i played disco elysium for the first time on november 19th, 2019.
there was something captivating about the art style, but i went in fully
convinced this was another one of those videogames with a
mirror-protagonist, an empty shell you need to focus on filling
up with a personality of your own choosing.
imagine my surprise when every action i took felt like digging in an archeological site of the mind of whoever the man behind The Expression was, trying to piece together that puzzle through very few successes.
what truly sold on the game though was the environment. the first step i took on the balcony of the whirling-in-rags, the soft trumpets blaring far away, the dirty snow on the ground and the worn tiles, once beautiful- it felt so weirdly close to me, whilst also being completely alien.
from that point onwards, i just fully accepted that i was in for the ride, and played with no idea of what was waiting for me.
i don't want to spend too many words describing what that first experience
playing the game was like for me, as i think i cannot rival the actual
poetry of the dialogues, but i am so grateful that games like disco
elysium can still be made nowadays.
a game that doesn't shy away from humanity, its nooks and crannies and the
filth we hide in there. filth and light both, actually.
i am pleased to say that i've replayed (or wanted to replay) this game every year, but under a
very specific condition.
it has to be snowing outside.
(not very easy,
considered that i live in southern europe, but also not impossible!)