Now, Hold On — I Need To Play ‘Disco-Elyisum’-Inspired ‘Esoteric Ebb’ Immediately

So, is the formal term for this subgenre “Disco-like”? Because I’m absolutely on board with the genesis of Disco Elysium-inspired journeys. I’ve been meaning to highlight Esoteric Ebb for quite some time now. There’s a Steam demo you can enjoy, but today, I actually had time to delve into what Esoteric Ebb is all about. While I’m sure it’s not the first comedic spin on the Disco formula, I would be lying if I said the trailer didn’t invoke a sense of “love at first sight.”

As with Rue Valley, I promise I’ll give y’all an actual Esoteric Ebb demo impressions piece. Where Disco Elysium is dark and philosophical and Rue Valley hits on deep social emotionality, Esoteric Ebb seems to go the “funny, unhinged chaos” route. And you know how we get down when it comes to unapologetically wild gaming experiences.

“Create the world’s worst cleric. Take on the city through tense TTRPG dice rolls. Struggle to maintain control in Esoteric Ebb with your Stats chiming in at every moment. Let the voices guide you into insane encounters and hit that natural 20 right when you need it. Become the most interesting player at the table and completely ruin your DM’s day.” Few pitches speak to me more than Esoteric Ebb‘s.

i need ‘esoteric ebb’ — and i need it now

“WARP REALITY TO YOUR WHIM. As an expert in all things Esoteric, your cleric can learn any number of spells, and use them to unlock narrative choices. Control minds for fun and profit. Detect secrets in the tunnels below or in the thoughts of your enemies. Speak with anyone, living or dead, just to see how they insult you.” That’s from the official Esoteric Ebb website.

Esoteric Ebb‘s creator, Christoffer Bodegård, is clearly a creative, chaotic force to come up with something so unique! The fact that your actual Stats are voices in your head that never shut the hell up is such a lovely twist on a familiar formula. If Esoteric Ebb is bringing forth that kind of artistry, then the sky’s the limit on how the overall narrative pans out!

The post Now, Hold On — I Need To Play ‘Disco-Elyisum’-Inspired ‘Esoteric Ebb’ Immediately appeared first on VICE.