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Video games and feelings in Disco Elysium
Video games are a mature means of artistic expression, characterized by decades of emotions, diatribes, controversies and mixed feelings. Without wishing to waste too much time on these past, almost every speech can be traced back to the message transmitted. After all, this shouldn't come as a surprise: we live in a society that prefers to pretend that problems don't exist, rather than face them.
But today I don't want to get upset and luckily the game I am about to review is exactly the kind of product that everyone can agree on, knowing how to deal with thorny topics with delicacy and a touch of irony. This is the type of work capable of bringing sincere and deep feelings to life, transmitted to the point of touching our real life, as few video games can do. Today we will talk about the PC (on Steam) version of the award-winning Elysium disk!
A MYSTERIOUS PLOT
This videogame work tells the story of a man who finds himself lost after a “particular” night. From this starting point a journey of inner rediscovery begins; first of all to understand one's own identity and then to understand where the journey of one's life leads. I prefer to say no more because these early game events already come unexpectedly. On the other hand, however, I can say with certainty that the whole plot is of an excellent level and knows how to involve in a very profound way.
The skeleton of the world of Disco Elysium
THE GENRE
But now let's give context to Disco Elysium. It is a classic role-playing game (CRPG) in isometric view with various elements from investigative graphic adventure. While both genres are a little dated and unusual in 2020, the final product is one of the freshest in recent years.
REALISM
We can explore freely an open world and very much alive: time really goes by, people live their days according to a daily and nocturnal routine, influenced by our actions. Some events are only available at certain times, some situations are activated only based on our work. The interactable objects are many and well blended with the setting. The protagonist's senses are represented by a circle above the head that reveals any environmental perceptions. The wind carrying a particular scent, a tinkle from behind a door; all small details that provide a structural rather than visual realism.
THE RISKS
Every action taken has a success rate; it represents the probabilities of reaching a minimum threshold following the roll of two six-sided dice to which various types of modifiers are applied. Some actions are blank and indicate that they can be repeated over time; those in red, on the other hand, if they fail, do not allow second chances. This pushes us to choose carefully which ones to undertake, especially in relation to the development of our digital alter ego.The soul of the protagonist
THE CHARACTERIZATION
The protagonist has a predetermined appearance, but it is customizable with regards to characteristics and abilities. Starting a new game we can choose between some pre-set templates or create it from scratch. In any case, by accumulating experience, you level up and upgrade your statistics physical and / or mental, also unlocking skills that allow new interactions with the game world. Another type of skill is given by the achievement of some "status" or underlying thoughts. Certain actions in the world unlock them and, after understanding them through a period of meditation, we can place them among the few that we can keep active. This aspect changes the character in a more radical way.
THE WARDROBE OF THOUGHTS
All of this might seem almost normal, but so far I have deliberately omitted one key detail. During both the dialogue and the action, the protagonist interfaces with his own mind. The set of thoughts is something extremely engaging and is called Wardrobe of Thoughts. It also varies according to development: a more empathic character understands people's attitudes better, a more perceptive one notices the details better and a more witty one connects the various clues better; in this way the options for action will not be arbitrary, but will follow the flow of our thoughts. And I swear to you: never in my gaming career have I had such a feeling of interfacing with a dynamic mind and imbued with ideas and feelings.
THE DRESS CODE
Aesthetically, however, we can have fun wearing Abit of various kinds and they will also bring with them mechanical advantages and disadvantages. The many slots will vacillate between the desire to be happy and to be performing.
INDIVIDUALITY
Also, like in traditional CRPGs, it is possible to have a character party. In any case, they never rise to the same level of narrative importance as the protagonist and for this reason they cannot be customized at all.
The real art is in the contents
THE TECHNIQUE
The aesthetics of the various elements of the game world are appropriate and pleasant, but always very simple. The models are well made, the animations are basic (except for some inspiration peaks). Technically it is solid, it has no bugs. The level of customization of the gaming experience is quite low; Disco Elysium has been designed to be played in a certain way and the settings concern only the essential aspects to be able to enjoy it on any computer.
THE GRAPHICS
The graphic style is very refined and, in my opinion, inspired by the artistic current of Impressionism. Vivid and intense strokes of color bring the story to life. Few outlines, sometimes deliberately uncertain details. Each graphic element seems more important for the message it conveys than for its specific realization. An example? I really appreciated the fact that the use of a flashlight actually produces dynamic shadows, not always present in video games, but very evocative for the set of sentiments.
THE SOUND
The sound sector is perhaps the most spartan. The music is always themed, but they tend and repeat themselves a little too much. The sound effects are spot on, but sometimes overly simple. Without a doubt, the detail that struck me most positively are the voices of the actors; the English dubbing is actually of excellent quality. The same can be safely said for the contents; they really are there lots of lines of text and each of them shows a care and a qualitative level excellent.
Video games have feelings too
It would not even be the case to make it explicit, by now I guess it is clear: I liked Disco Elysium so much to be one of my favorite titles in recent years. Simply sublime. It is worth every penny of its price; a character developed in a different way allows you to face the title again by seeing the events from another point of view. The Wardrobe of Thoughts changes radically in this way and the multiple choices proposed in the dialogues (and in the missions) further increase its replayability. These choices, in addition to directing the development of the plot, also define the protagonist and bring him closer to certain currents of thought or political movements. The political-ideological theme is treated with extreme seriousness and reliability, showing the consequences within a company.
Just the fact that the mechanics give this title the best investigation system of its kind, prompts me to recommend it highly. In addition, the development house ZA / UM is headed by Robert Kurvitz, a talented book writer who has put all of himself into this work. If then I also think back toemotional immersion donated by the Wardrobe of Thoughts, by the passage of time and by the topics covered, I wonder why you still don't have Disco Elysium in your library! All those accolades don't come by chance. Just keep this in mind: it is a profound title, to be faced with the right calm and with the desire to understand it thoroughly.
Keep following us to understand how feelings can come to life in video games!
Verdict 9/10 Discovering oneself and everything. Comment Disco Elysium is a classic role-playing game with an isometric view and many investigative elements from a graphic adventure. The narrative is of the highest standard, thanks to the talent of writer Robert Kurvitz, who heads the ZA / UM development team. The plot concerns a man who must first find himself and then his place in the world. This happens through free exploration in an open world, alive and in which the passage of time is real. The approach to these aspects derives from the development of the characteristics that we wanted to give to our protagonist. The dialogues are of the highest level, both in terms of content and acting. Technically it is a very solid product, with evocative graphics (albeit simple) and the right sound sector (even if too flat at times). The strong point of the title is the Wardrobe of Thoughts, or rather the constant confrontation with one's own mind and feelings, capable of radically changing the approach to any situation; this mechanic is in my opinion one of the highest peaks of identification in video games, managing to arouse really strong and real feelings. I therefore highly recommend this title, but it is not to be taken lightly or in a hurry. Pros and cons ✓ Wardrobe of Thoughts✓ Emotional involvement
✓ Investigative history x Sonorous simpleton
x Calm pace
x Ends
