Why It Ranks
“An RPG where your mind is the battlefield.” — The Writer's RPG. Scored 25/30.
Score Breakdown
The Review
Disco Elysium has zero combat and is one of the greatest RPGs ever made. ZA/UM replaced swords and spells with 24 skills that represent different facets of your detective's psyche — from Electrochemistry urging you toward substance abuse to Inland Empire whispering surreal hunches. The writing is the best in any video game, full stop. Every conversation is a labyrinth of ideology, trauma, and dark comedy. It made the entire industry reconsider what an RPG could be when freed from the obligation to include combat.
Fun Fact
Lead designer Robert Kurvitz originally wrote the game's world as a novel, and the studio formed specifically to adapt it into a game.
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