Disco Elysium

ZAUM is run by a scumbag of a CEO whom i wish all the worst, but the game itself was made by talented and passionate people whole pour their souls and love into it and it shows

I have 2 reasons why you should not buy this game:
One, it was stolen from the original creators. The only people receiving credit through the purchase of this game are corporate gluttons. Pirate it or experience it through play-throughs. If you must buy it through steam, do not pay full price for it.
Two, this game will grab you by the ribs you and rattle you down to your very core. I have yet to escape the clutches of this story, this world, this SOUNDTRACK, and Mr Kim Pinball Kitsuragi. I have yet to find another game that breaks down and alters my soul the way Disco Elysium has. If you are currently satisfied with your life aspirations and your mental landscape, do not get within 12 feet of that 'Add to Cart' button. This is not an exaggeration by any means. My love for Disco Elysium extends into my very bones.

Its hard to talk about this game without talking about how the devs got screwed over but I don't think I'm the right person to write about it.
If you have every felt burnt out, without direction, or in a place of less than stellar mental health then this game will connect with you in a way that both makes you feel seen and also like you might not be alone in this. The writing is fantastic and the graceful soundtrack by Sea Power only drives this games further beyond the pale of what I can want for a game. This game ruined games for me because I will search for something like this only to be met with the bitter reality of nothing like it existing elsewhere.
Please play this game, but for the love of god do not buy it at full price. The devs poured their heart and soul into this and ZA/UM deserves as little money as you can feasibly give them for how they treated them.

A real masterpiece, a true work of art we will never see again due to some slimy business men taking over the studio. The game is worth experiencing, without a doubt, but do not give your money to these thieves who hijacked the studio.

To those who want to play the game - DO NOT BUY IT HERE, the publisher ZA/UM has been forcefully taken over by people want nothing more than to make money off of the backs the original devs who they kicked out. I cant recommend anyone buy the game on Steam, as none of it will go to the REAL devs (I found out about this too late). Find ways to get it through "other means" that won't give this fake ZA/UM any money,
*SPOILER WARNING - do not read further unless you have fully beaten the game.
After over a year of playing on and off (my friends wanted to watch) playing, 52 hours in, I have gotten to the end of Disco Elysium. In my playthrough, I chose Volition as my lead skill, Kim survived the shootout, and joined the 41st, I got evidence of the Insulindian Phasmid, and most importantly, solved the case. As for Harry, He turned out to be a Strong Moralist (didn't complete the quest line), a Partial Fascist and a Partial Superstar Cop. The most important thing to me was that Harry remained sober, and had a close connection with Kim. Disco Elysium is a phenomenal experience that I recommend to anyone who feels that they can handle it's deep, complex narrative. And even if the ending doesn't satisfy you, I can truly say, the journey there will be plenty enough to convince of this game's beauty and power.
Gameplay - it's a dialogue-based RPG, if you're looking for action packed, skill based gameplay, then this is not your game. You click through dialogue options, go through (mostly) luck-based checks, run around Martinaise, completing personal quests along the way of solving the murder. It can be tedious and slow to some, but to someone who expected this from the beginning, it was perfectly fine to me.
Story/Writing - The story of this game is nothing short of perfection. A chilling, mature, and overall amazing story of humanity, looking past the things that bring us down and how our beliefs and choices can really effect us, even in a strange new world. Harry Du Bois is never someone any of us can really look up to, but he is someone who relate to many of us in many ways, or become a monster we can aspire to not be. Most of his struggles are very real struggles many people go through, addiction, loss, breakup, longing, and confusion in his meaning in this world. I connected a lot with Harry, despite not going many of his struggles in real life, and I felt that a lot of decisions reflected who I am as well (not all obviously), which has lead Harry being one of my favorite protagonists in gaming. The world of Disco Elysium so perfectly taps the line of fantasy and realism, it is a combination of both old and modern things, that make the world feel understandable and realistic, while still feeling a bit distant and new, technology has seemed to not progress much since the 1900s yet computers exist. As for what makes this world fantasy like is the whole concept of the Pale. Much like the oceans of our world, the Pale is what separates the masses of land in the world. A dangerous, mysterious mass of anti-matter that consumes the world day by day, very slowly. Some people can connect to the Pale in strange ways, which is what allows it to grow. Harry is hinted at being one, and from external sources apparently have something to do the voices in your head (not sure honestly). This game's character development and dialogue is unmatched to say the least, every character no matter how weird, crazy or cruel are all written that still makes them human, and this games use of harsh language so perfectly captures human responses to Harry's BS and makes characters that much better. Cuno for example, wouldn't be nearly as impactful of a character if he didn't say the f-word in every sentence, if he didn't talk about screwed up things that a 12-year-old should be ok with saying, then those moments where you connect with him feel all the more satisfying. Your perspective on many characters will change over the course of your journey, your main murder suspect will change, cruel characters can change, nice characters can reveal the monsters they really are. Kim, for example, the more you bond with him the more cracks in his "professional cop" persona you see. The last "characters" I want to address, are the voices in your head, which not only guide you through journey but each are given distinct characters and everyone of them bring a certain charm to the story, instead of writing them as bland categorical thoughts in your head, they bring so much charm, depth and even humor to the game. The overall story of the game is amazing, with my only complaint being that it can be a very slow burn until the end. But all the characters and writing keep you engaged the whole way. But the second you step in Ruby's trap, the endgame begins, and all of my complaints are nullified, as the last 8 hours of the game are some of the most gripping, tense and emotional end of any game and truly makes the long journey there worth it in the end.
Art - This game's art style is perfection, the cluttered, painterly style of all the portraits and art perfectly convey this games feeling of distance and longing. Each portrait is expertly designed to fit every character and even provide foreshadowing to future events such as Kim's. My only complaint is that some of the modeling/texture work can be a bit poor at times and I wish they would match the portraits more, but that's a very minor complaint. This game's art is just breathtaking, with every painted picture being a masterpiece.
Music - while I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to the soundtrack outside of the game much, I cannot say that the game's soundtrack doesn't capture the games feel perfectly. Most of the songs give you a feeling of longing, a sense of fatigue that comforts you but at the same time saddens you, one could almost call it psychedelic. You can feel what kind of town Martinaise is the second you hear the trumpet come on the radio. One piece in particular that plays during a very special part of the game, called "La Revacholiere" is beautiful piece that perfect conveys the of wonder and awe at that very moment.
Voicing - I honest can't imagine that there was a time where this game had only little voice acting, not even a Narrator. Speaking of Narrator, Lenval Brown is an absolute beast of a voice actor, taking on hundred of hours worth of dialogue, and making it all come to life perfectly, his deep, raspy, accented voice perfectly conveys the tone of this game and can almost calming at times, while not by much, I can tell that he changes his voice slightly to differentiate the voices head, voices like Volition and Shivers are much more calm and smooth, while Half-Light and Authority are deep and booming. Every other character's VAs perfectly encapsulate what I imagine they would sound like in real life, providing a much needed boost of life to the walls of text on the screen.
Disco Elysium has legitimately moved me in a way not many games have. There was moments were I laughed my ass off, there were moments where could barely hold back tears, there were moments where all i could do was sit in silence. this game was an unforgettable journey that left me satisfied as the credits rolled. The words "You're the Miracle, Harry" will forever stay in my mind as one of the most powerful lines in the game. Thank you to the REAL devs of this game for making this masterpiece, it's horrible what's happened to them and I hope they can get this property back again in the right hands.
Let's go Harry, we've got a lot of work to do.
Goodbye Disco Elysium

"the funk soul brother at the back of his head has gone dark. Forever."
It is, without a doubt, a unique and extraordinary experience that has changed my life and my outlook on it. Now, moving on to the game, what an incomparable experience! "Disco Elysium" is more than a video game; it is a form of art that changes the way you see politics. In real life, you can say whatever nonsense you want, and nothing happens, but here, every decision you make has consequences. It's like having a philosophical debate in a bar, except instead of discussing, you end up kicking inanimate objects, and you feel like a damn monster for doing so.
This game left my mind reeling, and I can't fully explain what it made me feel. It not only offers a fascinating universe filled with multiple plots and charismatic characters, but it also transforms how we see the consequences of our ideas. If reading a book is anything like this, I should definitely give it a try.
Warning: Before diving into "Disco Elysium," I advise you to pirate the game through third-party sites. After all, the bastards at ZA/UM stole the IP, and the real creators don’t see a single cent from the sales. Apparently, there’s financial crime behind all this, and they even kicked the original developers out of the studio. So, in honor of the revolution, down with the capitalist pigs!

QUALIFICATION
10/10 VOICES IN MY HEAD

I downloaded this game expecting a Sherlock Holmes-esque mystery thriller. What I got was a lethal dose of human experience. Politics. Suffering. The detective work is a vessel facilitating intimacy and conversation. A nihilistic world, burning in the flames after leaping from the frying pan. At the epicentre of chaos; a man who has forgotten trauma, unwittingly using his condition to gaze at the world with a juvenile, somewhat healed perspective. A man vulnerable to proselytism from all angles. A man that can completely embody the choices you make as a player; a world that can echo these sentiments. Disco Elysium is incredible and I would recommend it to anyone who can withstand some reading.
PS: This review is solely in praise of the individual people who worked on Disco Elysium. Since its release ZA/UM has been wrung of its creative liberty by investors and greed. Acquire this game through alternate means, then praise the people that scroll by in the credits when you finally reach its conclusion.