"We made it with the express purpose of being failure proof in a way that, if it doesn't succeed, we still have not wasted five years of our lives, in that it's artistically solid, and we've said everything that we can say". This.
My favorite moment in Disco Elysium is actually something rather small and inconsequential in the grand scheme of the game, it's when you're talking to the young girl on the ice and she's thrown away her recording instrument in exasperation. By passing an empathy check you can hand it back to her, encourage her to not give up on what she's passionate about, tell her that its alright to be afraid. When she asks you "Afraid of what?" you can respond so simply and yet so poignantly: "The dark." It's not done in a condescending or cliché feel good way, it's a very human interaction between a broken man and a listless, disenfranchised girl. Both of whom are deeply afraid of the dark that is representative of doubt, poverty, depression, loss, all things that plague the people of Revachol. It's alright to be afraid, you don't have to give up what you care about. That one small moment is so powerful to me and a testament to how much of a triumph Disco Elysium's writing is, Studio ZA/UM deserves all the praise and more for what they've done here.
Spoiler alert! . . . . . . . . The fact that it is easier to persuade her not to give up if you previously told her about how great Contact Mike is and she listened and became 'more like Contact Mike now" gives that somewhat wholesome and sad moment a touch of that brilliant DE humor. I'm absolutely amazed by how this game balances and blends together so many different emotional states. In the end it really feels like carelessly dancing in the ex-church nightclub while being aware of Pale devouring world itself twenty meters away from you. Disco Elysium is a masterpiece.
@@artimanisim The litany of Contact Mike was literally the most entertainment I got from a game in months. Just the fact that it keeps going. "Anything about my wife? My mothers name?" "Nope."
@@Davidesrajohn it's hilarious on one hand and on the other it shows you how much our supercop wants to find something to help him navigate this bizarre world. "Contact Mike is strong, focused and never gives up? Looks like a perfect role model for me... and everyone else while we're at it". Anyway, it's brilliant. As a lot of things in this game.
He's so unflinchingly confident in everything he has to say and everything he and his team have done and yet he doesn't seem at all arrogant. What a fascinating man.
Was watching this when I learned that the key devs, including Robert Kurvitz, were kicked off of DE 2. R.I.P. Disco Elysium. I am glad we got the first one at least. One of the best RPGs ever made.
@@dodgyhodgyo4 Well its way more sketchy, thats why there is still a process going on. The people who fired Robert Kurvitz and the lead artist (which name I forgot), apparently used money FROM the company, to buy (indirectly through another company) the company itself. They had to pay the money (now after over a year) back to the company, but the fact that they still own the company (bought with money stolen from the company) remains, thats why there is more legal activities going on. I have no clue how they could do that, but its just insane.
He's the brain behind most of it, with the game being based on him and his friends tabletop world. They can still crowdfund a new project as a spiritual successor, changing the names to deflect the dissatisfied lol
My favorite part is when the skills almost argue. They dont full on fight it's like sometimes they will contradict each other and then drama just does whatever lol
@@exactzero funnily enough, volition isn't even in the right. It's just pissed off that every other skill is compromised that it goes off in the opposite direction.
What happened to ZA/UM is so sad, and hearing Robert talking about a sequel that may never come, is so heartwrenching. Hopefully, the lead developers can make another game, under a different company. But it must be so frustrating having to focus on a legal battle instead of the art that you actually care about.
Fantastic, intelligent discussion of Disco Elysium's user interface. I wish more developers had this level of research & development on their frontends.
This game is one of the best artistic creations made ever. He must write a script/or direct a movie for a great Hollywood movie. Surely he will do it. Hollywood will go for him. I prefer this game then some of the 200 million dollar movies coming out. He is a genius!
@@greenglass8779 Fuck Hollywood. Hollywood is not a yardstick that he or his team cares about. He should make more games and publish his book in English.
@@zcrib3 Why back? Europeans are already making most of the good games with ambiguous Canadian input, and this has been the case since the mid-2000s. US games got wrecked by the console invasion in the mid-2000. They're recovering thanks to Steam, but are still sagging.
_Kleptomaniacal_ Murder Hobos. "Hey look: Mr Person I've Never Before Who's House I'm In For No Reason has a chest! I think I pop it open and nick the contents while he watches!"
He's ON THE MONEY about having text window in the right corner instead of bottom of the screen. Torment: Tides of Numenera has around the same amout of words as Disco Elysium and yet you NEVER get bored reading in DE. And it's not only amazing writing but also how easy and intuitive it is to have text displayed in the corner while at the same time your left eye can catch a glimpse animations and enviroments displayed on the screen. With text being below the main screen you always end up looking up & down and it's discracting as hell. Anyway, I LOVE isometric RPGs, I'm soooo glad that DE is yet another gem and I can't wait for what's next from ZA/UM.
hm, personally, I think I'm used to text being at the bottom because English is not my first language, so I'm used to reading subtitles for foreign films (which is like 99% of cinema for us) but it's nice when designers are willing to experiment.
Tides of Numenara is a frozen cake dessert to a Kobe beef steak of Planescape Torment. It's superfluous and unnecessary, it doesn't rhyme, lacks direction and is out there just because the idea of having a dessert after your main meal sounded good on paper.
@@ddrg1271 So that people who don't own a PC can play it on console, the controls aren't complicated and are very possible, all they need to do is make a polished port and make the thought cabinet a little more navigable for using the controller.
@@ddrg1271 yeah, why would developers try to make more money by releasing games on multiple platforms? They should all stay poor so they can't afford to retire so they are forced to keep making PC only games until they die.
@@dirkmaes3786 Games sell better on pc than xbox. They're behind only on ps4. Sometimes comparable. Sometimes more. And this is a pc game. Its not gonna sell anything on consoles. With pc focused games like this they should solely focus on pc. Nothing else.
@@ddrg1271 I agree that crpg's are traditionally PC-focused but the console port of Pillars of Eternity did well enough to make it worthwhile and lack of controller support is what keeps many people trying these games. Consoles are important now, also for indie games and niche genres that used to be typically pc only.
If you get into any serious company that is somewhat successful, you will learn very fast that ideas are nothing and it's the execution that counts. For every thought simulator indy game conceived, only Disco Elysium is out and in a polished, quality state. This is the real achievement here, not the idea behind it.
@@Cyginjv6vu sounds like you are pretty young as well and haven't had the pleasure to read a person like a book from a couple of sentences. I might be wrong, but it's very unlikely. And overall I'd take my chances :)
The writing does have broad appeal but it's fascinating because it isn't simple or even really accessible. It's just such masterful prose, with such a deliberate focus on the experience of reading it. This game will redefine the medium as much, if not more, than all the greats did before it. There simply hasn't been a game with this much focus and drive and scope all at once since like Silent Hill 2.
Man, when he was throwing his thought process about where to go for the future, his intelligence and creativity emanating so naturally from him. It's his element and It's super cool that his and the team's work is getting recognised. Gang shit.
Kurvitz' ideas are so spot on it is mind boggling. From all these little details to the great features everything just absolutely hit the spot for me, such an amazing experience. I can't fathom how someone just comes up with this stuff
Disco is one of those games - when your feeling down and are uncertain of why the hell did you chose gaming as your hobby ( considering how much shit we are getting , not just bad games but bad business practices ) this game is like a fresh air - it just reignites passion for gaming - in recent memmory only Yakuza series as a whole did this to me. So thank you devs.
disco elysium reignited my passion for art in general. Seeing someone so intensely pursuing an ideal (on their own terms - like he said), was powerful. It got me off my ass. The game is a fucking catharsis simulator.
Sekiro lit a flame under me sort of like how you described. Then hollow knight after that to a lesser extent. I really need to find the time to play this game
_when your feeling down and are uncertain of why the hell did you chose gaming as your hobby_ Honestly, I can't imagine feeling that way. There are more great games out there than I have time to play - and I can play games all day, every day. :) Still, I've bought dozens of games that I haven't even _installed_ yet. It's a great time to be a gamer! I'm certainly having fun with Disco Elysium, but I'm playing so many other games at the same time that it's taking me awhile to finish. Then again, I haven't wanted to rush through it. Of course, tastes vary. It's all subjective. What games other people like and don't like means nothing to me. I'm just glad that we've got so many _choices_ these days!
@@Bill_Garthright Play W3 Reforged , Fallout 76 , ME:Andromeda hell even ME3 and bunch of other ruined series . If your not feeling down after that , good for you.
I knew there had to be some seriously bright people behind this project. how refreshing. would love to hear much more about this games development from the source
@@mubtasimmahbub4785 i don't think combat is going to be in the sequel. One of the premises of this game was that it completely discarded a combat system for a completely story driven RPG.
@@joaquinglantz350 Combat isn't Combat System. Think like the few times guns came up in D. E.. That kinda combat. Or, the meeting with the head union guy, combat like that.
The thought cabinet and your emotions / abilities talking to you are the most astounding representation of human thought process and the sort of background idle imagination that so many of us possess. I'm still thinking about this game long after I completed it and cannot wait to see what the devs do next.
This incredible soul is the kind of soul who can succeed in everything he puts his mind into. He's brilliant and so down-to-earth. His parents are both artists and, boy, they sure have brought into this world a gem of a mind. Thank God he has chosen video game as one of his mediums to express all that creativity!
Not just him either. As of 2024 the company has fired all of the writers that worked on Disco Elysium who were left at the studio, along with dozens of other developers. Just a travesty.
Absolute masterpiece of a game, dialogue, narrative, story. I really hope Kurvitz and the rest of the team get their IP back so they can tell more stories. There's so much more I want to see from this world - not just Disco Elysium 2 and a continuation of the first game. But more of this world, the Pale, and other places. Fascinating game design and mechanics as well. I spend three hours in the character creation screen, just thinking what skills to pick.
There was That moment in the game where I had to pass a check and I had two positive modifiers to it. the first read : Lieutenant Katsuragi trusts you : +1 The second read : kim Really trusts you : +2 It spoke to me, I felt like I REALLY managed to build a connection to this human being. It wasn't just Lieutenant Katsuragi who managed to build some trust to this carcass of a man that I was, it was kim, as a person, he really believed in me, truly. I had to pause the game for about half an hour, I was truly honored. That is how you write a character.
I'd love to see more of the setting of Disco Elysium fleshed out. When you start to learn more about it as the game goes on it unfurls this crazy parallel world where there is a real supernatural force at work, but not a magical world where that force can be harnessed in a meaningful way. Even little details, like automatic weapons being banned, and police being issued multi-barrel muzzle-loaders really bring the setting to life.
Great ad for the game. I was reluctant to dive into an RPG with so much reading. But when you compare it to twitter it suddenly appears manageable and maybe even fun. Nice work
@Mark Right? That wasn't the best analogy to come up with. I think we all know he meant clear and succint text, evocative, engaging. I'm a bit sad about his words about the 20th century literature, it is completely misplaced, they were pushing the boundaries of the form, reflecting all the new stuff that was happening in visual arts, not to mention Freud and the discovery of the individual mind, stream of consciousness etc. And that's only Modernism. I would have more respect for the guy if he was promoting literature, even the difficult stuff that has to be read in the context it had first appeared in. Comparing a Modernist classic to the level of expression we see on Twitter is more of an admission of failure when it comes to our reading (and writing) skills today.
@@nimbydimby FINALLY someone who also understands literature here. People need to understand that necessary/unavoidable complexity != ineptitude of the writer.
He's right, that part with Klassje where all your thoughts start piling it on as overcompensating for being dormant when you needed them is hilarious. I think volition is the only one in this situation where it's balanced both times when the other parts of your faculties are underperforming, then trying to make up for it.
Disco Elysium wields so much true innovation and bolt design desicions which pay off in such a rich, detailed and refreshing experience... if only the triple A companies switched their priorites from monetary interest, coupled with safe developement strategies, to investing into design which can and should fail at times, we would have such a bright and diverse gaming experience through all existing and thus new genres. Thank you ZA/UM for showing the gaming industry hope for evolution.
Text box being put on the side was such a brilliant move, i don't know what it is about it, but it makes reading more easy, maybe that is one of the reason I also liked Shadowrun Dragonfall.
The most exciting thing about D.E is playing it knowing it's one of the best games ive ever played and it's only their breakthrough hit! Its genuinely exciting to think what the studio will be able to do next. If this is anything to go by, their creative ethics are an inspiration
"Murder Hobo" is such a good way to describe looting in games. This guy's voice is just so distinct, like he has all these little phrases and monikers for things that are great
I have no idea why I was *surprised* that this guy is this fascinating to listen to. Like, of course he's extremely thoughtful about every angle of this, well beyond what I could even imagine. He made Disco freaking Elysium!
Perception (sight) [Easy: success] - This man is a genius. His team has made a colorful breakthrough for text base rpgs Composure [Medium: success] - He can barely hold back his excitement; you can practically see it when he speaks. - +5xp
This is GOLD. A game design creative masterclass. And btw, I'm convinced that this guy here has written the most humanly believable and magnetic characters ever in a videogame.
This guy is a genius. I honestly don't think that's hyperbole. The writing in DE was some of the best I've seen not only in video games, but in books as well. DE has got to be on of the most unique games ever made, and I can't wait to see what they do next.
I have almost 300 hours into the game and I'm STILL playing. For a single player game, that's amazing. It shocked me when he said it only took them 5 years to make this game. There is soooo much content. I shudder to imagine what the dialogue trees look like.
Ah! I was sure the "Valley of the Heads" was a reference to something in the game production :D I'd never thought that it would be the Thought Cabinet - I found this feature to be very smooth and succinct.
the level of thought they put into the navigation of the inner voice and how to convert that to an RPG mechanic is most of the reason that DE is in the convo for best CRPG ever
amazing interview and an amazing guy , passionate & hardworker & actually gives a damn about the game . it is crystal clear that we are lucky to have him in the gaming industry . this video really made me excited. now i cant wait for the 2nd game . i know it will be even better . respect !
This is an incredible interview but I was surprised he didn't talk about when all of the skills start lying to you during that interview lol. Probably one of the most incredible moments in video game history
Dude, i could listen to him talk about UX design for hours
Same
@@paradoxacres1063 I was about to post something in that line. Robert Kurvitz is such an interesting guy.
He needs to do a Slavoj Zizek impression while he does it.
yeah he has a nice voice haha
Can we have a whole series with just him and the ZA/UM crew being great artists, professionals, and human beings in general?
The "loot" of conversations being ideas is a fascinating premise. I really want these guys to make another game.
I could use another detective game but set in maybe the 30’s or 50’s
@@boylibrary3533 No
@Finny keep your eyes peeled and your ears perked up. :)
How many users on youtube and I keep running into Finny's clever comments. Hi Finny!
Definitely need a part 2.. my only criticism is it's brevity
"We made it with the express purpose of being failure proof in a way that, if it doesn't succeed, we still have not wasted five years of our lives, in that it's artistically solid, and we've said everything that we can say". This.
Yup
Artistically sound before commercially successful. Words to live by.
Pretty... revolutionary this days, eh?
Yup, he's the son of two artists. The guy is an artist all the way to the bone, to the soul. Extremely creative and witty.
amen
Looking forward to that heady sex scene!
My favorite moment in Disco Elysium is actually something rather small and inconsequential in the grand scheme of the game, it's when you're talking to the young girl on the ice and she's thrown away her recording instrument in exasperation. By passing an empathy check you can hand it back to her, encourage her to not give up on what she's passionate about, tell her that its alright to be afraid. When she asks you "Afraid of what?" you can respond so simply and yet so poignantly: "The dark." It's not done in a condescending or cliché feel good way, it's a very human interaction between a broken man and a listless, disenfranchised girl. Both of whom are deeply afraid of the dark that is representative of doubt, poverty, depression, loss, all things that plague the people of Revachol. It's alright to be afraid, you don't have to give up what you care about. That one small moment is so powerful to me and a testament to how much of a triumph Disco Elysium's writing is, Studio ZA/UM deserves all the praise and more for what they've done here.
Spoiler alert!
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The fact that it is easier to persuade her not to give up if you previously told her about how great Contact Mike is and she listened and became 'more like Contact Mike now" gives that somewhat wholesome and sad moment a touch of that brilliant DE humor.
I'm absolutely amazed by how this game balances and blends together so many different emotional states. In the end it really feels like carelessly dancing in the ex-church nightclub while being aware of Pale devouring world itself twenty meters away from you.
Disco Elysium is a masterpiece.
OR you could tell her that actually, her situation reminds you of Contact Mike (the boxer) once again, who had to overcome so much adversity himself.
@@artimanisim The litany of Contact Mike was literally the most entertainment I got from a game in months. Just the fact that it keeps going. "Anything about my wife? My mothers name?" "Nope."
@@Davidesrajohn it's hilarious on one hand and on the other it shows you how much our supercop wants to find something to help him navigate this bizarre world. "Contact Mike is strong, focused and never gives up? Looks like a perfect role model for me... and everyone else while we're at it".
Anyway, it's brilliant. As a lot of things in this game.
@@Davidesrajohn Disco Elyisum made me laugh more than any game since playing Boogerman as an 8 year old 25 years ago
He's so unflinchingly confident in everything he has to say and everything he and his team have done and yet he doesn't seem at all arrogant. What a fascinating man.
Was watching this when I learned that the key devs, including Robert Kurvitz, were kicked off of DE 2. R.I.P. Disco Elysium. I am glad we got the first one at least. One of the best RPGs ever made.
Something about a discrimination case I believe, hardly any details about it that I could find
@@dodgyhodgyo4 Well its way more sketchy, thats why there is still a process going on. The people who fired Robert Kurvitz and the lead artist (which name I forgot), apparently used money FROM the company, to buy (indirectly through another company) the company itself.
They had to pay the money (now after over a year) back to the company, but the fact that they still own the company (bought with money stolen from the company) remains, thats why there is more legal activities going on.
I have no clue how they could do that, but its just insane.
@@tigriscallidus4477 that's capitalism
kinda makes a sequel pointless
He's the brain behind most of it, with the game being based on him and his friends tabletop world. They can still crowdfund a new project as a spiritual successor, changing the names to deflect the dissatisfied lol
My favorite part is when the skills almost argue. They dont full on fight it's like sometimes they will contradict each other and then drama just does whatever lol
@Damien Kelly I made volition my signature trait, I hope I get this
@Damien Kelly Loved that part.
Spoiler Alert
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Turns out he was right! I was fooled and let her go. :|
@@exactzero but in a way you were right to. if you have high enough shivers you'll find out that if you arrested her, she's killed in jail.
@@baljot1231 Oh shoot.
@@exactzero funnily enough, volition isn't even in the right. It's just pissed off that every other skill is compromised that it goes off in the opposite direction.
What happened to ZA/UM is so sad, and hearing Robert talking about a sequel that may never come, is so heartwrenching. Hopefully, the lead developers can make another game, under a different company. But it must be so frustrating having to focus on a legal battle instead of the art that you actually care about.
An art piece criticizing capitalism stolen by capital
@@Workingatm No Disco here...
Why were they fired
@@rogue4340 greed
Fantastic, intelligent discussion of Disco Elysium's user interface. I wish more developers had this level of research & development on their frontends.
Warcraft 3 Reforged immediately came to mind as an example of terrible UI. It's the exact same as it was 20 years ago, taking up half the screen.
It's a small thing but so amazing to see him not shy away from revealing other games they borrowed ideas from. Very professional and honourable.
This game is one of the best artistic creations made ever. He must write a script/or direct a movie for a great Hollywood movie. Surely he will do it. Hollywood will go for him. I prefer this game then some of the 200 million dollar movies coming out. He is a genius!
@@greenglass8779 Fuck Hollywood. Hollywood is not a yardstick that he or his team cares about. He should make more games and publish his book in English.
@@greenglass8779 u got some on your face bruh
@@idklol4197 Can u explain better??? Don't get your point....
Gamer's are really lucky that such a person isn't writing psychology manuals, but designing their game instead.
💯
Fuck does Cuno care
That's a bit much, dude, but it's a good game.
@@kingkefa7130 Not just a "good game".
*Gamers
These guys are gonna be a powerhouse.
CD Project Blue-Black-White
We need europeans getting back into the game. Western europe and america has become shithole for games.
@@Milan____ I hope not
@@zcrib3 Why back? Europeans are already making most of the good games with ambiguous Canadian input, and this has been the case since the mid-2000s. US games got wrecked by the console invasion in the mid-2000. They're recovering thanks to Steam, but are still sagging.
@@zcrib3 you mean the us and france
This guy knows exactly what he's talking about. It's crazy.
i mean ... that's the basic requirement you need before talking about something ...
what are you 497 people smoking ?
it really isnt that crazy that they would interview someone that knows the product he's talking about.
@@hestonsverigelol, imagine him just saying idk to every question
Describing typical RPG characters as "Murder Hobos" is just goddamn spot on, couldn't help but chuckle.
That's a pretty common term in Pen & Paper roleplaying games
It's a staple archetype of D&D players
Sadly he's not wrong, almost every group has one of those or worse, the entire group becomes one.
I did not know the word prior to watching this, and I agree - it's spot on and it's hilarious!
_Kleptomaniacal_ Murder Hobos. "Hey look: Mr Person I've Never Before Who's House I'm In For No Reason has a chest! I think I pop it open and nick the contents while he watches!"
*DEVELOPER*
*ARRIVING*
*ON THE SCENE*
He's ON THE MONEY about having text window in the right corner instead of bottom of the screen.
Torment: Tides of Numenera has around the same amout of words as Disco Elysium and yet you NEVER get bored reading in DE. And it's not only amazing writing but also how easy and intuitive it is to have text displayed in the corner while at the same time your left eye can catch a glimpse animations and enviroments displayed on the screen.
With text being below the main screen you always end up looking up & down and it's discracting as hell.
Anyway, I LOVE isometric RPGs, I'm soooo glad that DE is yet another gem and I can't wait for what's next from ZA/UM.
hm, personally, I think I'm used to text being at the bottom because English is not my first language, so I'm used to reading subtitles for foreign films (which is like 99% of cinema for us) but it's nice when designers are willing to experiment.
dude imagine how much better Persona 5 would be if they didn't use the bottom text window for the entire game?
I prefer right corner text too. Easier to read.
Tides of Numenara is a frozen cake dessert to a Kobe beef steak of Planescape Torment. It's superfluous and unnecessary, it doesn't rhyme, lacks direction and is out there just because the idea of having a dessert after your main meal sounded good on paper.
it would be interesting if there was a menu option, so you could choose what orientation you wanted the text: left, bottom, right, top
Really looking forward to that skill-based sex scene with 50 different skill checks
thing, that i've never known i've needed.
Physical instrument 20 (impossible).
Pain Threshold 20 makes it impossible to ejaculate. Have fun!
[Savoir Faire: 20] Pull out in time
Failed!
OH GOD OH FUCK
[Composure: 20] Try to not run away
Failed!
RUN!
Inland Empire: Have a conversation with the condom where it justifies its use.
This man is like 15 years ahead of almost everyone else in the gaming industry.
"I'd like to do what Baldur's Gate 2 did for Baldur's Gate 1" what an electrifying statement man. I can't wait to see the bg2 to disco e's bg1
I'm so glad this game is getting the coverage it needs and deserves! Can't wait for the console release!
why would you wait for a shoehorned console release of a game specifically designed for pc? just load it up on your computer and play it
@@ddrg1271 So that people who don't own a PC can play it on console, the controls aren't complicated and are very possible, all they need to do is make a polished port and make the thought cabinet a little more navigable for using the controller.
@@ddrg1271 yeah, why would developers try to make more money by releasing games on multiple platforms? They should all stay poor so they can't afford to retire so they are forced to keep making PC only games until they die.
@@dirkmaes3786
Games sell better on pc than xbox. They're behind only on ps4. Sometimes comparable. Sometimes more.
And this is a pc game. Its not gonna sell anything on consoles. With pc focused games like this they should solely focus on pc. Nothing else.
@@ddrg1271 I agree that crpg's are traditionally PC-focused but the console port of Pillars of Eternity did well enough to make it worthwhile and lack of controller support is what keeps many people trying these games. Consoles are important now, also for indie games and niche genres that used to be typically pc only.
Damn,, this guy is so good that he's giving away pitches for free. Good ideas are just overflowing from him
If you get into any serious company that is somewhat successful, you will learn very fast that ideas are nothing and it's the execution that counts. For every thought simulator indy game conceived, only Disco Elysium is out and in a polished, quality state. This is the real achievement here, not the idea behind it.
@@morphineod8785 Sez you.
@@Cyginjv6vu I guess you haven't really made it in life either, have you?
@@morphineod8785 A harsh assertion to make with zero evidence.
@@Cyginjv6vu sounds like you are pretty young as well and haven't had the pleasure to read a person like a book from a couple of sentences. I might be wrong, but it's very unlikely. And overall I'd take my chances :)
The writing does have broad appeal but it's fascinating because it isn't simple or even really accessible. It's just such masterful prose, with such a deliberate focus on the experience of reading it. This game will redefine the medium as much, if not more, than all the greats did before it. There simply hasn't been a game with this much focus and drive and scope all at once since like Silent Hill 2.
This series is the best content I've seen from this channel for years.
Man, when he was throwing his thought process about where to go for the future, his intelligence and creativity emanating so naturally from him. It's his element and It's super cool that his and the team's work is getting recognised. Gang shit.
Big up Gamespot for this too, it was grand.
No, it's not gang shit
Yes!! Gang shit indeed, my friend. Gang shit indeed.
Kurvitz' ideas are so spot on it is mind boggling. From all these little details to the great features everything just absolutely hit the spot for me, such an amazing experience. I can't fathom how someone just comes up with this stuff
The conzeptualization skill on that guy....
He seems like nice guy, glad his game is doing great
This man is a goddamn genius and I need his masterpiece on console ASAP
Madison Moore it’s coming, it was already announced and i think there’s a trailer for the console release date
@@KJBreezy21 you're my favorite person of the day, will be finding this trailer STAT.
@@madisonmoore6431 It's out.
You got your wish! Fully voiced too!
Best interview on game design Ive ever seen, and has 100% sold me on the game.
Disco is one of those games - when your feeling down and are uncertain of why the hell did you chose gaming as your hobby ( considering how much shit we are getting , not just bad games but bad business practices ) this game is like a fresh air - it just reignites passion for gaming - in recent memmory only Yakuza series as a whole did this to me. So thank you devs.
disco elysium reignited my passion for art in general. Seeing someone so intensely pursuing an ideal (on their own terms - like he said), was powerful. It got me off my ass. The game is a fucking catharsis simulator.
Sekiro lit a flame under me sort of like how you described. Then hollow knight after that to a lesser extent. I really need to find the time to play this game
All consumption is unethical under capitalism. Don't feel special or uniquely called out over being a gamer.
_when your feeling down and are uncertain of why the hell did you chose gaming as your hobby_
Honestly, I can't imagine feeling that way. There are more great games out there than I have time to play - and I can play games all day, every day. :) Still, I've bought dozens of games that I haven't even _installed_ yet. It's a great time to be a gamer!
I'm certainly having fun with Disco Elysium, but I'm playing so many other games at the same time that it's taking me awhile to finish. Then again, I haven't wanted to rush through it.
Of course, tastes vary. It's all subjective. What games other people like and don't like means nothing to me. I'm just glad that we've got so many _choices_ these days!
@@Bill_Garthright Play W3 Reforged , Fallout 76 , ME:Andromeda hell even ME3 and bunch of other ruined series . If your not feeling down after that , good for you.
I love how Disco Elysium has such a softspoken guy on the lead.
I knew there had to be some seriously bright people behind this project. how refreshing. would love to hear much more about this games development from the source
The brilliance of this dev team is almost overwhelming. I'm glad Disco Elysium happened and I wish the devs the best.
To think ZAUM fired this man...
Well he didnt liked that they stole company money to buy the company, so they had to fire him.
Wow, I can see a sequel with a whole lot of potential here.
@Jackson Kagy That's exciting! Something even better than DE!
Yes and a bit more combat and more length : D
@@mubtasimmahbub4785 i don't think combat is going to be in the sequel. One of the premises of this game was that it completely discarded a combat system for a completely story driven RPG.
@@joaquinglantz350 Combat isn't Combat System. Think like the few times guns came up in D. E.. That kinda combat. Or, the meeting with the head union guy, combat like that.
Hope to see nore of them soooon
The thought cabinet and your emotions / abilities talking to you are the most astounding representation of human thought process and the sort of background idle imagination that so many of us possess. I'm still thinking about this game long after I completed it and cannot wait to see what the devs do next.
”I have my taskbar on the left... And I don't use Twitter...”
DRAMA (Trivial: Success): You must be some kind of a superstar!
this dude also wrote a book in the same universe as disco elysium. dude is a genius
whats the name?
@@bernardo00124719 Robert kurvitz
@@dkrumpenstein2370 i meant the name of the book bro
@@bernardo00124719 sacred and terrible air
@@dkrumpenstein2370 thanks. No english version yet right?
This incredible soul is the kind of soul who can succeed in everything he puts his mind into. He's brilliant and so down-to-earth. His parents are both artists and, boy, they sure have brought into this world a gem of a mind. Thank God he has chosen video game as one of his mediums to express all that creativity!
This is not just a video, this a master class. A demonstration of geniality. Brillant!
This guy singlehandedly restored my faith in video games.
That pure look of spite when he said “you know who’s really good? Twitter.” And glanced up. God it’s so good.
Mr. Evrart is helping me find my gun.
Mr. Evrart is helping me find my gun.
Mr. Evrart is helping me find my gun.
Mr. Evrart is helping me find my gun.
Mr. Evrart is helping me find my gun.
Mr. Evrart is helping me find my gun.
im so glad gamespot didn't cut too much of his words. they just let him talk... he's so knowledgeable
I'm so glad this game is a success, there's still a place for deep and well-written games in the world.
"Thought is the loot of conversations."
Nice
Absolutely criminal he was kicked out of DE 2
Not just him either. As of 2024 the company has fired all of the writers that worked on Disco Elysium who were left at the studio, along with dozens of other developers. Just a travesty.
@@vallraffsgood they can come together under another studio
Absolute masterpiece of a game, dialogue, narrative, story. I really hope Kurvitz and the rest of the team get their IP back so they can tell more stories. There's so much more I want to see from this world - not just Disco Elysium 2 and a continuation of the first game. But more of this world, the Pale, and other places. Fascinating game design and mechanics as well. I spend three hours in the character creation screen, just thinking what skills to pick.
Yes, truly a masterpiece.
I love this game!
I really hope disco elyisum starts a wave of games that explore the "mind layer", this shit is fascinating
There was That moment in the game where I had to pass a check and I had two positive modifiers to it.
the first read : Lieutenant Katsuragi trusts you : +1
The second read : kim Really trusts you : +2
It spoke to me, I felt like I REALLY managed to build a connection to this human being. It wasn't just Lieutenant Katsuragi who managed to build some trust to this carcass of a man that I was, it was kim, as a person, he really believed in me, truly. I had to pause the game for about half an hour, I was truly honored.
That is how you write a character.
This was wildly interesting, happy to get some design insight into this amazing game.
I have already finished two complete playthroughs. I still feel that I haven't experienced everything in the game. Masterpiece.
And now we will get FULL voice acting for every spoken word or voice inside our head this IS GOING TO BE AWESOME
I'd love to see more of the setting of Disco Elysium fleshed out. When you start to learn more about it as the game goes on it unfurls this crazy parallel world where there is a real supernatural force at work, but not a magical world where that force can be harnessed in a meaningful way. Even little details, like automatic weapons being banned, and police being issued multi-barrel muzzle-loaders really bring the setting to life.
It would be funny if he's the Tolkien of our time. Maybe Disco Elysium is his Hobbit.
Need to get back to this game. The way he explained the thought cabinet blew my mind and inspired me!
This man's Conceptualization and Logic skills are maxed.
Great ad for the game. I was reluctant to dive into an RPG with so much reading. But when you compare it to twitter it suddenly appears manageable and maybe even fun. Nice work
The game is genuinely hilarious in its text. It's not a dull text reading sim, well worth trying it out
not all the time but it's very back and forth, so it feels more like a group chat rather than a bunch of letters
@Mark Right? That wasn't the best analogy to come up with. I think we all know he meant clear and succint text, evocative, engaging. I'm a bit sad about his words about the 20th century literature, it is completely misplaced, they were pushing the boundaries of the form, reflecting all the new stuff that was happening in visual arts, not to mention Freud and the discovery of the individual mind, stream of consciousness etc. And that's only Modernism. I would have more respect for the guy if he was promoting literature, even the difficult stuff that has to be read in the context it had first appeared in. Comparing a Modernist classic to the level of expression we see on Twitter is more of an admission of failure when it comes to our reading (and writing) skills today.
@@nimbydimby FINALLY someone who also understands literature here. People need to understand that necessary/unavoidable complexity != ineptitude of the writer.
@@nimbydimby That's what he said. They made in a way that is accessible to the dumb masses.
Is it me or does the dev look like a young, pre-alchoholism Harry Du Bois?!
he's some kind of superstar
looks more like a Raphael Ambrosius Costeau to me
I'm seeing more of a blond, Bohemian Jimmy Carr
I honestly think he looks like a cross between a young arnold schwarzenegger and prince charming from shrek 2.
He is "the Disco"
I appreciate him coming up with ways to make it more in depth rather than the streamline approach of too many rpg devs.
A man doing what he should be doing in life and nailing it. A joy to behold.
A great guy with a lot of vision. I will follow whatever he chooses to do next because Disco is such a masterpiece.
Disco Elysium is wonderful. If you like classic adventures, an intelligent story and possess functioning reading glasses, you will love this game.
if it's any consolation, the thought cabinet was my favorite feature
This dude is going places. Can't wait to see what he does next.
I think my favorite text in the whole game is the DMX reference. It caught me completely off guard, and I had a great laugh. This game is fantastic.
Watching this after the recent news of him being out of za/um and not working on the sequel is very devastating
We should make a petition or something
this game was absolutely phenomenal. one of the best gaming experiences I've had. awesome work!
The man is a genius . The way he explained the importance of perspective and seeing a certain themes from different angles is just amazing .
I am so impressed about this game, loving every line of dialogue of it. The style, music and voice acting are incredible.
I really enjoy these types of videos that go into the thought process of the game. Thank you GameSpot!
THANK YOU for watching
He's right, that part with Klassje where all your thoughts start piling it on as overcompensating for being dormant when you needed them is hilarious. I think volition is the only one in this situation where it's balanced both times when the other parts of your faculties are underperforming, then trying to make up for it.
the 'murder hobo paradigm' is the most iconic definition of RPG's i've heard to date lmao
Disco Elysium wields so much true innovation and bolt design desicions which pay off in such a rich, detailed and refreshing experience... if only the triple A companies switched their priorites from monetary interest, coupled with safe developement strategies, to investing into design which can and should fail at times, we would have such a bright and diverse gaming experience through all existing and thus new genres.
Thank you ZA/UM for showing the gaming industry hope for evolution.
PERCEPTION [SIGHT]: This guy has holes in his shirt. Suspicious...
Text box being put on the side was such a brilliant move, i don't know what it is about it, but it makes reading more easy, maybe that is one of the reason I also liked Shadowrun Dragonfall.
Skibadee, skibadanger!! You guy are hardcore RPG rearranger !
Sometimes he flashes... The Expression
Hihihi...
The most exciting thing about D.E is playing it knowing it's one of the best games ive ever played and it's only their breakthrough hit!
Its genuinely exciting to think what the studio will be able to do next. If this is anything to go by, their creative ethics are an inspiration
You've created something absolutely amazing, and I can't wait for your next projects.
"Murder Hobo" is such a good way to describe looting in games. This guy's voice is just so distinct, like he has all these little phrases and monikers for things that are great
This guy is on the money about text and comprehension and it shows, he's such an excellent communicator in this video alone
I have no idea why I was *surprised* that this guy is this fascinating to listen to. Like, of course he's extremely thoughtful about every angle of this, well beyond what I could even imagine. He made Disco freaking Elysium!
I wish to shake his hand cause I can't think of words to express my admiration and thanks. He achieved a masterpiece with this game
This is such a good piece. A piece to get back to. As the game itself. BEST STUFF!
"combat sequence as a car accident" - that's genius!
Perception (sight) [Easy: success] - This man is a genius. His team has made a colorful breakthrough for text base rpgs
Composure [Medium: success] - He can barely hold back his excitement; you can practically see it when he speaks.
- +5xp
Volition would probably tell you not to play the game.
This is GOLD. A game design creative masterclass.
And btw, I'm convinced that this guy here has written the most humanly believable and magnetic characters ever in a videogame.
This guy is a genius. I honestly don't think that's hyperbole. The writing in DE was some of the best I've seen not only in video games, but in books as well. DE has got to be on of the most unique games ever made, and I can't wait to see what they do next.
I can relate to him because I had the same holes in my sweater for christmas. I'm really waiting for the Final Cut to play this game by the way.
Larian Studios helped these guys out, which is so awesome. I can't wait to see what's next!
where did you hear that? Just curious
@@codyvandal2860 It's in the credits when you beat the game.
Nah, the credits just thank Larian for inspiration. They didn't directly help in any way.
Why would they? This is not a traditional crpg
I have almost 300 hours into the game and I'm STILL playing. For a single player game, that's amazing. It shocked me when he said it only took them 5 years to make this game. There is soooo much content. I shudder to imagine what the dialogue trees look like.
The dude has joint burns on his sweater, I can relate.
Love the In Rainbows placeholder for the art, nice touch.
Ah! I was sure the "Valley of the Heads" was a reference to something in the game production :D I'd never thought that it would be the Thought Cabinet - I found this feature to be very smooth and succinct.
Fascinating from start to finish. Could listen to this guy all day
I can't have normal conversations anymore without a nagging feeling that there is a deep voiced narrator missing in my life
the level of thought they put into the navigation of the inner voice and how to convert that to an RPG mechanic is most of the reason that DE is in the convo for best CRPG ever
Robert is spot on here.Really excited to see what his studio puts out next. Would love more Disco Elysium.
amazing interview and an amazing guy , passionate & hardworker & actually gives a damn about the game . it is crystal clear that we are lucky to have him in the gaming industry . this video really made me excited. now i cant wait for the 2nd game . i know it will be even better . respect !
This is an incredible interview but I was surprised he didn't talk about when all of the skills start lying to you during that interview lol. Probably one of the most incredible moments in video game history