Disco Elysium’s latest update, Collage Mode, provides players with what basically amounts to a quirky photo mode. Players are able to create new scenes of their own anywhere in the game, using game assets such as characters and props to fine-tune the environment. The mode also includes several filters and frames to customize the player’s creations, as well as stylized stickers to decorate the screen.
The update was not received without contention, however, which might seem odd since photo mode has been a long-requested addition to the game. Some fans have expressed concerns that this new feature detracts from the game’s carefully crafted atmosphere. To be sure, Disco Elysium has been celebrated for immersive world-building and storytelling that explores deep themes such as identity, politics, and morality. It touches upon such issues as post-war depression, alcoholism, and worker’s rights. Being able to slap Disco Elysium-themed emojis around a hanged man in a tree doesn’t quite mesh with the gritty, somber atmosphere in the city of Revachol.
While it’s understandable that the quirkiness of the new Collage Mode could cause some narrative dissonance for players, the function itself must first be activated in the menu before appearing in the game. It’s not going to distract from the original experience of Disco Elysium’s story for any new players, since it’s entirely up to players whether or not to use Collage Mode.
The update was released only a few days following the settlement of a legal dispute between the game’s developer, ZA/UM, and the creative minds and original creators behind Disco Elysium, Robert Kurvitz and Aleksander Rostov. The duo had filed unfair dismissal claims against the company after they were involuntarily removed from their positions, making allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement. They accused ZA/UM’s majority shareholders of misusing company funds to increase their stake in the company, alleging that this led to their unfair dismissal.
Questions have been raised about the timing of this update, as well as doubts about the future of the franchise. Many fans of the game have given up hope of a proper sequel to Disco Elysium, or at least one with the original creators at the helm.
