Good news for role-playing game fans: the next ZA/UM title is finally here. Six years after the launch of Disco Elysium, the studio presents Project [C4], a project that is still very much a mystery. The last few years have not been easy for the creative company, and the development of this new game has been heavily impacted.
In a perfect world, a direct sequel to Disco Elysium should have been see the light of day, but that was without counting on the numerous scandals that eventually hit. The creators of the famous RPG all left the ship, while other employees suffered heavy waves of dismissals. The numerous accusations and lawsuits that followed ended up killing Disco Elysium 2 in the bud. Project [C4] will never replace this canceled sequel and will certainly suffer from the comparison with its predecessor. Moreover, players are already expressing their indignation in the YouTube comments.
Following the departure of Robert Kurvitz (creator of Disco Elysium), Aleksander Rostov (artistic director) and Helen Hindpere (screenwriter), former surviving employees find themselves propelled to at the helm of the new project. Jim Ashilevi and Siim Sinamäe were introduced as the lead writers of Project [C4], after having worked respectively as voice director and additional writer on Disco Elysium. In the absence of gameplay footage in the short announcement teaser, here is what the developers are promising for this new experience.
“An RPG that redefines the genre“
ZA/UM's projects are renowned for their audacity, which aims to push the boundaries of video games. Despite the many structural changes, the studio seeks to maintain this philosophy with an ever stranger and dreamlike game. The teams at Project [C4] are already presenting their creation as “an RPG that redefines the genre“. It's impossible to know for sure until you get hands-on with this experience, but the basic concept presentation is enough to grab your attention.
Players will embody an operator in the service of a corrupt global power, exploiting the minds of citizens (literally, the brain in this case) for geopolitical and espionage purposes. The short and mysterious synopsis shared by ZA/UM suggests that in this universe, the psyche of humanity is erased, altered, and reworked "to using psychoactive substances, among other means. On paper, this experience promises to turn our minds upside down by playing with sensitive and topical subjects. Now, we can only hope that the writing and artistic direction will remain at the level of Disco Elysium despite the departure of the original teams. Project [C4] does not yet have a release window, but more information will be shared at the Game Developers Conference, which will be held on March 17 or 22.
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