You ever want to get excited for something but then get put off by how the people making it talk about it? That’s what I experienced when looking at the newly announced mobile version of Disco Elysium that the remnants of developer ZA/UM showed off today. From the looks of it, the studio isn’t just aiming to put its acclaimed RPG on a tiny screen and call it a day, but is instead restructuring the game to fit phones by trimming out some of the exploration mechanics and basically turning it into a visual novel, which could help you play the game in quicker bursts, rather than sitting down at your PC or console for hours a day.
That’s the idea, anyway. As noted by Eurogamer, ZA/UM studio head Denis Havel described the port as being designed to “captivate the TikTok user with quick hits of compelling story, art, and audio, ultimately creating an all new, deeply engaging form of entertainment.” Condescending to your audience ahead of time by implying they lack the attention span for the original game is an interesting approach, but let’s see if it gets better.
Narrative lead Chris Priestman adds, “With this adaptation, Disco Elysium becomes more accessible than ever. This reimagination is now structured to fit the way people play on mobile, making it effortless to enjoy in short bursts. It’s what audiobooks wish they were.” Okay, Disco Elysium is apparently covering ground the entire audio storytelling industry can’t, according to ZA/UM. Havel also says:
“Mobile players deserve deep, story-rich experiences, like Disco Elysium. With profound respect for the original’s artistry and meaning, we move forward as both custodians and creators, bringing this masterpiece to new and returning players alike. We want you to fall in love with Disco Elysium on your phone – all over again.”
There’s an annoying tendency in video games for people to oversell things as possessing an artistic or cultural significance unlike anything you’ve seen before (check out any time someone who worked on The Last of Us talks about it), but hearing this kind of prattling on from ZA/UM is especially grating considering the studio’s very public fallout with most of the creative team who developed Disco Elysium. Even if the reimagining looks like a pretty intuitive port for your phone, I can’t help but get the ick reading how this team talks about it.
Disco Elysium is coming to Android devices later this year, and pre-registration is open now. The port will be free to start, allowing you to play the first two chapters before having to put any money down. There’s currently no word on whether the game will come to iOS. Earlier this week, ZA/UM also announced spy RPG Project [C4].
