях и выборах есть несколько моментов, когда игра обманывает вас в них. Есть по меньшей мере 2 или 3 проверки, где вы всегда провалите. Думаете, что не увидели чего-то интересно? Перезагружаетесь десятки раз с целью увидеть интересный результат. Ложь и лень разработчиков, скрытая неумело и халтурно
  19. kamgeforce
    Aug 19, 2021
    2
    If you like dialogue heavy games and have a testosterone levels and political views of a teenage female, this game is for you.
  20. demned
    Apr 27, 2021
    1
    Игра отстой. В первую очередь потому что при попытке использовать старую систему РПГ создатели не знают как работает эта система .За частую игра противоречит сама себе. Создается впечатлеие что ты смотриш скучный сериал с середины.Игра отстой. В первую очередь потому что при попытке использовать старую систему РПГ создатели не знают как работает эта система .За частую игра противоречит сама себе. Создается впечатлеие что ты смотриш скучный сериал с середины.
  21. podzorama
    Apr 24, 2021
    2
    What am I missing here? This just ain't happening for me. Reams of static scenes reading endless streams of dialogue about...who knows what. Moving from place to place and interacting with objects and NPC's an absolute joke.
  22. Topfpflanze
    Apr 23, 2021
    3
    A talkative, extraordinarily lame what-the-hell game where you don't get to see any perspective at all. It seems to make no sense whatsoever.
  23. EgoSum
    Feb 20, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
    Saul Bellow.
    I got fooled (I recognize that!) and I wasted quite a few hours of my precious life reading overly pretentious "mountains" of texts in this simulacrum of "RPG". That's why I gave it 4 middle fingers.
    Lose your life in a library, not in searching a stone thrown in a pond that 100 wise men can not get out.
    (adapted from Saul Bellow.)
    You've been warned.
    PS:
    Cuno, you little sh*te.
    Edit:
    "Recruit Detective Kim Kitsuragi" (Steam) only 16.2% of players achieved this. A character encountered in Day 1 of the game.
    This game is such "masterpiece, a revolution in rpg genre" that 83.8% of the players (that means 5 out of 6!) did not even bother to continue it.
    I did not take into account GOG/Epic statistics, I'm pretty sure they fall in the same ballpark.
    You can believe whatever you want and praise as much as you want but facts are stubborn.    … Expand
  24. Ratingss
    Feb 17, 2021
    4
    Clearly inspired by Planescape , its the same old point n click adventure game but it uses some stats to lock you out of things, and make stupid people think its an rpg game, and this gimmick that makes the game seem interesting at first soon breaks it into a save scumming game because you will get stuck if you dont exploit it. The game also censors itself which is pretty dumb imo.
  25. Olkadan
    Jan 27, 2021
    0
    It is the most boring game I have ever played.
    I can’t really think of it as game. You are left clicking and reading.
    If it sounds fun to you, you are welcome to try this "masterpiece". The reviews of this game had not made clear what this game is like, but it is perfect 10/10 RPG. It is not for me I guess. For me it is actually below 0 out of 10, because I gave zero to much better    It is the most boring game I have ever played.
    I can’t really think of it as game. You are left clicking and reading.
    If it sounds fun to you, you are welcome to try this "masterpiece".
    The reviews of this game had not made clear what this game is like, but it is perfect 10/10 RPG. It is not for me I guess. For me it is actually below 0 out of 10, because I gave zero to much better games. I see no value in this game.

    Refunded.    … Expand
  26. gerdrieche
    Dec 24, 2020
    0
    The choices are a freaking lie, its fun until it shoves you into situations that cant be solved anyhow and you have to reload your checkpoints like 2 days back to find a way of playing constructively, there is some really nice ideas and game design, but sadly also some of the worst.
  27. Gonoru
    Oct 2, 2020
    3
    Dialogs are loooooooong, boring, and confusing. Although the setting is interesting, I culdnt finished, it felt as every quest took too long and I was bored
  28. sex69
    Aug 28, 2020
    0
    Both the atmosphere and the story make you sleep.
    It doesn't seem like such a great game.
  29. CHayNZ
    Jul 19, 2020
    0
    Please, before you buy Disco Elysium, watch a "Let's Play."

    Don't just watch the trailers, they are condensed marketing-spin and greatly put the game into a different light than what it is. The trailers lead you to believe this is an action-packed detective thriller with deep RPG elements, akin to BioWare and Black Isle games of old. To be clear (this NEEDS clarification), Elysium is    Please, before you buy Disco Elysium, watch a "Let's Play."

    Don't just watch the trailers, they are condensed marketing-spin and greatly put the game into a different light than what it is. The trailers lead you to believe this is an action-packed detective thriller with deep RPG elements, akin to BioWare and Black Isle games of old.

    To be clear (this NEEDS clarification), Elysium is a PCA (Point and Click Adventure game) with gratuitous amounts of text awkwardly stuffed in. It is in no way any kind of RPG that I'm familiar with. Taking a PCA and stapling-on some stats to the character doesn't make it an RPG. Taking a PCA and making the dialogue as long-winded as possible doesn't make it an RPG. Taking a PCA and adding dialogue-tree skill-checks for the stapled-on stat system doesn't make it an RPG. Taking a VN and adding dialogue trees with skill checks doesn't make it an RPG. Taking a VN and adding an isometric watercolor world with a movable character model doesn't make it an RPG.

    Everyone lauds this game as something so deep, wonderful and enchanting that you'd be led to believe this game has caused a sort of paradigm-shift in gaming as a whole, opened the minds of the masses and given rise to a higher-consciousness. I believe it's all a bunch of shilling from folks who are more concerned with their online personas than they are with being honest with themselves. Sorry if this truly is your "best game evarrrrrrrr!!!!11," but then again, why are you reading this?

    Oh, the writing...

    I'm NOT a writer; I can barely form coherent sentences most of the time, but the writing in Disco Elysium just grates on me in the worst possible way. It thinks it's SO SMART, yet it can't get out of its own way to tell a story or make a proper point. Its the style of writing that attempts to sound quite profound by making phonetic abominations out of normal words. Cat = ch'eaut. Dog = De'au'hogg. Horse = H'eaurshe. The writing takes the longest possible route to get to the point, rife with meandering metaphorical paragraphs.

    It's the kind of writing that aims to be obscure and intelligent, crafting and combining languages, twisting meandering metaphors, long winded and indulgent descriptions, and to what avail? What does it ADD to the game? It makes it difficult to read, it comes off as pretentious (well, you SHOULD know what "eprit de corps" is, you uncultured barbarian), and it is quite out-of-place in the world it creates. A sore thumb sticking out to garner attention and affectations of those less able to comprehend its true meaning; as though a thorny bush, subtly and sublimely woven-entwined within the d'elegant tapestry of ones own psyche. In and out, over and under, around and around it wraps its thorny stem around your very s'eaul... Best be careful to not rub it wrongly, for it may leave its impression deeply. Ad infinit'um, the meander of the story gets ensnared unto your psyche, wistfully dangling abhorrently in the downtrodden and addled face of its owner; craquelured heavily yet dignified enough to barely form an expression. A horrible smile on the s'eaul would best be a scowl were it on anyone else.

    Sorry, I got a little Elysium there, I hope you get the point: it didn't add anything to my review to go on and on and on, it was out-of-place, it was painful to read and so why would that style of writing add anything to a game?    … Expand
  30. fallacies8899
    Jun 27, 2020
    0
    This game should come with a disclaimer that it is more of a book than a game. I knew it was a point and click adventure game but I didn't realize how seriously it took itself and how much of a commitment and how much reading it would take to try and follow along with the story. Maybe it's a good game but if I want to read that much, I'll pick up a book, because at least with books I'm notThis game should come with a disclaimer that it is more of a book than a game. I knew it was a point and click adventure game but I didn't realize how seriously it took itself and how much of a commitment and how much reading it would take to try and follow along with the story. Maybe it's a good game but if I want to read that much, I'll pick up a book, because at least with books I'm not wasting time wandering around aimlessly half the time wondering what I'm supposed to be doing, or wondering how a dialogue option ended up killing me and making me start over at the last save. I appreciate what they tried to do with this game...actually I don't. I really hope more video games don't try to take this direction, and that's coming from someone raised on point and click adventure games.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2019
15
#15 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 64 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 64
  3. Negative: 0 out of 64
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Apr 10, 2020
    100
    A murder mystery set in a rich, fictional setting, Disco Elysium is told with sweeping profundity and hilarious absurdity. With no combat to impede story progression, this is a choice-driven role-playing adventure that deftly raises the bar of quality for the medium.
    Read full review
  2. Gamersky
    Mar 28, 2020
    95
    Disco Elysium is a very special RPG that most of your time will be spent on reading. It features a well-written detective story, various tricky skill trees, and memorable characters. This game might be the best one of its kind. But if you can't stand reading for a long time, just don't try it.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    80
    Unconventionally conceived adventure game with excellent visuals and world worked out to the smallest detail. But it will satisfy only those of you who are not afraid of the huge amount of English dialogue, because it makes up the vast majority of gameplay. [Issue#299]
See all critic reviews »