Game News The Game Awards 2019: Disco Elysium wins everything, Raf Colantonio's Weird West, and other nonsense

[Infinitron]

Tags: CD Projekt; Cyberpunk 2077; Devolver Digital; Disco Elysium; Raphael Colantonio; Weird West; Wolfeye Studios; ZA/UM

Another year is coming to its end, and as we know the last chance to announce something important before the year ends is at Geoff Keighley's annual Game Awards event. So what did we get yesterday? Unfortunately Baldur's Gate III did not show up, nor did any Outer Worlds DLC. There was some other stuff though, like a Cyberpunk 2077 behind-the-scenes soundtrack featurette, a teaser for some sort of League of Legends turn-based RPG called Ruined King, a new trailer for the Gears of War turn-based tactics game announced last year, and a hilariously awful trailer for a new D&D co-op action-RPG called Dark Alliance. For the Codex, the most potentially interesting announcement at the event was probably Weird West, an unexpectedly isometric action-RPG by WolfEye Studios, the new company launched by Arkane Studios founder Raf Colantonio and revealed to the public last month. While the announcement trailer describes the game as an action-RPG, its Steam page refers to it only as an immersive sim. We don't generally cover that sort of thing here, but considering the people involved, I'd say it deserves a shoutout.

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As for the actual awards, the biggest winner of the evening was none other than Disco Elysium, which ended up winning the awards for best RPG, best narrative, best indie game and best indie game from a new studio. That almost makes up for having to watch three hours of crap.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Not sold on the art direction, but far too early to criticize. Weird West is a great setting and the original Deadlands mechanics had many virtues. Will watch. Thanks for the news.

 

[mondblut]

Tags: CD Projekt; Cyberpunk 2077; Disco Elysium; Raphael Colantonio; Weird West; Wolfeye Studios; ZA/UM

As for the actual awards, the biggest winner of the evening was none other than Disco Elysium, which ended up winning the awards for best RPG, best narrative, best indie game and best indie game from a new studio. That almost makes up for having to watch three hours of crap.

How the mighty adventure games have fallen. They don't even have an award of their own these days?

 

[V_K]

Tags: CD Projekt; Cyberpunk 2077; Disco Elysium; Raphael Colantonio; Weird West; Wolfeye Studios; ZA/UM

As for the actual awards, the biggest winner of the evening was none other than Disco Elysium, which ended up winning the awards for best RPG, best narrative, best indie game and best indie game from a new studio. That almost makes up for having to watch three hours of crap.

How the mighty adventure games have fallen. They don't even have an award of their own these days?

It should at least pretend to have puzzles to qualify for Adventure category. And visual novels never had one.
Speaking of puzzles, Baba Is You losing to a visual novel is a travesty. Baba Is You losing to any game is a travesty, frankly, but this is travesty squared.

 

[aratuk]

How the mighty adventure games have fallen. They don't even have an award of their own these days?

For some people, an RPG must have combat to rise above adventure. For some others, the presence of character stats disqualifies it as adventure.

I would say that numerical character individuation, and the explicit effect it has on dice rolls, plus level progression, probably make it more RPG than adventure.

YMMV.

 

[mondblut]

How the mighty adventure games have fallen. They don't even have an award of their own these days?

It should at least pretend to have puzzles to qualify for Adventure category.

Hidden Object Game, then?

 

[cvv]

A new game from former Arkane guys was my 2nd most anticipated news, after the rumored Elden Ring gameplay, but this is a downer. It looks p. bad and if it's anything like Hard West then thanks, one Wild West XCOM-like just about covers my lifetime needs.

 

[Valky]

Lilura was right. Disco in top ten is imminent. You don't even need to have gameplay to qualify as a video game now.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Disco derpfest fans should be livid. This proves its a game for hipster posers who want to sound cool not a serious RPG. How man decent RPGs even came out this year? You don't want to like something that wins popularity rewards, otherwise Skyrim is the best RPG of all time.

 

[Valky]

Disco derpfest fans should be livid. This proves its a game for hipster posers who want to sound cool not a serious RPG. How many decent RPGs even came out this year?

Legends of Amberland.

 

[MicoSelva]

The show is still a joke, but maybe it will get there eventually. Maybe...?

I liked the silence in the audience when Disco Elysium won best narrative over Death Stranding.

Also lol @ award for best RPG being given off-screen (unless I missed it when I was skipping through commercials and crap content?). If Bioware and/or Bethesda games were nominated, this would be one of the on-stage awards with a host and dramatic envelope opening.

 

[cvv]

Yeah what was the shit with giving awards off screen, even major ones like best action adventure or best RPG?

 

[Elex]

look all the comment that don’t know what an RPG is!

 

[ArchAngel]

The show is still a joke, but maybe it will get there eventually. Maybe...?

I liked the silence in the audience when Disco Elysium won best narrative over Death Stranding.

Also lol @ award for best RPG being given off-screen (unless I missed it when I was skipping through commercials and crap content?). If Bioware and/or Bethesda games were nominated, this would be one of the on-stage awards with a host and dramatic envelope opening.

I need a link to the video showing this. Death Stranding was a terrible game in both gameplay and story, it just being nominated was already hilarious. Winning would be worse travesty than when Obama won Peace Nobel for doing nothing.

 

[Fowyr]

Lilura was right. Disco in top ten is imminent. You don't even need to have gameplay to qualify as a video game now.

Disco Elysium is not an RPG, but still a great adventure game with RPG elements.

 

[eric__s]

Also lol @ award for best RPG being given off-screen (unless I missed it when I was skipping through commercials and crap content?). If Bioware and/or Bethesda games were nominated, this would be one of the on-stage awards with a host and dramatic envelope opening.

They weren't given off-screen, they just didn't happen. They cut a bunch of awards to make room for more ads.

 

[Junmarko]

the new company launched by Arkane Studios founder Raf Colantonio and revealed to the public last month.

Glad Raff came back after a long holiday. Everything the guy worked on has been pure

 

[Dr Schultz]

I'd love to know how many users that disqualify Disco Elysium as an RPG have ever played an actual tabletop RPG in their entire life (and I case what RPG this was)... I’m pretty sure this would be a quite amusing poll...

 

[V_K]

I'd love to know how many users that disqualify Disco Elysium as an RPG have ever played an actual tabletop RPG in their entire life (and I case what RPG this was)... I’m pretty sure this would be a quite amusing poll...

I might only have a very minor TT experience, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve answering multiple-choice questions all the time.

 

[Morality Games]

A Western-skinned version of Shadowrun/Arcanum with dwarves, elves, wizards, etc would be my guiltiest of guilty pleasures. It's basically my dream game (well, after Ravenloft).

Still, I welcome any RPG studio to try a Western game, it isn't one of those concepts that is failed from the start (being a Western is half of what makes Fallout 1-2 + New Vegas good).

 

[Dr Schultz]

I'd love to know how many users that disqualify Disco Elysium as an RPG have ever played an actual tabletop RPG in their entire life (and I case what RPG this was)... I’m pretty sure this would be a quite amusing poll...

I might only have a very minor TT experience, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve answering multiple-choice questions all the time.

I, for my part, have a quite decent experience at least in terms of variety. Aside for the obvious difference (the proverbial elephant in the room) that Disco Elysium is a single player videogame while TT PRGs are inherently cooperative experiences, I'd say it mimics quite faithfully what happened in a session of a investigative system like Gumshoe.

 

[V_K]

I'd love to know how many users that disqualify Disco Elysium as an RPG have ever played an actual tabletop RPG in their entire life (and I case what RPG this was)... I’m pretty sure this would be a quite amusing poll...

I might only have a very minor TT experience, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve answering multiple-choice questions all the time.

I, for my part, have a quite decent experience at least in terms of variety. Aside for the obvious difference (the proverbial elephant in the room) that Disco Elysium is a single player videogame while TT PRGs are inherently cooperative experiences, I'd say it mimics quite faithfully what happened in a session of a investigative system like Gumshoe.

We've been over this multiple times with regard to AoD, PST or whatever. Dialog trees do not mimic TT experience anywhere near faithfully because a) they present you all the possible solutions on a silver plate (there's no thinking involved in coming up with one) and b) they limit your options to what is scripted - both of which vastly diminish the player's creative agency. While the latter is a fundamental limitation of video game medium (although I think AI Dungeon has something to say about that), there are many ways to alleviate the former - like using a parser, for example.

 

[Junmarko]

I'd love to know how many users that disqualify Disco Elysium as an RPG have ever played an actual tabletop RPG in their entire life

I'd be curious to know how many that qualify it as a CRPG have ever completed one, or any video game for that matter. Apparently not many, with "story mode difficulty" showing up everywhere and people who view the complete absense of challenge as a "trait".

 

[Dr Schultz]

I'd love to know how many users that disqualify Disco Elysium as an RPG have ever played an actual tabletop RPG in their entire life (and I case what RPG this was)... I’m pretty sure this would be a quite amusing poll...

I might only have a very minor TT experience, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve answering multiple-choice questions all the time.

I, for my part, have a quite decent experience at least in terms of variety. Aside for the obvious difference (the proverbial elephant in the room) that Disco Elysium is a single player videogame while TT PRGs are inherently cooperative experiences, I'd say it mimics quite faithfully what happened in a session of a investigative system like Gumshoe.

We've been over this multiple times with regard to AoD, PST or whatever. Dialog trees do not mimic TT experience anywhere near faithfully because a) they present you all the possible solutions on a silver plate (there's no thinking involved in coming up with one) and b) they limit your options to what is scripted - both of which vastly diminish the player's creative agency. While the latter is a fundamental limitation of video game medium (although I think AI Dungeon has something to say about that), there are many ways to alleviate the former - like using a parser, for example.

I pretty much agree with that. Actually, I totally agreed with that. Period.

Point is: I can't see how games perceived as full flaged RPGs here around are more faithful adaptations than Disco...

I'd love to know how many users that disqualify Disco Elysium as an RPG have ever played an actual tabletop RPG in their entire life

I'd be curious to know how many that qualify it as a CRPG have ever completed one, or any video game for that matter. Apparently not many, with "story mode difficulty" showing up everywhere and people who view the complete absense of challenge as a "trait".

I can't speak for the others, but the first CRPG I've completed was Ultima IV, the last one (before Disco) was Stygian.

 

[Junmarko]

I can't speak for the others, but the first CRPG I've completed was Ultima IV, the last one (before Disco) was Stygian.

I don't believe you, but good effort using Ultima like that lol.