Another day, another Disco Elysium announcement. Last week saw Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM announce it would be launching a mobile version of its modern classic on Android. Obviously, since mobile phones aren’t exactly built to play CRPGs of this ilk, or anything that isn’t designed for a small screen and touch controls, this port makes quite a few changes.
ZA/UM also unveiled a new project called Project C4 last week.
What’s New In Disco Elysium’s Mobile Port?
Chief among the changes is that the game’s perspective has seemingly shifted from isometric to first-person. It actually looks pretty cool in practice – scenes have been built in 360 degrees, allowing players to explore Revachol up close and personal. It’s unclear if all exploration will be carried out through this perspective yet, but alongside a reimagined, mobile-friendly UI, it looks like you’ll be able to play Disco Elysium on the go, and without even having to turn your phone sideways into landscape mode to make the experience tolerable.
The port will also feature new audio with full voiceover.
As far as mobile ports go, this one is fairly innocuous. While we’re now fairly accustomed to seeing critically-acclaimed games give in to the worst of mobile game trends when ported (Frostpunk: Beyond the Ice and its messy microtransactions comes to mind), Disco isn’t going to be a gacha game or anything of the sort. You get to play two ‘chapters’ for free, and then unlock the full game (ad-free!) with a single purchase. The original game doesn’t have chapters, of course, so this seems to be a structural change for the purposes of monetisation.
Disco Elysium Isn’t Meant To Be Easily Accessible
It’s the marketing for the port that I find perplexing, which is in keeping with ZA/UM’s growing pattern of chasing dollar signs while disrespecting its fanbase. Per studio head Denis Have via IGN, “We intend to captivate the TikTok user with quick hits of compelling story, art, and audio, ultimately creating an all new, deeply engaging form of entertainment.” The TikTok user? Quick hits?
Disco Elysium is not, traditionally, the kind of game you pick up and play whenever you like. It’s an incredibly dense game, with lots of reading, layers of meaning and philosophical thought, one that requires a high level of emotional and intellectual engagement to get the most out of it. It is certainly not in keeping with the idea of catering to the TikTok user, considering that most TikToks are short, quickly consumed media, created to be scrolled past quickly or sped through at 2x speed. Disco Elysium isn’t compatible with ADHD brainrot content, the social media feeds you scroll through on your phone while watching bad Netflix on a second, larger screen. I’d go so far as to say they are in direct opposition.
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ZA/UM’s Project C4 Is Fighting A Battle It Can’t Win
ZA/UM has lost so much goodwill that it’s not even close to being the most popular Disco Elysium successor.
Furthermore, narrative lead Christ Priestman went on to say, “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.” I have no idea what that last part means. What do Disco Elysium and audiobooks have in common? That they have lots of words and can now be fiddled with on the go?
I don’t want to crap all over a perfectly good idea just because of some poorly chosen words in its marketing, but I’m horrified at the idea that Disco Elysium will be ‘reimagined’ to be ‘consumable’ the same way TikToks are. To understand Disco, you have to spend time with it, sit with its themes, and pick apart its dense prose. It’s not meant to be accessible and easy, it’s meant to be stimulating and challenging. Without seeing the final product, it’s hard to say if the mobile version works the same way the original does, but I’m not confident after the way it has been unveiled.
- Released
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October 15, 2019
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
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ZA/UM
- Publisher(s)
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ZA/UM