As it is one of the most artistically profound and immaculately written games of our time, Disco Elysium can be dissected and broken down for hours upon hours, and still there can never be enough said about the unbelievable experience it provides. In this article I have tried to break down a single aspect of the game, and one of its most significant: the skill system.
As almost any other RPG, Disco Elysium utilizes a skill system for your character. While in the majority of games you see generic attributes such as strength, intelligence, speed, etc. make up your character, Disco Elysium approaches this mechanic in a much more ambitious manner. By having a number of 24 skills, the game effectively examines what the human mind and body goes through in any possible situation.
Here I’ll be talking about some of the most interesting of these skills, and the incredible way Disco Elysium tackles storytelling and character development by attributing a sort of personality to each of these skills.
The Skills in Gameplay
As said before, skills are an essential part in most RPGs. With Disco Elysium being a heavily narrative driver game, these skills are mainly used to determine how our protagonist, Harry, functions in the world when interacting with others (and of course, when internalizing his own thoughts). The skills are split into the four major areas ofIntellect,Psyche,PhysiqueandMotorics.
The dialogue in the game greatly relies on what skills the player chooses to specialize in. For instance, having enough points inConceptualizationmight make Harry notice a deeper and more subtle detail in a conversation, allowing a new dialogue branch to be opened. Alternatively, certain skills can make conversations go in completely different directions, or even be bypassed, such as thePhysical Instrumentskill allowing Harry to brute force his way into a solution.
This feature, along with the freedom of player choice, is what makes each playthrough of Disco Elysium a completely unique experience for each individual, one which can never be replicated (additionally, certain luck-based skill checks add greatly to this variety). This means that based on what skills the player decides to improve and add points to, drastically different outcomes are created, therefore causing the game to be infinitely re-playable, and hours and hours of experimentation to be possible.
The Skills in Narrative
Whether you’re trying to solve the murder case, learn about the history of Revachol, or pursue the tasks around the dozens of side characters in the game, everything in Disco Elysium always comes down to one essential matter: Harry’s struggle with figuring out his past, and dealing with everything that goes on in his head.
Each of the 24 skills is virtually a voice in Harry’s head, with every single one of them displaying a unique personality trait that is evident by the different tone and mannerisms of speech exhibited in the writing. During many thoughts and internalizations, Harry’s addictive tendencies and attraction towards drugs and alcohol becomes apparent by theElectrochemistryskill, which tempts him to feed into these unhealthy impulses. Similarly, if the player has invested enough points intoVolition, it will chime in a as a separate voice and attempt to convince Harry to back away from his temptations. This is just one example of how accurately Disco Elysium portrays the inner conflicts of the human mind, and the back-and-forth that we constantly go through between several ideas and impulses that effect our decision-making.
an example of these conflicting thoughts in the character’s head. The player’s choice and number of skill points available for each of these affects the outcome of this situation
Furthermore, the great thing about these conversations that Harry has with himself, is just how relatable and palpable they can be for us players. The complex and dense skill system of Disco Elysium can in many ways be applied to every individual in real life. For instance, some people might be more intellectually knowledgeable and have good debating abilities, meaning they probably have high amounts ofLogicandRhetoric. Others might be more emotionally intelligent and excel in things likeEmpathyandSuggestion. In the game, the prose of these 24 voices is written in such a superb manner that it produces some of the most memorable and significant lines of dialogue in the game.
Some Specific Skills
1.Logic
Wield raw intellectual power. Deduce the world.
Logic is pretty self-explanatory by its name, and is among my favorites in the game. As someone who enjoys puzzles and piecing things together, Logic is that exact part of the mind. While playing the game I felt satisfied in certain moments when loose ends where tied up and the game’s world was being put together piece by piece. Interestingly, at those exact moments, the Logic voice chimed in and portrayed these exact feelings I had.
2. Inland Empire
Hunches and gut feelings. Dreams in waking life.
Inland Empire is one of the more odd skills in the game, having a sort of paranormal quality to it. It mainly relates to visions and dreamlike scenarios that Harry experiences, and in that way it becomes one of the most interesting skills. It also contributes to Harry’s gut feelings and vibes, with seemingly no rational explanation behind them (some of these hint at Harry’s unknown past, while some subtly foreshadow later events in the game).
3. Composure
Straighten your back. Keep your poker face.
As part of the motorics attribute, Composure is a relatively straightforward skill, and it affects how Harry handles himself in dire situations, and how well he can persist a calm manner in front of others. However, what’s interesting to note about this skill is that it also helps Harry detect how well other people are composed. Meaning it’s an important factor in reading others based on their appearance and the way they present themselves.
4. Shivers
Raise the hair on your neck. Tune in to the city.
Another strange addition to the skillset, Shivers, to put is simply, is named after the “shivers down your spine” phrase. Effectively the voice of the city, and the wind, displayed as poetic descriptions of what being in the city of Revachol truly feels like. Shivers does a lot in terms of world building and creating the bleak and distinctly depressing atmosphere of Disco Elysium. Its writing consists of describing certain places and simultaneously occurring events that Harry is not present for, but can *feel* in his spine, making it, similarly to Inland Empire, a quite supernatural part of the game. This makes Shivers the source of some of the most memorable and poetic lines of dialogue in the game.
5. Volition
Hold yourself together. Keep your morale up.
Despite all his hangovers, amnesia, and self-destructive tendencies, there is one voice within Harry that always looks out for him and wants what’s best for him. Volition. It is the most objectively *sane* sounding skill, and within Harry’s generally devastated personality, Volition can occasionally act as an uplifting glimmer of hope in the somber world of the game. Its purpose is to remind Harry that there is always a chance to grow and move on from his morbid past, and that even a tiny shred of optimism can be powerful to move him towards a better mental state. This makes it one of the most beloved and helpful skills from a narrative perspective.
