I haven't played the game and I doubt I will, but I did massively enjoy Disco Elysium and it's probably my second favourite game of all time. To those who have played it: Does it bring something...
I haven't played the game and I doubt I will, but I did massively enjoy Disco Elysium and it's probably my second favourite game of all time. To those who have played it: Does it bring something new to the table other than "D&D Disco Elysium"? Because I struggle to contain my cynicism when looking at such a vulnerable, raw, angry, caring and earnest piece of art like Disco Elysium and seeing it filtered through the aesthetic and mechanics of Critical Role.
Its similarities to Disco are principally mechanical (and the dev has been very open about taking inspiration from Disco on this front). It engages with political themes more deeply/explicitly...
Its similarities to Disco are principally mechanical (and the dev has been very open about taking inspiration from Disco on this front). It engages with political themes more deeply/explicitly than most other games but much less deeply than Disco (though ofc Disco has set a pretty absurdly high bar there). There is also clearly a lot of passion put into its story and setting, which isn't derivative of Disco's and is at least a well-constructed take on "D&D setting". There was lore that felt unique and fascinating once I got far enough, and as someone who is not a fan of D&D5e and considers Forgotten Realms pretty meh, I honestly wasn't expecting it to. The writer has definitely put a lot of thought into worldbuilding, at least, even if it's very much not Elysium-level.
Afaik the game was already in development when Disco came out and the dev took inspiration from Disco's mechanics upon playing it, which very much shows, and it is hard to play it without noticing things that Disco did better, but it generally does use the mechanics it borrows from Disco well enough and on rare occasions improves on them. I don't think it should be begrudged for borrowing mechanical inspiration from Disco, especially when Disco itself was so heavily inspired by a lineage of CRPGs that very much also has its roots in D&D lore and culture (Planescape Torment being the obvious one to point out but by no means the only one). I'm up to embrace more entries in a genre I like -- to analogize to another gaming genre, Nine Sols is still enjoyable and telling its own story despite deriving a shitload of inspiration from Hollow Knight, and the gaming landscape is richer for having both games in them. I think the same is true for games that take obvious inspiration from Disco Elysium. After all, good art is inspiring, and taking inspiration from art you enjoy and/or respect is a key part of creation.
Esoteric Ebb doesn't remotely compare to Disco Elysium in terms of quality, but Disco Elysium is one of my favorite works of art period, so that's an impossibly high bar for anything to meet. But it is well-written on the whole and is a very fun time (with a much lighter tone than Disco) if you can avoid comparing the two constantly while playing. They're tonally going for pretty different things most of the time, and even when it borrows heavily from Disco (like the political side), Ebb does some things that are genuinely interesting in their own right, even when they aren't as good as Disco. It's also got a pretty tiny indie team behind it, and it's definitely not a cynical cash grab trying to rake in that sweet Disco money (like cough cough some other games that have been announced recently).
EDIT TO ADD: Honestly like half of this could be summed up by Yahtzee describing it as being good if you want something "shorter and snackier than Disco Elysium with goblins in it", but yeah.
TL DR. It turned into a review. Long story short. Not exactly Disco and far from any of the popular DnD shows or modules. Worth the time if on discount. One friend of mine likend it to a Monty...
TL DR. It turned into a review. Long story short. Not exactly Disco and far from any of the popular DnD shows or modules. Worth the time if on discount.
One friend of mine likend it to a Monty Python/Blackadder RPG and another said its like playing Harry from DE, playing a TTRPG. I agree with both.
It pulls a lot of the aesthetics and broad structure of DE. The PoV and map layout/styles. Your stats shaping you thinking/perspective. The investigation story and too patient assistant (its no Lt Kim but a good enough substitute). But I felt it stands on its own and the dev feels inspired while doing his own thing.
Theres an air of sillyness to the whole thing with some easier social commentary. Gender roles, politics, labour/capital, colonialism and race relations, drinking a potion that may have changed your biological sex, revival magic, eating sentient beings, religion, laws... Nothing too inflammatory like in DE but it's nice to see NPCs have opinions on these topics and it's relevant with the state of the wider world. I honestly looked forward to talking to the halfling anthropologist or the orc merchant rep and even the various politicians you cross paths with.
Its definitely not Critical Role, but there are some hints of Dimension 20 with the tone becoming pretty cerebral and introspective at times.
Because it's a very low level game, magic is a situational tool, gear is mostly stat mods/story options and there's "combat" encounters that is more about decision making over dealing damage. And overall I'd say the DnD framework was the weakest part of the game because this adventure hits all of the systems weak spots.
Fundamentally, 5e is a power fantasy engine with 500 ways to kill someone and 2 ways to navigate a conversation.
It feels like a D20 dice allowed for far too much variability and even with boosted stats, there were several times where I just had long streaks of bad to near-hit rolls. Combine that with the other DnD problem where there is very little incentive for specialists over multi-classing and I can see the RPG systems being redundant over multiple games.
I decided to go all in on charisma since this is a more social game, but it felt like I never got any meaningful moments for that skill to shine or a true tests that any other build would fail. And on the flip side, I could reliably gear my way to most other high DC rolls with minimal save scumming.
But I can see why 5e would work a lot better as a business decision given how it is the default RPG a lot of people know and its on the back of a game, movie and all the web shows.
Overall, I like it. Reminds me of my style of GMing that is a lot lighter on combat and quests are a web of intersecting interests. It feels a lot lighter to almost being whimsical at times. There is also some amazing failure outcomes and plenty of chances to do cool things with a disaster character that is surprisingly good at their job.
I think your comment is fair... I would say them comparing it to Disco Elysium does it a disservice. Other than the presentation (which is "Discolike"), it doesn't have much in common with what...
I think your comment is fair... I would say them comparing it to Disco Elysium does it a disservice. Other than the presentation (which is "Discolike"), it doesn't have much in common with what made Disco Elysium unique.
What it is, is an enjoyable game that feels like it respects your choices (either that or has manipulated me into making the choices it wants me to make...) and feels akin to playing a TTRPG, which I enjoy.
That said, while I am enjoying it, it does have a particular non-serious tone a lot of the time that I don't love (just because it feels like everything gets that exact same tone lately)
I hear you there. I also struggle with respecting this game's concept with it being a seeming copy-paste of the most interesting factors of Disco Elysium. Certainly, if you're going to copy an...
Because I struggle to contain my cynicism when looking at such a vulnerable, raw, angry, caring and earnest piece of art like Disco Elysium and seeing it filtered through the aesthetic and mechanics of Critical Role.
I hear you there. I also struggle with respecting this game's concept with it being a seeming copy-paste of the most interesting factors of Disco Elysium. Certainly, if you're going to copy an idea, copy a good one — but part of what makes these ideas compelling is their originality. The way the review says it, it sounds like the whole "stats have personalities" thing was just done because Disco did it and that to me suggests a lack of understanding or inspiration. This is made worse by the way the character's "blank slate" shtick sounds like it was done in a much more boring way than what DE did. (i.e. plain old getting killed rather than substance abuse)
But all that said, I've watched Yahtzee since 2016 and my tastes match his pretty well. If he liked this one – as it seems he does – then for all my cynicism I have to assume it's a successful case of "if you're not going to do something new, at least do it right." Probably will be a while before I get to it, but I'm gonna have to be adding it to my wishlist.
I've intentionally put off watching this episode of Yahtzee's because his teardowns either spoil the game or make me not want to play them lol. Looking forward to comparing notes once I'm finished...
I've intentionally put off watching this episode of Yahtzee's because his teardowns either spoil the game or make me not want to play them lol.
Looking forward to comparing notes once I'm finished the game. Say, as a Second Wind fan, did you follow Frost (Cold Take) on his new channel?
You must not watch him too much! His reviews were generally positive for Mewgenics and Pokemon Pokopia if I recall correctly, and last year had good reception for Dispatch and a very kind review...
in years.
You must not watch him too much! His reviews were generally positive for Mewgenics and Pokemon Pokopia if I recall correctly, and last year had good reception for Dispatch and a very kind review of Hades 2 and Blue Prince. Not to mention The Alters, which he was his GOTY for 2025 and he outright said he was championing it.
Different fan but no. I liked Frost's series but the way he quit and tried to publicly burn trust in (editor-in-chief) Nick Calandra afterward left me wanting nothing to do with him.
Say, as a Second Wind fan, did you follow Frost (Cold Take) on his new channel?
Different fan but no. I liked Frost's series but the way he quit and tried to publicly burn trust in (editor-in-chief) Nick Calandra afterward left me wanting nothing to do with him.
I feel similarly. I want to believe that Frost truly felt he was doing the right thing, but that belies some pretty serious naïveté and misunderstanding. Real damn shame too, because Cold Take and...
I feel similarly. I want to believe that Frost truly felt he was doing the right thing, but that belies some pretty serious naïveté and misunderstanding. Real damn shame too, because Cold Take and Chronicle were both good stuff.
His take is basically a perfect distillation of my feelings on it (and I very much enjoyed the game when I played it!) and spoils pretty much nothing at all.
His take is basically a perfect distillation of my feelings on it (and I very much enjoyed the game when I played it!) and spoils pretty much nothing at all.
I haven't played the game and I doubt I will, but I did massively enjoy Disco Elysium and it's probably my second favourite game of all time. To those who have played it: Does it bring something new to the table other than "D&D Disco Elysium"? Because I struggle to contain my cynicism when looking at such a vulnerable, raw, angry, caring and earnest piece of art like Disco Elysium and seeing it filtered through the aesthetic and mechanics of Critical Role.
Its similarities to Disco are principally mechanical (and the dev has been very open about taking inspiration from Disco on this front). It engages with political themes more deeply/explicitly than most other games but much less deeply than Disco (though ofc Disco has set a pretty absurdly high bar there). There is also clearly a lot of passion put into its story and setting, which isn't derivative of Disco's and is at least a well-constructed take on "D&D setting". There was lore that felt unique and fascinating once I got far enough, and as someone who is not a fan of D&D5e and considers Forgotten Realms pretty meh, I honestly wasn't expecting it to. The writer has definitely put a lot of thought into worldbuilding, at least, even if it's very much not Elysium-level.
Afaik the game was already in development when Disco came out and the dev took inspiration from Disco's mechanics upon playing it, which very much shows, and it is hard to play it without noticing things that Disco did better, but it generally does use the mechanics it borrows from Disco well enough and on rare occasions improves on them. I don't think it should be begrudged for borrowing mechanical inspiration from Disco, especially when Disco itself was so heavily inspired by a lineage of CRPGs that very much also has its roots in D&D lore and culture (Planescape Torment being the obvious one to point out but by no means the only one). I'm up to embrace more entries in a genre I like -- to analogize to another gaming genre, Nine Sols is still enjoyable and telling its own story despite deriving a shitload of inspiration from Hollow Knight, and the gaming landscape is richer for having both games in them. I think the same is true for games that take obvious inspiration from Disco Elysium. After all, good art is inspiring, and taking inspiration from art you enjoy and/or respect is a key part of creation.
Esoteric Ebb doesn't remotely compare to Disco Elysium in terms of quality, but Disco Elysium is one of my favorite works of art period, so that's an impossibly high bar for anything to meet. But it is well-written on the whole and is a very fun time (with a much lighter tone than Disco) if you can avoid comparing the two constantly while playing. They're tonally going for pretty different things most of the time, and even when it borrows heavily from Disco (like the political side), Ebb does some things that are genuinely interesting in their own right, even when they aren't as good as Disco. It's also got a pretty tiny indie team behind it, and it's definitely not a cynical cash grab trying to rake in that sweet Disco money (like cough cough some other games that have been announced recently).
EDIT TO ADD: Honestly like half of this could be summed up by Yahtzee describing it as being good if you want something "shorter and snackier than Disco Elysium with goblins in it", but yeah.
TL DR. It turned into a review. Long story short. Not exactly Disco and far from any of the popular DnD shows or modules. Worth the time if on discount.
One friend of mine likend it to a Monty Python/Blackadder RPG and another said its like playing Harry from DE, playing a TTRPG. I agree with both.
It pulls a lot of the aesthetics and broad structure of DE. The PoV and map layout/styles. Your stats shaping you thinking/perspective. The investigation story and too patient assistant (its no Lt Kim but a good enough substitute). But I felt it stands on its own and the dev feels inspired while doing his own thing.
Theres an air of sillyness to the whole thing with some easier social commentary. Gender roles, politics, labour/capital, colonialism and race relations, drinking a potion that may have changed your biological sex, revival magic, eating sentient beings, religion, laws... Nothing too inflammatory like in DE but it's nice to see NPCs have opinions on these topics and it's relevant with the state of the wider world. I honestly looked forward to talking to the halfling anthropologist or the orc merchant rep and even the various politicians you cross paths with.
Its definitely not Critical Role, but there are some hints of Dimension 20 with the tone becoming pretty cerebral and introspective at times.
Because it's a very low level game, magic is a situational tool, gear is mostly stat mods/story options and there's "combat" encounters that is more about decision making over dealing damage. And overall I'd say the DnD framework was the weakest part of the game because this adventure hits all of the systems weak spots.
Fundamentally, 5e is a power fantasy engine with 500 ways to kill someone and 2 ways to navigate a conversation.
It feels like a D20 dice allowed for far too much variability and even with boosted stats, there were several times where I just had long streaks of bad to near-hit rolls. Combine that with the other DnD problem where there is very little incentive for specialists over multi-classing and I can see the RPG systems being redundant over multiple games.
I decided to go all in on charisma since this is a more social game, but it felt like I never got any meaningful moments for that skill to shine or a true tests that any other build would fail. And on the flip side, I could reliably gear my way to most other high DC rolls with minimal save scumming.
But I can see why 5e would work a lot better as a business decision given how it is the default RPG a lot of people know and its on the back of a game, movie and all the web shows.
Overall, I like it. Reminds me of my style of GMing that is a lot lighter on combat and quests are a web of intersecting interests. It feels a lot lighter to almost being whimsical at times. There is also some amazing failure outcomes and plenty of chances to do cool things with a disaster character that is surprisingly good at their job.
I think your comment is fair... I would say them comparing it to Disco Elysium does it a disservice. Other than the presentation (which is "Discolike"), it doesn't have much in common with what made Disco Elysium unique.
What it is, is an enjoyable game that feels like it respects your choices (either that or has manipulated me into making the choices it wants me to make...) and feels akin to playing a TTRPG, which I enjoy.
That said, while I am enjoying it, it does have a particular non-serious tone a lot of the time that I don't love (just because it feels like everything gets that exact same tone lately)
I hear you there. I also struggle with respecting this game's concept with it being a seeming copy-paste of the most interesting factors of Disco Elysium. Certainly, if you're going to copy an idea, copy a good one — but part of what makes these ideas compelling is their originality. The way the review says it, it sounds like the whole "stats have personalities" thing was just done because Disco did it and that to me suggests a lack of understanding or inspiration. This is made worse by the way the character's "blank slate" shtick sounds like it was done in a much more boring way than what DE did. (i.e. plain old getting killed rather than substance abuse)
But all that said, I've watched Yahtzee since 2016 and my tastes match his pretty well. If he liked this one – as it seems he does – then for all my cynicism I have to assume it's a successful case of "if you're not going to do something new, at least do it right." Probably will be a while before I get to it, but I'm gonna have to be adding it to my wishlist.
I've intentionally put off watching this episode of Yahtzee's because his teardowns either spoil the game or make me not want to play them lol.
Looking forward to comparing notes once I'm finished the game. Say, as a Second Wind fan, did you follow Frost (Cold Take) on his new channel?
I will say that Yahtzee gave the closest thing to a glowing endorsement I've heard from him in years.
Glad to hear it. I'm tired of Return of the Obra Dinn and Silent Hill 2 being his most recent high watermarks ;)
You must not watch him too much! His reviews were generally positive for Mewgenics and Pokemon Pokopia if I recall correctly, and last year had good reception for Dispatch and a very kind review of Hades 2 and Blue Prince. Not to mention The Alters, which he was his GOTY for 2025 and he outright said he was championing it.
Different fan but no. I liked Frost's series but the way he quit and tried to publicly burn trust in (editor-in-chief) Nick Calandra afterward left me wanting nothing to do with him.
I feel similarly. I want to believe that Frost truly felt he was doing the right thing, but that belies some pretty serious naïveté and misunderstanding. Real damn shame too, because Cold Take and Chronicle were both good stuff.
His take is basically a perfect distillation of my feelings on it (and I very much enjoyed the game when I played it!) and spoils pretty much nothing at all.