Take one take a look at ZA/UM’s new RPG, Zero Parades: For Lifeless Spies, and you may instantly discover similarities to the studio’s earlier work, Disco Elysium. It is an isometric sport with a putting artwork model and options dialogue-centric gameplay with conversations displayed vertically on the precise aspect of the display screen.
Should you look intently, there are much more similarities. There’s a “Conditioning” system that recreates lots of the options of Disco Elysium’s distinctive Thought Cupboard. The story goals to be deeply political and introspective. After which there’s the talent system, which manifests itself as a sentient interior monologue that feedback in your selections and the world round you.
Some Disco Elysium followers could also be involved about this overlap. In 2022, sport director Robert Kervitz and artwork director Alexander Rostov (creators key to the look, really feel, and imaginative and prescient of this well-known RPG) had been among the many many individuals on workers. left the studio in an “involuntary” method. ZA/UM claims they had been fired for misconductIn the meantime, Kurwitz and Rostov accused the corporate’s main shareholders of wrongdoing. Many followers consider these fired are victims of a company conspiracy. Those self same followers could now be involved to see the studio constructing a Disco Elysium successor on such the same design basis with out the involvement of the unique creators.
videogameaddicted mentioned these considerations with ZA/UM author and audio director Jim Asilevy in a latest interview and requested him why the studio by no means thought of discovering a brand new route for Zero Parade.
“I believe it will have made sense to go in a totally totally different route if the entire workforce was made up of recent expertise,” Asilevy stated. “However with so lots of the key gamers who constructed Disco Elysium coming right here to construct Zero Parades, it did not make sense to disregard that a part of our expertise as newbie sport makers and begin studying new methods to inform tales.”
ZA/UM studio head Allen Murray estimates that roughly 35% of the studio’s present workers roster is made up of people that labored on the “closing minimize” releases of the unique or expanded variations of Disco Elysium. The full variety of workers on the studio is roughly 90.
“We’re nonetheless the identical folks,” Asilevy continued. “We nonetheless have the identical pursuits. What we’re occupied with, not simply within the online game world, however in different media, movie, literature, theater, hasn’t modified. I hope it is advanced, however I believe we’re nonetheless principally the identical folks.”
“Mainly, we’re simply following our instincts, following our obsessions,” he stated. “And a variety of that was current in Disco Elysium. It is current in Zero Parades as properly. Primarily because of the truth that these are the identical individuals who had been there to construct a cool world.”
In a earlier interview with ZA/UM members, performed simply earlier than Gamescom 2025, videogameaddicted requested Ashlevy and lead technical artist Nicola Pillow what they thought of followers who could also be cautious of recent ZA/UM RPGs following the departures of Kurwitz, Rostov, and others.
“I can perceive why some folks can be hesitant,” Piloto stated. “It isn’t my accountability to inform them what to assume or what to expertise. I believe what we’re making an attempt to do is inform a fantastic story. And I believe all we are able to do is hope that once we’re prepared for the Zero Parade, folks prefer it sufficient to take part and perceive what we’re like as a bunch.”
“We’re right here to put in writing extra tales,” Ashilevi added. “That is all we’re right here for. And if that upsets folks or makes folks cautious, that is honest. However now we have a brand new sport popping out quickly, and we wish you to test it out. And should you do not prefer it, that is okay. That is completely high-quality.”
ZA/UM plans to launch the Zero Parade this yr. A spy RPG about energy struggles and failure, the workforce desires it It does not must be a “whole reinvention of the wheel” to be totally different from Disco Elysium.
Matt Purslow is videogameaddicted’s Options Editor.