A Critique of Disco Elysium: Delight, Self-Destruction, and Dice Rolls
13Hey hey folks. This is a video essay critique detailing my thoughts and reactions to Disco Elysium (one of the best games I've ever played). It starts off looking at the games' inspiration, and how an RPG with no combat still features elements of combat systems from other RPGs. I then discuss the copotypes and political affiliation and how they don't matter as much as Harry's relationship with Kim Kitsuragi before going onto discuss my thoughts and feelings on the ending, the pale, and my favourite side quest. Finally we wrap things up with how I feel the dice rolls hold the game back from what it could be. It's quite a ride. I hope you enjoy it.
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Transcript - https://davegamethoughts.blogspot.com/2024/03/delight-self-destruction-and-dice-rolls.html
= Chapters =
0:00 - Intro
1:47 - Disco Elysium as a CRPG
4:49 - Skills and Thoughts
7:40 - Copotype & Kim Kitsuragi
11:17 - Discussing The Ending
17:14 - The Pale, Disco, & Anodic Dance Music
21:09 - Why The Dice Rolls Are a Problem
25:02 - Conclusion
26:57 - Epilogue
= Reading List =
- Writing -
Disco Elysium and Finding the Beauty in a Cynical World By Jeremy Signor
https://unwinnable.com/2019/11/06/disco-elysium-and-finding-the-beauty-in-a-cynical-world/
DISCO ELYSIUM BREAKS THE LOOMS OF RPGs by slimemoldtimemold
https://slimemoldtimemold.com/2022/04/11/disco-elysium-breaks-the-looms-of-rpgs/
'Disco Elysium' Was Too Afraid of Sincerity to Be Revolutionary By Colin Spacetwinks
https://www.vice.com/en/article/7kpjzq/disco-elysium-was-too-afraid-of-sincerity-to-be-revolutionary
SPINNING AND GROOVING TO DISCO NIHILISM IN DISCO ELYSIUM by Jon Lancaster
https://haywiremag.com/features/spinning-and-grooving-to-disco-nihilism-in-disco-elysium/
Chaos as Canon by Joshua Calixto
https://bulletpointsmonthly.com/2019/11/06/chaos-as-canon
A Spectre is Haunting Martinaise — Detective Fiction and Disco Elysium’s Disappointing Ending by PJ Judge
https://medium.com/@pjjudge/a-spectre-is-haunting-martinaise-why-i-liked-disco-elysiums-disappointing-ending-5cbb4f335e2c
PISSF****T: about a jacket in Disco Elysium by Zoyander Street
https://zoyastreet.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/pissft-about-a-jacket-in-disco-elysium/
THE MIRACLE ANIMAL AND THE PALE INSIDE: EXISTENTIAL THOUGHT IN DISCO ELYSIUM by Keith Gordon
https://haywiremag.com/features/the-miracle-animal-and-the-pale-inside-existential-thought-in-disco-elysium/
A Year Later, I Still Can't Stop Thinking About Disco Elysium By Renata Price
https://kotaku.com/a-year-later-i-still-cant-stop-thinking-about-disco-el-1847585413
Disco Elysium and Copaganda by Kaile Hultner
https://noescapevg.com/disco-elysium-and-copaganda/
- Interviews & Post-mortems -
Disco Elysium - A chat with Robert Kurvitz, lead writer and designer by Steam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMo_th4lI7k
Investigation: Who’s Telling the Truth about Disco Elysium? by People Make Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGIGA8taN-M
About the Disco Elysium Investigation by Jamrock Hobo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1b5zyvsUBY
The Feature That Almost Sank Disco Elysium by GameSpot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X0-W5erEXw
- Video -
Judicial Opinions: What Makes Disco Elysium a Modern Classic? by Noah Caldwell Gervais
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_7ngJDbUQE
Disco Elysium, Roleplaying Heaven by Sophie From Mars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY8nfRjTGUQ
Disco Elysium - All Hobocops Are ... by Renegade Cut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo4sHDGiDC0
Why Disco Elysium Hurts... by chriswaves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km1bQF0wOSE
Disco Elysium is a Role-Playing Dream Come True by RagnarRox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSmZcN7AgHQ
Other Videos By Dave's Videogame Journey
Other Statistics
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