Recent reviews by Baelthazar

Don't let the hours on record fool you - I have been playing this for years in the old Shrapnel version. It is unabashedly old school, an amazing space rogue-like, and can be hard as nails. But there is a lot of depth and complexity under the hood here. The UI is tricky and purposefully emulates the "bad old days" with tons of bindings, but manages to (with the help of mouse support) to make it feel fresh and easy. If you want old school flavor with a lot of punch - get this game!

I have played RPGs since I was young and RPGs were all text. I was there for the beginning of Baldur's Gate and the advent of isometric RPGs like Fallout and its sequels. I was addicted to Planescape Torment in the days where you had multiple CDs you had to switch as you advanced in the game. I bounced hard off of Torment's "spiritual successor" Torment: Tides of Numenaria (although I intend to give it a second chance). With all that, I have to say that Disco Elysium may be one of the most, if not THE most, fascinating and immersive RPG I have ever played.

What is, perhaps, most interesting, is that the game might better be called an interactive novel rather than a true RPG. There is basically no combat (and the combat that is in the game is all dialog driven). Interactions invariably lead to a dialog box. Be ready to read at least one if not two novels worth of text. Despite that, I was never bored, never really found myself skimming dialog (a common problem of mine in text-heavy RPGs where I want to get to the action), and always driven to move forward to the next scene. Further, even though this is closer to an interactive novel than traditional RPG, the game is remarkably open - think a sand-box choose-your-own adventure book. You are rarely railroaded, and you have freedom to discover and explore. As a testament to that, I spent about 10 hours playing the game before I even realized there was a coastal area!

I finished the game in about 20 hours, although I feel like I could play it again and have a very different experience and arrive at a very different conclusion. I tried to play it as a redemption story, attempting to get sober and be a "good" cop. Doing so, I likely missed some colorful exchanges and interesting storylines. I also played as a cerebral cop with insight into the paranormal (the Inland Empire skill is very weird), and a more physical or dexterous playthrough would net different results.

It isn't a perfect game (what is). There is a particularly notable scene that breaks your freedom (and can have drastic results depending on your choices). The characters are rich and draw you in, with the exception of a few. Some people may be offended by the use (albeit censored) of homophobic slurs and racism (albeit fantasy races). Others may find the ability to make your character a staunch communist, a cold-blooded capitalist, or a raving fascist off-putting. It is a game about choice, so you can certainly decide to not go those routes (and actively oppose these ideas). This sort of stuff is not gratuitous and fits into the story, so it was acceptable to me as a form of art and a commentary on the real, modern world. Lastly, the ending is a bit abrupt and underwhelming, but the game is more about the journey than any real summation (much like life).

For those that argue that games can't be art or literature - play Disco Elysium - it is both.

P.S. I will never not love Kim Kitsuragi.

The true successor to the Harvest Moon series! I have played most every one of these anime-style farming simulators and this is certainly the best.