ZA/UM’s highly anticipated sophomore effort, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, is finally in the hands of critics. The text-heavy, dice-driven spy CRPG arrives carrying the heavy baggage of the bitter, highly publicized corporate schism that ousted the original creators of Disco Elysium. Critics are openly struggling to evaluate the new release entirely on its own merits.
The game drops players into a complex narrative focused on consumerism, empire, and espionage. It features fully voice-acted dialogue and deep surrealist undertones. But the conversation surrounding the launch is entirely locked on the studio’s history. Diego Nicolás Argüello at The Verge points out the title fundamentally struggles to step out of the shadow of its predecessor. He describes it as a spiritual successor inextricably haunted by the phantoms of the past.
The critical consensus is heavily split on the execution. GameSpot notes that while the game is excellent, it sometimes stumbles into straight imitation. GamesRadar calls the structural similarities built from older mechanics both a blessing and a curse.
Others are much more direct about the comparison. Rock Paper Shotgun describes the experience as both a “spirited interrogation of fake culture” and a “bootleg Disco Elysium.” It is a bizarre meta-narrative playing out in real-time across the gaming press. The real-world studio drama has completely bled into the perception of the final product.