PC Critic Reviews

There’s depth, hundreds of hours of replayability and above all, an experience you won’t forget. With humour, panache, wit and genuinely touching moments, this is a hell of a story.

So deep, so well-written, so pleasant to watch, so funny and so dark, so clever, so free and replayable : for sure Disco Elysium is the kind of trip you will remember. One of the best RPGs ever made.

Disco Elysium blew my mind with its radically simple but deep approach to roleplaying. Its world and characterisation are brought to life by artistry and writing that are nothing short of astounding. Somehow, the stars aligned with absurd ambition, sheer fledgling talent and a decade of pen and paper storytelling in the Elysium universe to create something truly special. Is Disco Elysium the best RPG of all time? I can’t make that call. Is it the best game I’ve played all year? Absolutely.

Disco Elysium is a mad, sprawling detective story where the real case you've got to crack isn't who killed the man strung up on a tree in the middle of town--though that in itself, replete with dozens of unexpected yet intertwined mysteries and wild excursions into the ridiculous, is engrossing enough to sustain the game. Rather, it’s an investigation of ideas, of the way we think, of power and privilege, and of how all of us are shaped, with varying degrees of autonomy, by the society we find ourselves in.

Disco Elysium is not only a deep, innovative RPG, but is also one of those pieces of art that emerge maybe only once a decade. The Belarusian developers brutally throw the loneliness, struggles and helplessness of modern human into the players faces and leave them to deal with it. Disco Elysium not only offers a very deep and engaging story, but also mixes it superbly with some top of the line role playing elements, and gives you one of the most special experiences in recent years.

Despite all the first grade humour that permeates the dialogues (or maybe – thanks to it?) the Estonians offered us – the Western civilization – a hard pill to swallow. And – as consumers – swallow it we should. I guarantee that by doing it you will forget everything else that has happened in the RPG genre during the last years. And you will not regret it. [13/2019, p.75]

Disco Elysium is perhaps one of the best role-playing games of all time, and I don't say that lightly. I haven't played a game that has been able to so masterfully flex to my actions as well as ZA/UM's freshman outing. The writing is sharp, the characters genuine, and the choices possess true stakes.

Disco manages to represent feelings I’ve only ever had when I’ve been drunk when shivers especially channels unusual, almost out-of-body mental experiences that we’ve all had at one point that relies heavily on the quality of the writing. Disco Elysium is not only the best game of this year in my opinion, but undoubtedly one of the best games of the decade.

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.

Disco Elysium is a unique blend of noir-detective fiction, traditional pen-and-paper RPGs, and a large helping of existentialist theory. Its twisting plot, cast of memorable characters, and sheer depth of choice combine to create an experience that begs to be savoured. A few minor gripes aside, it hits on almost every single one of the marks it sets out to achieve and left me yearning to spend more time in its world.