- PC
LUDEX game dossier
Release
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Critic score
89/100
Platform families
2
Editorial overview
Inside Disco Elysium
What it is
Disco Elysium is a role-playing game developed and published by ZA/UM. It is set in the fictional city of Revachol, where players assume the role of an amnesic detective investigating a murder. The game emphasizes dialogue and skill-based choices, with character attributes represented by internal voices that influence decisions and interactions. Its narrative explores themes of politics, philosophy, and personal identity, and it is known for its unconventional gameplay and deep storytelling.
The premise
In the impoverished district of Martinaise within the city of Revachol, a detective wakes up in a trashed hostel room with no memory of who he is. A severe hangover and what appears to be drug-induced amnesia have erased his identity entirely. He is met by Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi, who informs him they have been assigned to investigate the death of a man found hanged in an empty lot behind the hostel. The victim's identity is unclear, and the scene suggests he was lynched by a group.
As the amnesiac detective and his partner explore the district, following leads and helping residents, the detective gradually learns he is Harrier ""Harry"" Du Bois, a decorated officer of the Revachol Citizens Militia. Something broke in him years ago, triggering a catastrophic spiral that culminated in a three-day drinking binge around Martinaise just before the case began. Now he must piece together both the murder and himself, navigating the political tensions of a city still under foreign occupation decades after a failed communist revolution, while the union dockworkers' strike and a squad of rogue mercenaries threaten to engulf Martinaise in violence.
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