Playing this game feels like...

[Elblackwoodo]

...talking to an art student, who is extremely snotty and tells you a pretty boring story while inhaling his farts. (story ends with on of these "everything was just a dream" kind of endings)

Couldn't get more out of it than a few laughs in the beginning.

Don't want to come around as someone who wants to bash the game, it's just how I feel.
Would like to know how you would complete the sentence.

[LTJ]

I just started Disco Elysium and yes, this is definitely a video game unlike any other I've played in my life and I've been gaming for over 30 years. It's very different than any other RPG but intriguing. I can't stop playing it and am genuinely enjoying it.

[Baal]

While I share your feelings about art students I don't agree with your opinion on this game. I think this is the best RPG to come out in recent years. Maybe you had expectations that weren't met but the writing in this game is top notch and the game feels different than others in the same genre, in a good way. Also, the way you play, the choices you make in your gameplay really affect the experience you get. This was the first cRPG that truly felt like role playing to me.

[LTJ]

Originally posted by 76561198042664846:

While I share your feelings about art students I don't agree with your opinion on this game. I think this is the best RPG to come out in recent years. Maybe you had expectations that weren't met but the writing in this game is top notch and the game feels different than others in the same genre, in a good way. Also, the way you play, the choices you make in your gameplay really affect the experience you get. This was the first cRPG that truly felt like role playing to me.

Completely agree and for sure. The writing, characters, gameplay, story, it's just all so fantastic to me. I'm hooked and will keep playing this game all week long until I beat it. Also, the soundtrack and sounds are all extremely well done. Now this is what an RPG is all about!

[Amygdala]

What dream?

[Elblackwoodo]

Originally posted by LTJ:

I just started Disco Elysium and yes, this is definitely a video game unlike any other I've played in my life and I've been gaming for over 30 years. It's very different than any other RPG but intriguing. I can't stop playing it and am genuinely enjoying it.

Originally posted by Baal:

While I share your feelings about art students I don't agree with your opinion on this game. I think this is the best RPG to come out in recent years. Maybe you had expectations that weren't met but the writing in this game is top notch and the game feels different than others in the same genre, in a good way. Also, the way you play, the choices you make in your gameplay really affect the experience you get. This was the first cRPG that truly felt like role playing to me.

Thanks for your opinions guys. I'm happy to see you guys get more out of the game than I do. I know this game isn't a bad one in general. It's just not what I expected (atleast the second half of the game)

The RPG aspect really didn't work out for me because of the fact that I tried to Roleplay Harry as someone who tries to get his ♥♥♥♥ straight and do real good work (like he seemingly did before the Amnesia happened)
But the game made it almost impossible to Roleplay that right. Because there were absolutly no drawbacks from not drinking or taking drugs... nothing...

I was told the whole game how ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up Harry was and he just couldn't help himself get off the drugs. But when I played him he almost never mentioned alcohol or drugs, only in very few occasions... (the Alcohol intro Quest for example)
So I never used drugs 99% of the time and it was never mentioned nor had I any drawbacks...

Then like 90% into the game, I finally took 1 single sip from a wine bottle to get the Intro Quest done. (I thought that would maybe trigger a fun element that I was missing)
It did nothing. except for stats +1
But what it did, was actually to trigger something so when The Final Recap of the game rolled by, I was told what a pathethic drunk I still was and just couldn't stay off Alcohol.....

....from drinking 1 little sip... Harry just had to agree and thats it.

I never tried it but tbh, I actually think even if I hadn't drink a single drop while playing, I still would've called out for beeing and addict because the game was not ready for me playing that way... It was just disapointing for me.

[Elblackwoodo]

Originally posted by Amygdala:

What dream?

Hard spoiler be warned:

There's not really a dream, but the the ending almost feels like one.
Because the whole time you spend searching for the killer, is in my view absolutly wasted duo to the murder beeing completely isolated from the whole game until the very end. You can't really do good Detective work and ask all the right questions to really come to the conclusion who has done it yourself. You will just stumble upon the solution at the very end, no possibility to come up with a result yourself or even have a wrong result entirely

And this becomes the more clear the more you play (from the 2nd half on)... eventually I became really bored with dialog because I could feel that there was no real meaining to most of the stuff you say. atleast it has no meaning for the case. It will impact how people react to you personally but I will never have an impact on the murder case itself.

I think I just wanted more real Detective/"Who done it" stuff to get immersed into and gather all the clues to piece em together and get the whole picture.

But it's either just nonsense/politics or Drama that you will get from those conversations and those things are the only things impacted by your playstyle...

I don't know if I could explain it good enough... it's a strange game and it's strange to describe it.

[Rialm]

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

But the game made it almost impossible to Roleplay that right. Because there were absolutly no drawbacks from not drinking or taking drugs... nothing...

No drawback? The drawback is recognizing that he was a piss of ♥♥♥♥. He was all the time an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and he was not some kind of superstar.
The narrative changes a lot. The RPG element of this game is the way the other characters and Harry's emotions react to everything Harry is doing. Like wanting to punch a Kid, hearing Sylvie's story about the bird and saying something bad to hurt her, treating Kim like garbage, etc + calling Harry's station and telling them that he has lost his badge, his weapon and he doesn't have money and he doesn't remember anything about his past. That's hitting the bottle really hard.
Remember: the guy is an alcoholic, drug addict and an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. It's pretty difficult for someone like him not using any kind of drug or drinking alcohol after dealing with every problem he has created. If you play differently, and you use alcohol or drug, the narrative changes and he could feel that he is a freaking superstar.

My first playthrough, I wanted to try to be superstar because I felt that he was feeling that way, but without drinking or using drugs because It's not my kind of thing. I started trying to do funny things: every roll was awful. It was like watching someone trying so hard to be funny but in reality he's only trying to hide his sorrow.

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

I was told the whole game how ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up Harry was and he just couldn't help himself get off the drugs. But when I played him he almost never mentioned alcohol or drugs, only in very few occasions... (the Alcohol intro Quest for example)[/spoiler]

I'm not really sure because I've never played with "Electro Chemistry", or the "Horrific Necktie" or doing drugs. I suppose that way you should get more text.

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

....from drinking 1 little sip... Harry just had to agree and thats it.

Yes, the ending is really harsh. Why? Because no one trusts Harry. Making Kim trust Harry is for me really important, because from the beginning I knew that he would put his body in front of a bullet to protect Harry even if Harry ended up being an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. you should watch what happen if Harry is a racist with Kim

I felt that there were two ending: one the Mercenary Tribunal (it shows how far Harry had solved the case ) and then your Friends Tribunal (which tells you if Harry decided to keep being an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ or if he had changed his life.)

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

I think I just wanted more real Detective/"Who done it" stuff to get immersed into and gather all the clues to piece em together and get the whole picture.

If you play with Visual Calculus, Esprit des Corps, Shivers, Perception, you find clues and you can be certain that the bullet did not come from the room or the rooftop

I also did not pay much attention to the political aspect, "Option D", mostly because I prefer to listen + Harry was solving a case.
But the political aspect is one aspect of that world and it's also a distraction: I did not know if the company or the Labor killed the hanged man.

The thing I love about this game is that the narrative changes a lot thanks to the characters. For example I love Garte, because thanks to him I could see how much Harry changed during the course of the game.
The main quest won't change much, unless you get the other endings for example: shooting Cunoesse.

I hope the The Final Cut does not change much this game.

Edit: sorry for the long text.

[Elblackwoodo]

Originally posted by author:

The RPG element of this game is the way the other characters and Harry's emotions react to everything Harry is doing.

The ending was where I really understood that.
Suddenly there are other cops who try to judge on you. because I supposedly was mean to them. I mean really? Is this some sort of Kindergarden?
It's a Homocide and I could've used some help.
The Detectives trying to judge me for my behavior, rather played the butt hurt and sat in the whirling rags for a week. Why?

Thats just an headscratcher I could'nt wrap my head around.

And this is were the game failed to get me... I thought it's more about "solve a Mystery".
Because I dont get much out of the characters. atleast most of them.
But thats just because stuff like that just can't faszinate me.

I thought Cuno was unbearable, his voice and the over the top style he beeing portraied.
I only liked Kim the whole journey long and thats because he was almost the only normal one. And he was the only one really taking the case serious, like me.

Actually every other character felt extremely unnatuaral to me, They all feel like someone tried to brute force some "uniqueness" or "edgieness" to the characters...

Originally posted by author:

Remember: the guy is an alcoholic, drug addict and an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. It's pretty difficult for someone like him not using any kind of drug or drinking alcohol after dealing with every problem he has created. If you play differently, and you use alcohol or drug, the narrative changes and he could feel that he is a freaking superstar.

I can see that, but what I can't see is that the game isn't even trying to let me play my character how I intended...
It's okay feeling ♥♥♥♥ after long drug abuse.. but shouldnt be 6 days without anything of that kind not be worth something either?

I actually thought of going this path in the beginning because I thougt this should be an easy character for the game to recognize... (literally my thoughts)

But it just didn't at all.
Kim mentioned me walking a lot during the day and talked to me about it, but he couldn't talk to me about me obviously trying to get clean?

Originally posted by author:

Yes, the ending is really harsh. Why?

Beeing harsh is quiete a difference between not even have a single thing between "hopeless drunkard" and "I tried to stay away from everthing" as good as I could.

I think thats just a huge missed oppertunity to let someone sober up and let the person know that something is changing, like it does with other stuff.

Originally posted by author:

Edit: sorry for the long text.

Edit: No probs, the game is complex in a way so we need kinda complex awnsers. :D
thanks for giving your opinion tho!

[Rialm]

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

It's a Homocide and I could've used some help

Harry said to them that he could do it alone, he did not need anyone, that's why they could not help him. And that's why they are judging him at the end because they want to know if Harry can still be their boss. The funny man with the wig defended Harry several times, but now he was doubting himself.

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

Kim mentioned me walking a lot during the day and talked to me about it, but he couldn't talk to me about me obviously trying to get clean?

Harry is a stranger that does not remember his name, he forgot his weapon etc Kim always is trying to solve the case because it's the only thing that he can do to help a stranger. Sometime he gives his opinion, specially when the game describes his reactions.
if you want to see,
the scene when Harry can be a racist with Kim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-25bIV8AQ8

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

I think thats just a huge missed oppertunity to let someone sober up and let the person know that something is changing, like it does with other stuff.

if you've ever talked with an alcoholic, drug addict or smoker, who's trying to stop his addiction, and I know that he smoked or drunked only one time, I'm still doubting a lot of his "volition".

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

I can see that, but what I can't see is that the game isn't even trying to let me play my character how I intended...

you should try playing with "Electro Chemistry", or the "Horrific Necktie" or doing drugs.

edit:

Originally posted by Elblackwoodo:

the game is complex in a way so we need kinda complex awnsers. :D thanks for giving your opinion tho!

No problem. It's a complex game. It took me sometime to figure out what I though about Harry. There are not so many games that makes me think about the main character. For example Arthur from Red Dead Redemption 2 or Kiryu from Yakuza.

[Searry]

It's the best RPG of the previous decade and more should try to copy the concept. Do away with boring RPG combat and focus on the real delight of storytelling.

[LTJ]

Originally posted by Searry:

It's the best RPG of the previous decade and more should try to copy the concept. Do away with boring RPG combat and focus on the real delight of storytelling.

Exactly, the story here is fascinating. I can't wait to finish it and keep at it. Was swamped with work this week but will definitely put some time in over the weekend. I'm telling you all, Disco Elysium is a gem of a video game you won't regret playing.

[Lorax]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned it, but you CAN go sober. It's one of the thoughts. Wasteland of Reality. Even if you have a sip before doing it, if you internalise the thought, you get a permanent debuff (and something else I forget) but Kim will vouch that your going sober at the end of the game.

Also the other cops judging you at the end of the game didn't seem like kindergarten to me. This had clearly been a long time coming. Six years even if I remember the dialog right. Harry has been in a downward spiral for years, tearing the team apart that he and his partner built. And even if you play the game as serious as possible, you still can't escape the things Harry did before the game started, and they have every right to be angry about that.

[Rialm]

Originally posted by Lorax:

Even if you have a sip before doing it, if you internalise the thought, you get a permanent debuff (and something else I forget) but Kim will vouch that your going sober at the end of the game.

I see, I did not know that it was connect with that Thought. That's cool

[CDI Mario]

Playing this game always makes me really sleepy so i cant wait for the Final cut so i can listen and not have to read as much because i stop reading when im sleepy

[LTJ]

Originally posted by Altoid345:

Playing this game always makes me really sleepy so i cant wait for the Final cut so i can listen and not have to read as much because i stop reading when im sleepy

Yeah, I think that's a great decision of them making everything be voice acted. I don't mind reading these great angles and storylines, though. It's like reading a great mystery but in a video game lol