Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium does not shy away from tackling difficult topics and philosophical considerations, but it softens this with an original style full of sarcasm, grotesque, and black humor.

Gameplay

At first glance, Disco Elysium resembles a classic isometric RPG. We observe the world through a stationary camera (which can only be zoomed in and out), at the center of which is the protagonist. The gameplay involves exploring locations and interacting with characters or the environment. These last ones were realized in a textual form, with the addition of animations sometimes accompanying the actions taken.

Importantly, in Disco Elysium there is no traditionally understood combat. Dangerous situations occur very rarely and are resolved using a dialog box - based on the selected options, the game performs tests of our hero's skills. There is no time pressure and we can always calmly think before taking the next action. Even though the protagonist is not often in direct danger, we must monitor his health and morale points, because he can die, for example, from a heart attack (caused by invoking traumatic memories or making a fool of himself). We can earn these points by developing appropriate skills, and regenerate them by taking medication.

The mentioned skills constitute the central point of the gameplay mechanics. They were divided into four groups: mental (e.g. logic), social (e.g. suggestion), motor (e.g. eye/hand coordination) and physical (e.g. pain resistance). This gives a total of 24 abilities. Their tests, usually hidden, determine what information we will receive by looking at items and talking to people. This information often turns into internal dialogues, when different "voices" (skills) send conflicting signals to the hero, undermining each other's credibility. Tests also occur during exploration - "thought bubbles" sometimes appear around the character's head, hiding additional information based on sensory stimuli or the hero's thoughts. The information we have acquired and the skills we have developed affect how we can perform the tasks assigned to us - most of them can be solved using various ways.

The development of the protagonist's abilities takes place in three ways. The first is the standard investment of skill points received along with gaining experience (for performing tasks, skillful use of the hero's knowledge or discovering secrets). The second involves the use of items - there are dozens of clothes in the game, and each of them provides bonuses (and/or penalties) to specific talents. A separate method involves various intoxicants, the consumption of which gives a temporary bonus to the entire group of skills, but costs us a life point or morale. The last mechanism of character development is contained in the so-called Cabinet of Thoughts. By properly conducting conversations and other interactions, we unlock various concepts resulting from our behavior. For example, by expressing catastrophic thoughts, we may start to consider being an "apocalyptic doom-monger", and engaging in discussions about art may result in contemplating joining the Academy of Fine Arts. The protagonist can assimilate these concepts by spending a certain amount of time on their "internalization". In this way, not only permanent skill modifiers are gained, but also various special bonuses, such as additional dialogue options.

Disco Elysium uses an isometric perspective and offers attractive graphics. Nice looking locations were made possible by a technology referred to by the developers as "paintshading". It makes the backgrounds and characters look like a moving oil painting.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

In 2021, an expanded edition of the game subtitled The Final Cut was released. It offers full support for console controllers, but also additional content (free for PC version owners). All dialogues have been fully dubbed. Additionally, new characters, tasks, and places to visit have appeared in the game. The consequences of presenting specific political views have also been significantly expanded.

Disco Elysium Mobile

In 2025, Disco Elysium was released on mobile devices. In this version, the game does not display actions in isometric view. Instead, exploration takes place in a quasi-first-person view, and three-dimensional characters and their animations have been replaced by drawings. The interface has also been simplified.