2021
Was going to rate this a little higher, it has lots of charm and a unique gameplay twist! Love light RPGs of reasonable length. But it really starts to wear thin towards the back half. When it tries to put it's gameplay up to the test, throwing its hardest challenges at you (the underground gauntlet), it breaks. Hitstuns go from a rare annoyance that you can bounce back from to an uncounterable nightmare, certain equipment doesn't work when it's supposed to, and the ultimates were clearly not tuned for the new rules of this one challenge. These issues start cropping up more and more as the game gets more comfortable testing your abilities. It's not a fun challenge, it puts you in situations where netiher dodging, countering, or attacking are possible at times. That on top of the Knockout ruleset completely ruining the flow of gameplay and completely shutting down certain ultimates at random, plus the game seemingly getting tired of its own story and just throwing battles at you for the sake of it. It got more annoying than a game like this should. Still though, I enjoyed a lot about it! Definitely worth your while. If it starts giving you annoying battles that you get stuck in, don't be stubborn like me, just tune the accessibility settings and set them back after. Would've probably saved a lot of time losing to things you can't control :/
2024
Started playing this a few days ago just to give it a try! Now its 3 days later and I just 100%'d it. The world of it all feels so special and alive, all breathing and flowing as one. Soul nourishing stuff, even the super obscure secrets hidden in here that you'll definitely need to Google cause they weren't really expected to be found just make it all the more special. Seriously, I almost teared up at one little obscure detail. It's a singular world made by and for Billy Basso, and we're all just living in it. Not one to miss :)
2001
2019
2023
2023
This review contains spoilers
There was a moment where I rambled about lost husbands and cockatoos outside of a bookstore to a working class woman. I hugged her, and just held on for the sake of the working class. I was so touched by this moment, it was so special.
About a dozen hours later I found a dead man on a board walk. Even later I came to an apartment to tell the man's widow of his passing. It was the same woman I hugged before. Her husband was missing. I stammered over my words, I couldn't keep my composure. Kim took the lead, understanding like he always does. I thought the first moment is what made Disco Elysium special. Well, it is. But this moment is what made Disco Elysium really special. Not for the callback to a random nice interaction that makes your heart sink, but how real it felt having to deal with that. An experience like no other if you're willing to give it your time and your heart.
About a dozen hours later I found a dead man on a board walk. Even later I came to an apartment to tell the man's widow of his passing. It was the same woman I hugged before. Her husband was missing. I stammered over my words, I couldn't keep my composure. Kim took the lead, understanding like he always does. I thought the first moment is what made Disco Elysium special. Well, it is. But this moment is what made Disco Elysium really special. Not for the callback to a random nice interaction that makes your heart sink, but how real it felt having to deal with that. An experience like no other if you're willing to give it your time and your heart.