You woke up to the sounds of multiple former Disco Elysium creators arguing inside your skull. They argue about whose game is the true spiritual successor to the lowest level detective RPG. Is this a previously unnamed project from Longdue’s novel studio announced today, using some sort of “psychogeography mechanics”? Or maybe it’s XXX Nightshift, a cerebral sci-fi RPG set in a swanky polar hotel and about a detective “solving gruesome murders, breaking sacred hearts, or just killing the damn time”? It’s not up to me to choose the dialogue option that’s popping into your brain right now. But I will say this: at least the one with the horny name has a trailer.
Ah, a sensual whisper. Yep, it basically looks like an ASMR remake of the waking scene in Disco Elysium where Detective Harry DuBois slowly wakes up to the quarreling sounds of his limbic system and a feeling of deep worthlessness.
But here you play as a detective on vacation at a ski resort in Antarctica in the year 2086, where something has gone wrong. “Now you’re stuck in an off-season resort filled with unforgettable guests, crazy parties, and crazy secrets,” say the creators of Dark Math Games.
There will be a similar set of dialogue-requiring skills that influence your choices based on the appearance of things, along with skill checks and the like. Your character will exploit his training for “interrogations, confrontations and seductions.” The sexy phrase continues. “On the endless polar night, amidst the orgy of politics, power and poetry, something macabre awaits.”
Certainly, there is more to be seen in the work on the game so far than just a whiff of Revachol’s specific jargon. “Use Marafet’s calculations to transform your time and space,” we were told. Enjoy the “dopamine buffet”. It is also possible to recruit companions who will aid you solve cases. I’ll call it now – you’ll probably be screwing your comrades.
Studio ZAUM, which created Disco Elysium, became mired in internal disputes after the game’s release, which ultimately led to the departure of employees, including key directors such as Robert Kurvitz and Alexander Rostov. However, it appears that these two are not involved in any of these novel games. Regardless of who works on it and who doesn’t, I still think XXX Nightshift is… compelling choosing a name. While I expect to see this written without the comic on a Steam thumbnail of a butt in a thong. But hey, you still have time to change your mind, Disco people. This has been done before.
