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

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  1. Matzeofdoom
    Oct 17, 2019
    9
    A lot to read, but it's my biggest Gaming-Hit 2019.
    There are not many games like this, this is RPG at it's best. Taking place in an great scenario (alternative 50's) your "Job" is to "get your sh*t together" solve a murder case wrapped in a thrilling "i want to know more" plot-blanket.
    not 10 because: The graphics are okay (could be better) and dialogs switch between voice acting and    A lot to read, but it's my biggest Gaming-Hit 2019.
    There are not many games like this, this is RPG at it's best. Taking place in an great scenario (alternative 50's) your "Job" is to "get your sh*t together" solve a murder case wrapped in a thrilling "i want to know more" plot-blanket.

    not 10 because:
    The graphics are okay (could be better) and dialogs switch between voice acting and reading due to the sheer amount of text…

    i recommend this game, it's really something    … Expand
  2. Ubykh
    Oct 15, 2019
    10
    A unique Game of a kind, that revolutionize the RPGs with a level of writing rarely achieved elsewhere.
    True Detective plus Bukowski meets Pixar’s Inside Out where your thoughts and psyche are your skills and they talk to you.
    Just a masterpiece.
  3. Fuz
    Oct 21, 2019
    10
    A masterpiece.
    Don't be fooled by the camera angle, this is more a P&C adventure than a RPG. Oh, there's *a lot* of roleplayng there, there's an extensive stat/skill system, but there is no real combat system and most of the game is resolved through dialogues and skill checks. And this is where the game shines. The characters, the story, writing are *stellar*. I haven't seen a game so    A masterpiece.
    Don't be fooled by the camera angle, this is more a P&C adventure than a RPG. Oh, there's *a lot* of roleplayng there, there's an extensive stat/skill system, but there is no real combat system and most of the game is resolved through dialogues and skill checks. And this is where the game shines. The characters, the story, writing are *stellar*. I haven't seen a game so well written in decades. I'm really impressed and it can be pretty damn powerful at times.

    Again, a masterpiece. Buy it.    … Expand
  4. Drael
    Oct 18, 2019
    9
    After three solid days (and I mean, a marathon, three actual full days), of playing I've finished Disco Elysium

    It's wild. It's soaked in radical politics, drugs, hallucinations, and mostly driven by you talking yourself. I finished play as a fascist smoking speed junkie. Well more of a woman hating nationalist. I avoided heart attacks and psychic collapse, and glimpsed the end of    After three solid days (and I mean, a marathon, three actual full days), of playing I've finished Disco Elysium

    It's wild. It's soaked in radical politics, drugs, hallucinations, and mostly driven by you talking yourself.

    I finished play as a fascist smoking speed junkie. Well more of a woman hating nationalist. I avoided heart attacks and psychic collapse, and glimpsed the end of the world.

    Seriously, check it out. It's batty, and very compelling. Also, the music, the sound effects, the plotting, and the graphics of this engine are amazingly polished for an indie studio. The graphics blend 3d and 2d effects pretty seemlessly in a manner that impresses as much as Pillars of Eternity 2, partly due to the oil painting style art, but also shadows and lighting effects that really you wouldn't expect from a small indie (it's not easy to blend 3d and 2d in an isometric game like this)

    It's anachronistic, dreamlike and a super compelling setting. Get ready for lots of text though (thankfully, voice overs too, great ones)    … Expand
  5. pppippp
    Oct 20, 2019
    10
    This game is only for people who enjoy reading adult stories with literary qualities, humour an poetry. Its depth reminds of Planescape Torment or Fallout 2, but without any combat system. The writing is stellar, atmosphere unique and it succeeds at sucking you in its story and characters where Tides of Numenera failed.

    As for gameplay, it really innovates in the sense that every    This game is only for people who enjoy reading adult stories with literary qualities, humour an poetry. Its depth reminds of Planescape Torment or Fallout 2, but without any combat system. The writing is stellar, atmosphere unique and it succeeds at sucking you in its story and characters where Tides of Numenera failed.

    As for gameplay, it really innovates in the sense that every situation, every choixe, every failure or success will shape the story in a certain way which allows for a great replayability. Failures don't make you reload your save because they bring their own consequences, that are not necessarily bad. The strength of this game is the huge work accomplished for making you feel like you're in a real pen and paper rpg.

    If you don't like reading and interacting with text and thoughts and prefer killing your ennemies and become powerful, don't play this game, it's just not for you.    … Expand
  6. MangaDude
    Oct 18, 2019
    10
    Got some 15+ hours into the game so far and it is truly amazing. It's not going to be for everyone since it has a very unique style and a lot of mature content. The writing is nothing short of great and the characters are deep and really come to live. The came is difficult to describe but if you were around in the 90's and played the adventure and RPG's of the time then it feels rooted inGot some 15+ hours into the game so far and it is truly amazing. It's not going to be for everyone since it has a very unique style and a lot of mature content. The writing is nothing short of great and the characters are deep and really come to live. The came is difficult to describe but if you were around in the 90's and played the adventure and RPG's of the time then it feels rooted in that. Planescape, Fallout (1 & 2) as well as the point and click adventures of the time are perhaps the closest thing to Disco Elysium. I feel nearly as lost as the main character playing the game. It is a discovery process in so many ways and a new page keeps being turned. The graphics are again a bit controversial and will not be for everyone but I personally find them very beautiful, so much love must have gone into making the oil painted canvas that is the gaming ground. Everyone with the slightest interested in grown up games, adventure and RPG's should try out Disco Elysium. I believe the game will become a benchmark for RPG's/adventure just like Fallout and Planescape did two decades ago.… Expand
  7. opkenobi
    Oct 17, 2019
    10
    Disco Elysium is a very weird game in the absolute best kind of way. It's an open world RPG with a focus on dialogue and role playing any type of detective you want by shaping his mental capabilities. While there is *some* combat it takes place in the dialogue system and doesn't come up often (most instances of combat can be avoided too). Some points:

    -Skill system is deep and fun to    Disco Elysium is a very weird game in the absolute best kind of way. It's an open world RPG with a focus on dialogue and role playing any type of detective you want by shaping his mental capabilities. While there is *some* combat it takes place in the dialogue system and doesn't come up often (most instances of combat can be avoided too). Some points:

    -Skill system is deep and fun to experiment. Even the lesser used skills have hundreds of cases where it's useful. Certain skills will do some truly cool and unexpected things and even open up hidden quest lines and skill checks if you level them up enough. Each skill has a personality that talks to you and gives advice (sometimes awful advice), with that personality becoming more prominent the more you level it.

    -Writing is great and sometimes very funny/clever depending on your choices. If you're into hard-boiled cop novels then this game will be your jam. People calling the writing pretentious probably have never read a book in their lives and are used to the lazy, predictable writing of most video games.

    -A fairly large open world to explore, with years worth of lore that you are free to explore and learn about at your own pace (sort of, there are timed quests). All the environments are made by hand with no assets being reused, so every location in the world looks unique.

    -Yes, there is a few lore dumps. Hell, there is a skill JUST for getting more info about the world and what certain words mean.. It's all super interesting but if you're not into the world of Elysium then you might not like this game.

    -There is a lot of politics in the world of Elysium, and you can decide the opinions of your character to the point where you can make him a misogynistic communist if you so desire. If reading and engaging in fictional politics that occasionally mirrors our own world upsets you, then yeah, don't play this game (I think you can remain neutral politically but not 100% sure).

    -Amazing soundtrack. And the art is strange, abstract, and just cool as hell.

    In conclusion this game is absolutely enthralling IF you have the patience for it, which you should because there is some truly unique things going on here that's never really been done in a video game. I think future RPGs will look up to Disco Elysium for its storytelling, skill system and how it tried to do something fresh and different.    … Expand
  8. purepablo
    Oct 15, 2019
    10
    The most astonishing RPG of 2019. It is difficult not to fall in love in this game from the beginning. It looks great, it feels great, it tastes great. Pure masterpiece.
  9. Jaxowaraxa
    Oct 16, 2019
    10
    This game is awesome. We need more such a rich RPGs. You can do in this game such a mindblowing things. You need to check it by yourself.
  10. claven
    Oct 15, 2019
    10
    This game has the best written dialogue since Planescape Torment. It's a crazy, unique, philosophical, hilariously funny isometric narrative RPG unlike anything you've seen since PsT came out. A strong game of the year candidate and a definite sleeper hit.
  11. Plopsy
    Oct 19, 2019
    5
    Pretentious and dull, but rich in dialogue choices and so on. If money is tight, I wouldn't risk paying full price for Disco Elysium, but I can see how some people would love it.
  12. OfCourse
    Oct 18, 2019
    4
    First i wanted to note that i played Planescape: Torment right before the release of this game, so any comparisons i make have nothing to do with nostalgia or rose tinted goggles.
    Unlike the greatest written game of all time - Planescape, Disco Elysium falls into every possible pitfall of its genre. In no particular order:
    1) The writing is bloated and self-indulgent. Unlike what most    First i wanted to note that i played Planescape: Torment right before the release of this game, so any comparisons i make have nothing to do with nostalgia or rose tinted goggles.
    Unlike the greatest written game of all time - Planescape, Disco Elysium falls into every possible pitfall of its genre. In no particular order:
    1) The writing is bloated and self-indulgent.
    Unlike what most people claim, Planescape was very concise and to the point. It respected your time and didn't waste it on meaningless paragraphs on paragraphs of text, that in the best postmodernist fashion mean absolutely nothing to the player. Planescape was never a diarrhea of words. Lore dumps were contained and almost entirely skipable(especially important on the subsequent playthroughs). Planescape trusted you to be smart enough and figure out less important parts of the world yourself.
    Disco Elysium is the opposite of that. Prepare to spend tens of hours of playtime on the text that has absolutely nothing to do with the tasks at hand or the dialogue. It came to the point that i now believe that you could cut 2/3 of the text and the players wont miss anything but fluff. The fluff is not as terrible and boring as in Pillars of Eternity, but there's more of it and its there to pad the playtime and validate someones degree in writing.
    2) Show - don't tell.
    The game is all "tell - don't show". You will read so much interesting(and unnecessary) history and lore that you will ask yourself, "why im in this boring **** looking for bottles, instead of those cool places".
    3) The humor is cringeworthy.
    Authors seem to think that "im so random an quirky" is funny. Needless to say if you don't like this type of humor, all of it will fall flat on its face.
    4) Politics and other controversial topics are all bark, no bite.
    Authors said that they will tackle politics and they did. Its done in the most limpdicked way possible, consisting mostly of "im a nihilist Morty" style of writing. One moment the game pretends to be edgy and dark(you can kill a minor and say you want to **** one), another its censoring words that you used when you were in a middle school. In the SAME scene.
    It laughs at every stance(by representing them as stupid), while trying(and failing) to pretend that it doesn't have a dog in the fight. If you do all 4 political stances as a separate playthroughs you will easily figure out what are the politics of the authors.
    5) The only actual gameplay is "collect the bottles".
    At first i though it was a joke aimed at Life is Strange, with its meme bottle collecting gameplay. How wrong i was. The rest of the game is walking and reading simulator with a dice game thrown in every once in a while.
    Say what you want about Planescape being a book and not a game, but it had a robust rule set, decent combat and fantastic spellcasting. On top of having better writing and story.
    6) Soundtrack is all over the place and almost never fits.
    Quality of the OST varies greatly and yet again reminded me of LiS. I also currently playing Persona 5 and i nearly threw up in my mouth after listening to some of the Elysium compositions. Ironically soundtrack of the game is a far cry from the fabled "disco life".
    7) Environments are nothing special.
    Given the lack of gameplay, one would expect it to look absolutely fantastic. In my opinion(and this is the first and the last time i will use this word) Planescape looked more atmospheric and interesting.
    8) Bugs
    I started the game with get the shoe quest being impossible to finish because the second shoe disappeared after i interacted with it, without giving me the usual internal dialogue. Reloading fixed nothing, i had to quit the game and start a new one.
    Dialogue window sometimes locks up with no text being displayed, and no option to close the window.
    I wasted a day researching an idea, only to then notice that it bugged out and stopped despite claiming that its internalizing.
    Some other minor bugs i cant remember from the top of my head.

    There are several other problems i have with the game and its developers, but i will not drag this out any longer and force you to read another blanket of text. Leave that to the game.    … Expand
  13. AllNewSuperfake
    Oct 16, 2019
    2
    If you are easily impressed by pretentious walls of text and think that a mixture of stereotype dark noir characters, alcoholism and unappealing environments make for a deep experience, you are in for a treat. Just soak in that negativity, revel in pointless exchanges and a skill tree that adds a constant rain of arbitrary checks with every step you take. Never forget that you are playingIf you are easily impressed by pretentious walls of text and think that a mixture of stereotype dark noir characters, alcoholism and unappealing environments make for a deep experience, you are in for a treat. Just soak in that negativity, revel in pointless exchanges and a skill tree that adds a constant rain of arbitrary checks with every step you take. Never forget that you are playing a masterpiece, and every seemingly wasted minute you put into this will inevitably elevate you above those who dare question it's genius. Don't forget the planetscape reference.… Expand
  14. emorcen
    Oct 16, 2019
    1
    Clumsy controls and an ultra-slow burn. Pretentious writing and generally restrictive choices in dialogues. Another one of those titles hyped by hipsters or people who never grew up playing titles better executed.
  15. lazycomplife
    Jan 29, 2020
    10
    Magnificent game. Made me feel & think a lot. Can't wait for more from this developer!
  16. Kif1983
    Jan 15, 2020
    9
    This is a truly great game. The only reason for a 9 and not a 10 is that sometimes, the conversations can lead to it being more of a novel than a game.

    However, if you are willing to give the game the time, thought and attention it deserves, you may learn about yourself and challenge your own political views. As a game goes. Unlike a lot of games with random rolls there are 2 main    This is a truly great game. The only reason for a 9 and not a 10 is that sometimes, the conversations can lead to it being more of a novel than a game.

    However, if you are willing to give the game the time, thought and attention it deserves, you may learn about yourself and challenge your own political views.

    As a game goes. Unlike a lot of games with random rolls there are 2 main things that keep you from wanting to save scum. First, failures are often as interesting as successes. Second, a number of checks can be retried with better odds if you speak to the right people, do the right thing, or put points in the skill. Skill points aren't the only way to level up, in a similar fashion to Outer Worlds, performing certain actions will unlock thoughts, which, when internalized, add or sometimes reduce stats and abilities.

    To stop you just coasting, the pressure is kept on because you are working against a clock. Every interaction nudges that clock along, and you have a limited number of days to complete your tasks. Not only that, but your NPC companion will only leave at night and he may not approve of everything you do. So, you have to think about your time, and how to use it. Be it helping someone, being corrupt, getting money so you can sleep somewhere, or just pushing your main task along.    … Expand
  17. mugatus
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    In my honest opinion, this is the best RPG game of the decade. Such a masterpiece
  18. Turrialba
    Jan 3, 2021
    10
    This was simply the most incredible gaming experience I've had. It basically floored me. You have to give this a chance it's incredible.
  19. tgb87
    Aug 5, 2020
    10
    The writing is amazing and the main character is relatable. I have never laughed so hard playing a video game since Portal 2!
  20. LordTiger
    Jan 6, 2021
    8
    One of the most inventive RPGs I have ever played with an engaging detective story and a very unique art style. this game definitely worth multiple playthroughs because of the variety of skills, thoughts, and conversation options.
    cons:
    -clumsy controls
  21. hoanns
    May 29, 2022
    10
    It's a great, intelligent, funny and atmospheric role playing game. It has superb writing, a great story and characters and a pretty art style. The different skills that talk and interject into dialogue are an interesting and refreshing element to this game. Each of them and all characters are very nicely voice acted. So if you are not afraid of reading/listening a lot you should try this game.
  22. insanekrishna
    Jul 21, 2020
    10
    Absolutely masterpiece. This is the best and very “adult” game what i played for a last 20 years. This is a classic literature level
  23. arandomasteroid
    Jul 22, 2020
    9
    I like the game and currently on my 2nd hardcore playthrough. This time not reloading a game if a skill check fails. I want to learn more about this world and people living in it. I did skip some side quests because there is too much reading and it gots too annoying reading walls of text but on my second playthough I will do one extra side quest because I understand the world a little bitI like the game and currently on my 2nd hardcore playthrough. This time not reloading a game if a skill check fails. I want to learn more about this world and people living in it. I did skip some side quests because there is too much reading and it gots too annoying reading walls of text but on my second playthough I will do one extra side quest because I understand the world a little bit better. So I might play this game until I understand everything going on in it and exhaust the game's replayability value.… Expand
  24. aSkorm
    Jun 7, 2022
    9
    An amazing story with great characters!
    If you haven't played this, you are doing yourself a disservice.
    The game has only 3 flaws I can think off: - It censors one certain word with a beep. For such a sweary game, this is weird and pointless. Just takes you out of the atmosphere. - The politics are very heavy handed at points. Seems to be written from a very left wing perspective.    An amazing story with great characters!
    If you haven't played this, you are doing yourself a disservice.

    The game has only 3 flaws I can think off:
    - It censors one certain word with a beep. For such a sweary game, this is weird and pointless. Just takes you out of the atmosphere.
    - The politics are very heavy handed at points. Seems to be written from a very left wing perspective. What the game considers to be fascism is particularly hilarious. Some takes being a bit unrealistic can also mess with the atmosphere a bit.
    - Low replayability for a CRPG. Once you've seen the story, you'll be done with it.

    This being said, you should play it.    … Expand
  25. Sitheral
    Aug 3, 2022
    9
    Probably best written game I had the pleasure to play, for that alone I give it 9.
  26. irai16
    Jan 12, 2022
    9
    Great game, definitely one of the most unique and weird rpgs I've ever played. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but engaging characters and deep political and philosophical themes kept me engaged.
  27. Axelle_1
    Dec 16, 2021
    10
    A unique Game of a kind, that revolutionize the RPGs with a level of writing rarely achieved elsewhere.
    True Detective plus Bukowski meets
  28. truehd
    Dec 28, 2021
    8
    This game is what you'd dream up if you fell asleep reading a hardboiled detective novel while working on a political theory dissertation. Seriously, the 3d bits of this game is a bit janky, but the writing MORE than make up for it. No matter your personal philosophies, this game will criticize it and make you seriously think about your place in the world. And then, immediately after,This game is what you'd dream up if you fell asleep reading a hardboiled detective novel while working on a political theory dissertation. Seriously, the 3d bits of this game is a bit janky, but the writing MORE than make up for it. No matter your personal philosophies, this game will criticize it and make you seriously think about your place in the world. And then, immediately after, it'll make you laugh out loud.… Expand
  29. Blakar
    Dec 28, 2020
    8
    I bought this while it was on sale and would say the current full price is a bit of a stretch (35£). Get it for 20£ or less and you should not be disappointed. I finished the game in 23 hours. You can make it last a bit longer but I think I saved the replay value by not focusing too much on finishing every single side quest (or so I hope).

    The game is, as a digital RPG game, original as    I bought this while it was on sale and would say the current full price is a bit of a stretch (35£). Get it for 20£ or less and you should not be disappointed. I finished the game in 23 hours. You can make it last a bit longer but I think I saved the replay value by not focusing too much on finishing every single side quest (or so I hope).

    The game is, as a digital RPG game, original as it has no combat. You work your way through the story based on your character's skills and the roll of the dice. A first play through gives you the feeling that by starting off with entirely different stats the next time you'll be able to see the story in an entirely different light.

    The story telling is good and a lot of work has gone into it. Although at times it will feel as some conversations are stretched out a bit too much. A bit more adventure like personal thinking would be welcome as you might feel like you end up going on a guided tour where you just click through endless conversations. Still the story and character building is what you should play this for.

    The "Open World" part will feel as a bit of stretch. Also don't have expectations for the graphics. It works for the game but the same game could've been made more than 10 years ago as the engine is fairly mediocre. Sound is a bit odd, I'm not sure that having characters switch from voice acting to text only is that much better than not having voice actors at all.

    If they take the same idea and make it more open ended and make it significantly bigger it would probably have no competition and even if it would exist in a niche it would have to be played by any adult gamer. Now it has not a lot of direct competitors but it is also not necessarily a must-play game.    … Expand
  30. DrMisiaq
    Dec 11, 2022
    10
    Outstanding example of storytelling, one of the best since Planescape: Torment.
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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 »