In 2019, ZA/UM’s Disco Elysium swiftly earned its title as one of the most profound games ever for its deep lore and heavy political commentary. As such, it was only a matter of time before the developer announced a proper successor, the original spy thriller “Project C4.”
Despite the original game’s legacy, Project C4’s announcement became surprisingly controversial due to publisher ZA/UM’s recent mismanagement. Here is a breakdown of why this confirmed Disco Elysium successor has become so contentious among its fans.
Disco Elysium’s Successor
According to IGN, the Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM announced a new game titled “Project C4.” The game will take place in an entirely new world and focus on themes of espionage. Players serve a “questionable global power” on a desperate mission through a web of conspiracies. The trailer featured a woman’s vague narration over the grotesque, psychedelic artwork that defined the original game.
They confirmed that this spy story would not be inspired by James Bond but by John le Carre’s novels. Carre was infamous for his cynicism and moral ambiguity, which makes him perfect for a spiritual successor to Disco Elysium. Additionally, they confirmed the game would have various sci-fi elements likely linked to psychic abilities. Finally, as a work of spy fiction, it could drastically raise the stakes as a sequel.
The game will most likely follow the same template as its predecessor, including the “fail forward system.” Instead of failing, meaning a game over, players must live with the consequences of their mistakes. Because of how avant-garde the original game was, there are many ways to expand the formula.
The Revolutionary Classic
The news of a Disco Elysium successor excites many due to the monumental legacy of the first game. As a spiritual successor to the philosophical cult-classic Planescape Torment, Disco Elysium follows an amnesiac piecing together his past through a bizarre city. He soon finds himself caught between a massive strike, a murder mystery, and an encroaching environmental threat known as “The Pale.”
Instead of traditional combat, players had to use their persuasive and intellectual skills to build and commit to their ideologies. Few games have inspired the same volume of analyses for their themes. The game’s stark art direction, memorable characters, quirky humor, and bold social commentary cemented it as a modern classic, and it won ZA/UM’s team many awards.
ZA/UM’s Controversies
While this news should have been met with universal celebration, many fans were not as quick to congratulate ZA/UM. In the years following Disco Elysium’s success, they faced several legal battles. While working on an expansion to the original game, reports emerged of crunch conditions, followed by a solid quarter of their team facing layoffs, like many other major developers. In between, several legal battles broke out over stolen ideas, financial mismanagement, and layoffs.
With the original team scattered, several ZA/UM alumni formed new studios, each hoping to create spiritual successors for Elysium. This conflict is ironic because the original game centers around a worker’s strike against an uncaring corporation. The company’s actions led to backlash from many fans because they claimed credit for the game when they treated its actual creatives so poorly.
Conclusion
Given its influences and innovations upon the formula, Project C4 has strong potential as a successor to Disco Elysium. However, due to ZA/UM’s management, many of their longtime fans lost their faith in the developer. Additionally, Project C4 will face competition from other alumni projects.
As sad as ZA/UM’s story is, it’s hardly unique among other mass layoffs from giants like Ubisoft. Hopefully, the creators themselves will pull through and continue making more original and groundbreaking games like Disco Elysium.
