The creator of Disco Elysium is clear: the first Fallout is unique

The independent publisher Verso Books has recently released Everything to Play For: How Videogames are Changing the World, a work by Marijam Did. To promote her book, Did has been conducting live streams with prominent video game designers, including a recent talk with Robert Kurvitz, director of Disco Elysium, where they explored themes of politics and art while playing the classic title Fallout.

Kurvitz, fan of Fallout, but even more fans of Fallout 2

Kurvitz, a declared admirer of the first Fallout, highlighted innovative narrative elements of the title, such as character creation and the use of the ‘narrative skeleton’ from the early moments of the game. Alluding to Karl Marx’s perspective on the series, Kurvitz confidently suggested that the thinker would prefer Fallout 2 for its focus on economy and trade, suggesting that the first game feels almost biblical in its depiction of the apocalypse.

However, it wasn’t all academic analysis. During the broadcast, Kurvitz expressed his appreciation for the more playful aspects, describing Fallout as a Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art, and enjoying the amusing sounds of violence in the game. This lighter approach was amplified by his comment that Fallout is not as cerebral as many believe, a contrast he accompanied with a touch of humor by wearing cat ears on his headset.

On another front, it has been reported that Kurvitz and two former members of ZA/UM have founded a new studio called Red Info, amidst a legal battle over the rights to Disco Elysium. Meanwhile, ZA/UM continues to face criticism for marketing promotional products of Disco Elysium while navigating these legal controversies.

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