Disco Elysium 2.0?! Fans Stunned by ZA/UM's New RPG!

ZA/UM's next big thing, the upcoming RPG *Zero Parades: For Dead Spies*, is already drawing comparisons to their masterpiece, *Disco Elysium*. And frankly, it's hard to deny the similarities. The isometric perspective, that painterly art style, and the dialogue system where conversations cascade down the screen – it's all instantly recognizable. But according to ZA/UM, that's not an accident. It’s almost a feature, not a bug.

Disco Elysium 2.0?! Fans Stunned by ZA/UM's New RP...

Scratch the surface, and the parallels deepen. *Zero Parades* boasts a "Conditioning" system that sounds remarkably like *Disco Elysium's* celebrated Thought Cabinet. The game is tackling heavy political and introspective themes, just like its predecessor. Even the skill system gets in on the act, manifesting as a sentient inner monologue, commenting on your choices and the world around you. Sound familiar? It should.

IGN recently grilled Jim Ashilevi, writer and VO director at ZA/UM, about why the studio didn't break away from the *Disco Elysium* formula. His answer was surprisingly straightforward. "I think it would have made sense for us to go in a completely different direction if the entire team was comprised of new talent," Ashilevi explained. "But since such a large number of the key players that built Disco Elysium are here to build Zero Parades, it just didn't make sense for us to just disregard that part of our experience as amateur game makers and start learning new ways of telling stories.” Makes sense, right?

Allen Murray, ZA/UM’s head of studio, chimed in, estimating that around 35% of their current 90-person team worked on the original *Disco Elysium* or its "Final Cut" expansion. That's a significant chunk of the creative core. Basically, they’re saying, “We know what we’re good at, and we’re building on that.”

“We're still the same people,” Ashilevi added. “We still have the same interests. The stuff that interests us in the world of video games, but also in other media – in film and literature and theater – that hasn't changed. Hopefully it has evolved, but I think we're still basically the same people." It’s an honest and rather refreshing perspective, if you ask me. They aren't trying to be something they're not.

Despite some well-publicized and controversial departures from the studio, ZA/UM is still aiming to launch *Zero Parades* this year. This espionage RPG, which revolves around power struggles and failure, aims to carve its own niche, but without throwing out everything that made *Disco Elysium* so special. It's a balancing act, for sure. And whether they can pull it off remains to be seen. But honestly? I'm cautiously optimistic.