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Ponty Praises: Disco Elysium

The Portly Politico25 Comments

Disco Elysium is quite possibly the best video game I have ever played.  It is certainly the most unique.  I knew it was something special after only an hour of playing it, and while I have not started a new game since finishing it—“beating” is probably not the right word for Disco Elysium—it is a game that could reveal fresh layers through dozens, perhaps hundreds, of playthroughs, even if it only consists of one “main quest,” as it were.

I’ve never played a game that more accurately reflects the way my own mind is structured, and the way that I think about and dwell upon certain inane details.  I don’t have a “Thought Cabinet,” per se, but the notion of fixating upon and ruminating about an idea to the point that it worms its way into your psyche feels true to my experience.  As dear old Ponty will point out, the game has a way of seeping into your mind and, therefore, your life outside of the game.

I don’t want to give too much away, as Ponty delivers a brilliant and detailed review, so I’ll turn the controller over to him.

With that, here is Ponty’s review of Disco Elysium:

Disco Elysium

Platforms [Links are affiliate links; I receive a portion of sales at no cost to you, blah blah blah. —TPP]:

As I sat peeling sprouts on an overcast Easter morning, a few things flitted in and out of my mind. Mainly, though, on the task at hand. I reconciled with the fact that nothing is at it seems but it still annoyed me that the lies come without consequence. Like pre-peeled sprouts, perhaps one of the biggest lies we’ve come to accept. This isn’t the first time it’s bothered me and as I sat, once again peeling sprouts that would be dirty and ragged if you cooked and served them in their supposedly ‘pre-peeled’ status, I vowed that the next time I went back to the supermarket, I’d ask for a discount since the label, all the labels, for this product are wrong. But then I thought, well, no one else has complained about this product; not to my knowledge anyway. And then I thought that this probably meant more, that is was an existential problem. Maybe the lie was bigger than I thought. Maybe everything or nothing is pre-peeled. Maybe this lie is what perpetuates the entirety of our existence but we, who are unwilling to fathom the enormity of such a question, can continue as normal because complaining about this lie would get us nowhere. And then, as my thoughts manifested into conversation, Tina responded that maybe I’d been playing this game a little too long.

The game she was referring to was Disco Elysium, a philosophical role playing game which burrows into thought and existence while also going through the motions of a detective mystery.

When your detective, Harrier/Harry Du Bois, wakes up, clutching his head, with the mother of all hangovers, he must solve two mysteries; who killed the hanged man at the back of the café and recalling, well, anything about himself. The impression you get is your detective went on a majorly serious bender because he really can’t remember who he is. Now, in my lifetime, I’ve been on some serious drinking sessions, so bad that I have wondered how I made it back the previous evening, even forgetting what happened the previous night or the various days before. I can usually remember my name and what I do but that’s about it. I’m thankful that I’ve never had to retrace my steps, like our poor detective, ascertaining along the way what I do, who I am and what I did. 2 out of 3 anyway.

DE Body 1

When you stumble out of your flat – after the possibility of impaling yourself on the ceiling fan (yes, I did that after Tina told me it might be an idea to turn it off at the wall before retrieving my tie) – you meet Kim, your partner in this mystery. He follows you for the majority of the game, making suggestions, offering insight and more likely than not sighing as you struggle with your own conscience and the varying characters the game offers up.

The game really tests your memory as you wander from one area to another, each character throwing up either superfluous comments or new intrigue as you follow whichever path you’ve set before you, Kim dutifully following hoping beyond hope that you don’t do anything to get yourself and him in trouble.

With each task or conversation resolved, you get the opportunity to improve your skills, whether in intellect, physique, motorics and psyche, each coming with their own particular skill sets. These make interaction, whether with inanimate objects or people easier but it all depends on how you interact with the game. The same goes with Thoughts, which you can internalise and switch depending on what you need at that particular point of the game.

Now, you can play this as you want. You can remember that you’re a professional and go about your business in an exacting and confident manner. Or, like us, you can be flippant and obnoxious, even though this is a great way to get your character killed. But it does bring around some interesting results. For one, it identifies the sort of cop you’re becoming. Tina and I achieved the Superstar rating essentially because we chose the Disco option whenever we could and had no issue boasting. We were close to Apocalypse Cop but our general behaviour, which received a lot of head nods and sighs from Kim, kept us well away from Boring. We tend to like the chaos factor, whether we’re playing this or any other game. It adds another perspective.

The gameplay is a simple click and follow, for movement, or highlighting options in the dialogue box. Some may see that as limited but each option will bring up fresh possibilities so you never play the same game twice. The graphics aren’t going to blow anyone’s skirts up but I like them. It’s more art than striking and accurate high definition and it works for the type of game it is.

The soundtrack is great, sometimes low key brass, other times thoughtful and beautiful but the best thing about this title is the dialogue. When you’re not listening to your own mind trying to diminish you at every turn, the exchanges between you and other characters will leave you bent double in laughter. Of all mediums of entertainment, I can honestly say that I’ve never laughed as much as with this game. Yes, it asks intriguing questions. Yes, there’s a lot of dialogue and description to consume but crikey, it’s really funny, so much so that at times, Tina and I could be found keeled over, halfway from couch to floor, clutching our bellies and wiping the tears from our eyes.

Hand on heart, I’ve never played anything quite like Disco Elysium and probably never will again, well, not unless the Estonian creator, Robert Kurvitz, makes another game like it [sadly, this seems unlikely now—TPP]. It’s heavy going, yes, but the journey is well worth it. It’s surprising, touching, intriguing and hilarious and though I’m splitting hairs in mentioning the only fault being the short ending, it’s a classic.

One final thought, with Audre in mind. Some of the language can get a little raw but it’s not the be all and end all of this game. There’s a lot to pique your interest and it’s very emotive. It’ll also play really well on the computer so, if you get the time, check it out but one piece of advice; when you get to Cuno, the little scrote throwing rocks at the hanging body, try to get through it as quick as you can!

25 thoughts on “Ponty Praises: Disco Elysium”

  1. Thanks, Tyler, for posting this and for your intro. Brilliant as always. 🙂

    We’re going to give it a while before we return to it. Right now, we’re replaying Ghost of Tsushima with some funky new toys and I’ve been playing Cyberpunk 2077 which is just flat out superb. I’ll review the latter when I get a few moments.

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    • My pleasure, my friend. Thank you for writing such a thoughtful and excellent review.

      Looking forward to the CP2077 review. It’s definitely one I’m going to play after I complete building my new PC. My younger brother is helping me find deals on components, and I’ve been scooping them up as they come.

      I’ve been playing a lot of Stardew Valley the past week or so. It’s a fun little farming game in the vein of Harvest Moon. One of my students was playing it during exam review week (he was exempting the exam, so I didn’t mind him engaging in some harmless fun), and we started talking about the game. It’s been fun to dip back into it.

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      • I’ll have a look at Stardew Valley. This is the first I’ve heard about it.

        Have a butchers at Scan. I get my computer components from there.

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        • Yeah, it’s a pretty fun little game. Not pulse-pumping action, but it’s a good way to unwind.

          Thanks for the recommendation, my friend!

          If you and Tina do a second playthrough of Disco Elysium, what might you do differently? I had several loose threads that I did not tie up before heading into the endgame, which I regret. I’d finally reached a compromise between the electronica dudes and the scientist in the church, but didn’t finish it out. I was excited to see a drug-free dance hall pop up in there! 😅

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          • Just had a look. It doesn’t seem much different to most sim games. We’ve been playing a Fire game for the last few years, Township, in which you build and maintain your own town. Tina’s in my team for it so we can help each other out and pick up rewards. If you or Audre ever go to it, I can invite you into our team.

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            • I’ll check out Township. I think Stardew has a co-op mode, too, but I’ve only ever done single player. I think what separates it from other sims is its uniquely quirky personality and aesthetic. Since its release, there have been many copycats (although it is itself a copycat of Harvest Moon).

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              • We’ve had some grotty weather recently and it doesn’t look like it’ll improve at any time soon so we’re going to clear the table soon and go to war with Lord of the Rings Risk. Tina’s looking forward to it because she knows I’ll quote the film at every available opportunity! 😂

                Once she’s beaten me – I’m terrible at dice games – there’ll be enough space for her Lego. You and Tina would have so much fun with Lego.

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                • I would love to build some LEGO sets with Tina. I have this incredible TIE Bomber set that still needs building. I got it for Christmas! I might break that bad boy out this weekend. It’s been awhile since I’ve done a proper build, and it would be fun to document it for posterity here on the blog. That might also solve the conundrum of what to write about for next Wednesday (I want to write about President Trump’s show trial, but that might make for better SubscribeStar Saturday fodder).

                  LotR Risk sounds super fun! Hey, maybe this time you’ll be the one to unite Middle Earth. Or maybe not—ha!

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  2. You’re a fine writer, 39. Whether it’s movies or games, you walk along side your reader rather than walking in front of them, pointing at things. It’s quite a talent.

    It turns out it wasn’t the resolution for Little Nightmares that was causing an issue with my new computer; it was the new computer itself. Sil fixed it one, two, three and now it’s exactly what I want. Now … if I could only get the little yellow creature to grab and lift …

    Heard from Margaret today. She liked my article and sent it on to Kathy, who is on holiday right now. I’ll let you know when I know. Hugs and kisses for you and Tina.

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    • He really is the best at reviews. I wish he had a better, more lucrative platform for his writing, but I’m glad I can host him!

      I can’t wait to hear more about your Little Nightmares adventures. I’m proud of you, Audre!

      Wooooot! Yes, let us know. Looking forward to reading your piece.

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    • I’ll keep an eye out for it, Audre. 👍

      And I haven’t forgotten about reviewing The Fly. I’m going to write it up at the same time as the Tremors review and Cyberpunk.

      Six will grab ledges – you just have to want it! 😂 She’ll also hug gnomes – those cute little blighters with pyramid paper hats. If you get through it, try the second one too. They’re both superb.

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  3. I don’t have any idea of how to play a video game, they just never interested me but thank you for spelling Behaviour correctly! Our English spellings are so ridiculously wrong. 😂🇬🇧

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