Disco Elysium remains an innovative use of a Trope, 5 years later

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Key Takeaways

  • Disco Elysium stands out for its portrayal of amnesia-fighting characters, offering a new perspective on familiar tools.
  • The game's exploration of amnesia is deeply intertwined with its narrative and gameplay, allowing players to shape their identities in new and unique ways.
  • Despite legal hurdles preventing hopes for a sequel, Disco Elysium's innovative approach to the amnesiac protagonist trope is still the best example of gaming.



Disco Elysium celebrates its fifth anniversary today. Developer ZA/UM's take on the CRPG format in a well-crafted platform for their first title was almost hailed as a visionary achievement and went on to become one of the most beloved (and highest score) ever. Disco ElysiumThe success of was based on several aspects, one of which is its wonderful portrayal of a charming character struggling with himself and his place in a strange but still normal world torn apart by various disasters or natural or man-made.

Like the story of a bad detective investigating a gruesome crime, Disco ElysiumThe setup is one that is familiar to players on the outside as well. The main character suffers from severe amnesia, a result of alcohol and drug abuse that has erased his memory and identity. However, that's the way it is Disco Elysium presents this battle of amnesia and integrates it into the main narrative and mechanics, while playing with expectations and conventions, which makes it unique and remains one of the most intriguing experiences and compelling examples him in the media.


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Disco Elysium's use and inclusion of amnesia remains unique, 5 years later

The Amnesia Trope has long been a standard in gaming

Even in the early days of gaming, especially point-and-click adventure games, even in other genres, the “protagonist with amnesia” system was widely used. While this can provide a seemingly organic way to introduce players to a game's world, it often comes across as a shortcut to exposition, and avoids having to provide character and story arcs. for the main player who may already know these details, and may end up with the opposite of immersion.


In many cases, the explanation of a character suffering from amnesia can be vague, taken for granted and not explained or given a real reason for the sake of the narrative. Disco Elysiumhowever, it turned that standard on its head and, in the process, married the ubiquitous narrative concept with its own design elements in a surprising and unique way. more heart.

How Disco Elysium took and transformed the Amnesiac Protagonist Cliche


Technically, Disco ElysiumThe main character is Detective Harry Du Bois, a decorated officer who finds his life falling apart. But by giving Harry amnesia to the point where he forgot everything about himself, and keeping the players in the dark like him, Disco Elysium creating a more complex but still intuitive way of building. Harry's amnesia is closely related to the narrative and the game in a way that goes far beyond most other pictures, highlights. Disco Elysiumthe skill of using the device. It is left to the fans to fill in the blanks of Harry Du Bois' memories, and to decide the meaning of his inner mind and character from below, which is tied to the overall mystery and dialogue options.

The loss of Harry's original identity is constantly reflected and developed through various thoughts, skills, and responses. Disco Elysium fans can choose. These mechanisms provide fertile ground for creative interpretation and interpretation during the event. In some cases, the player can make him a completely different person, switch to different people and create a completely new identity, such as Raphael Ambrosius Costeau or Guillaume le Million. The story then carefully adjusts to account for these choices, often producing some of the funniest and weirdest interactions. Disco ElysiumHis ambitious and impressive take on the classic amnesiac player, and the way he turned it into a fun and entertaining way, holds today as one of the greatest examples of action games.


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