Zero Parades: Is ZA/UM's New Spy Thriller a Glorious Second Coming or Just *Disco Elysium* in a Really Good Disguise?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
ZA/UM's upcoming spy thriller, *Zero Parades*, looks remarkably like a spiritual successor to *Disco Elysium*, boasting familiar narrative themes and intriguing evolutions of its predecessor's unique mechanics like 'failing forward' and an expanded 'Thought Cabinet.' However, I'm cautiously observing whether it truly innovates or risks being too beholden to *Disco Elysium*'s legacy, especially given the changes within the studio.
Right, so buckle up, mates, because ZA/UM—the brilliant, slightly bewildering minds behind the genre-bending masterpiece *Disco Elysium*—are back in the ring with a new espionage CRPG called *Zero Parades: For Dead Spies*. And fair dinkum, if you squint a bit, it looks like *Disco Elysium* decided to grab a fake moustache and a pair of dark sunnies for a top-secret mission. The lovely folks over at Rock Paper Shotgun (cheers, James Archer!) just got a peek at some very early footage, and I've been tinkering with their insights all morning. Bloody hell, it's wilder than it first appeared, and it's got me wondering: is this the spiritual successor we've been dreaming of, or a cunningly familiar ghost from the past?
ZA/UM reckons *Zero Parades* is a lot of things. It’s an espionage CRPG (Cracking Role-Playing Game, for those not fluent in archaic digital incantations), a deep character study of Hershel Wilk – a burnt-out, fallen-from-grace spook, and apparently, "a story about failure, and about crippling regret." Sound familiar? Like a forgotten hangover that refuses to leave? Yeah, me too. This isn't just inspired by *Disco*; it’s practically its estranged sibling who never moved out of the old neighbourhood. And in what’s shaping up to be a surprisingly crowded field of *Disco*-likes, *Zero Parades* seems to be leaning into its lineage with the subtlety of a wizard accidentally conjuring a small black hole in his kitchen.
Hershel's tale kicks off with her as a "quasi-ex spy" for the communist Superbloc (because, of course, the political landscape is just as nuanced and delightfully grim as *Disco*'s Revachol). She’s caught between this Superbloc, an equally formidable fascist superpower, and a shadowy international development bank – a trio of influences wrestling for global power. Smack dab in the middle is Portofiro, a sovereign, ostensibly democratic state that’s seen better days (much like Martinaise, bless its dilapidated heart). This is where Hershel royally botched an op, landed herself a desk job in purgatory, and is now being sent back to investigate a new mystery. Her first order of business? Reassembling her old crew, all of whom she left out to dry. Mending shattered relationships is gonna be a major focus, and ZA/UM suggests it might not always be possible. Some folks might just stay properly ticked off, which, honestly, is far more realistic than most RPGs.
Now, here’s where things get interesting and slightly chaotic in true ZA/UM fashion: failure. In *Zero Parades*, failure both *is* and *isn't* a big deal. It’s the background radiation of Hershel's life; she failed before, fears failing again, and Portofiro itself is a monument to past glories faded. Yet, as a game state, botching a major objective won't necessarily mean game over. You can supposedly keep on trucking, consequences be damned. The devs call this "failing forward," and while it's a concept *Disco* played with beautifully (remember those skill check failures leading to surprisingly hilarious or poignant outcomes?), I’m cautiously curious to see it in practice. The preview only really showed off a scene where Hershel, trying to find a disguise, fluffs a dice roll and ends up in a cartoon mascot headpiece. Tradecraft, indeed. I mean, failing forward? Sounds a bit like my life after attempting an experimental spell that goes sideways. What happens if you genuinely break something critical? Does the story just... bend around it? Or does it end up looking like a spaghetti junction of half-baked plot threads? We'll have to wait and see, but the promise of a narrative that adapts to both intentional choices and miserable misfires is alluringly chaotic.
Then there are the Pressures – a neat trio of reverse-health bars measuring Fatigue, Anxiety, and Delirium. These gauges fill up based on your choices and can have fatal consequences if they hit the brim. While you can reduce them with a good kip, their interplay with skill checks is the real wizardry here. Need a chunky boost to a tough check? You can 'exert' yourself (like smashing a door instead of finding the key), but this raises one of your Pressures. It's a proper mental tightrope walk, weighing improved success chances against the mental and physical toll. This feels like a smart evolution of *Disco*'s internal struggles, making Hershel’s journey even more intensely personal and her choices more impactful. Imagine pushing yourself to the brink, knowing a bad roll could unravel your sanity. Proper dramatic, that.
And speaking of internal struggles, let's talk Conditioning. Described as "the Thought Cabinet Plus-Plus-Plus," this is where *Disco* fans will either gasp in delight or raise an eyebrow in gentle skepticism. Like Harry Du Bois’ mind-sideboard, you'll gather thoughts and ruminate on them for skill point adjustments. But here's the twist: you can opt to 'reinforce' or 'punish' a thought instead of just internalising it. This doesn't just further cement Hershel as a conflicted soul; it offers another layer of roleplaying, with reinforcing or punishing thoughts making different tweaks to different skills. It's a clever observation on how we interact with our own internal monologues, isn't it? Our thoughts aren't just things we accept; we argue with them, we feed them, or we try to squash them. This could be genuinely innovative, letting us truly sculpt Hershel’s psyche.
Hershel's skills themselves are also a fascinating departure. While Harry's skills mainly defined him as a cop, many of Hershel’s aren’t directly related to her spy work. Take Technoflex, for example, which represents her inner hardware geek, flaring up when she handles old cassettes or appreciates the satisfying click of ancient machinery. I, for one, would absolutely support Hershel packing it all in, opening a radio repair shop, and just appreciating the contours of broken speaker cones in peace. But alas, she'll also be thrust into what ZA/UM calls Dramatic Encounters – faster-paced, more overtly perilous pseudo-action sequences. CRPG purists, don't fret; these are still text and dice-roll driven. The early build shown apparently lacked a bit of tension, but hopefully, with more development time, they can inject the necessary drama. It's an attempt at something new, which is always worth a nod, even if it needs a bit more magical oomph.
Here’s the rub, though, and it’s a big one: *Zero Parades* feels *so* much like *Disco Elysium*. Aesthetically, it’s a dead ringer. The dialogue, the world interaction, the pervasive communism vs. fascism (with centrism still looking like the worst option) – it’s all here. There was a time, before ZA/UM’s… internal ruptures, that a *Disco Elysium 2: Elysium Harder* would have had half the gaming world chomping at the bit. But, realistically, this is a very different ZA/UM to the one that existed in 2019. The question isn't just *what* they’re showing, but *why* they’re showing it in such a familiar wrapper.
Is it an homage, an evolution, or a comfortable re-tread? It's genuinely exciting to see ZA/UM continue their distinctive approach to narrative and character, expanding on their earlier work with intriguing mechanics like Pressures and a souped-up Thought Cabinet. But by trading so heavily on past glories, even with its own affordance for mistakes, *Zero Parades* is taking a pretty big risk. Will it find its own voice, or will it forever be *Disco Elysium* in a really convincing pair of spectacles and a fake nose? Only time, and perhaps a few more botched dice rolls, will tell. Either way, my curiosity (and mild anxiety) is officially piqued, mate.
**Source:** Originally reported by James Archer for Rock Paper Shotgun, published on Sept. 24, 2025.
Tags: CRPG, Spy Thriller, Narrative Game, ZA/UM, Game Mechanics
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun