When Disco Elysium released in 2019, it quickly became my favorite game that year and completely took me by surprise. Over six years later, ZA/UM is back with Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. In some ways, it can’t escape the long shadow of its predecessor. But because it does such an incredible job faithfully re-capturing the magic of Disco Elysium, Zero Parades easily one of the best narrative cRPGs I’ve played in years.
Zero Parades Captures the Magic of Disco Elysium
From the very opening seconds of Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, the comparisons to Disco Elysium are hard to ignore. Both stories open with a has-been protagonist haunted by their past and who the player can shape through dialogue choices. And in both games, you have to piece together what the hell is actually going on in the story, following a a mysterious incident that has already happened before you arrive.
However, Zero Parades: Dead For Spies quickly starts to diverge from its predecessor in some interesting ways. In Zero, you play as Hershel Wilk, aka Cascade, a disgraced spy who is put back into action and who yearns for redemption. Unlike Disco Elysium, your partner, who is supposed to guide you through this world, has suffered an unexplainable incident and can no longer help. You are all on your own this time.
In Zero Parades: Dead for Spies, nothing is as it seems. It’s an espionage thriller where everyone is playing a game of smoke and mirrors. And I think this is the game’s strongest quality: its layered writing that you are left to discover on your own. ZA/UM gives you just enough thread in the story to pull on, to lead you down a complicated web of overlapping narratives that is constantly evolving as you explore Portofiro.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the cRPG is uncovering the stories missing pieces, and trying to solve the puzzle. There were times in Zero Parades where I genuinely had no idea what to do next to progress the campaign. However, I had enough breadcrumbs that I could slowly untangle the plot through various side quests and character interaction while exploring the town of Portofiro. And without getting into spoilers, Zero Parades: Dead for Spies’ story gets freaky and weird fast. It goes to some twistedly dark places, and it’s awesome.
Zero Parades Has One of the Best Casts in Recent RPGs
Like its predecessor, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies has a massive cast of characters, and all of them are fascinating to interact with. The best way I can describe it is “Lynchian” or something out of Blue Velvet or Twin Peaks. In one moment in the story, you encounter a belligerent doctor who believes every medical issue can be solved with erectile dysfunction medication.
Then in another, you are encountering the “Miracle Line,” a payphone that leads to a mysterious phone sex worker named the Duchess. No one knows how she always picks up regardless of time or day, or why the payphone only leads specifically to her. However, citizens line up to confess their deepest secrets to her. Then there is the Bootleg Bazaar, a marketplace hub of Portofiro full of its own misfits and weirdos.
All of this takes place against the backdrop of the La Luz cultural revolution. The fictional country has been imported from overseas, and its tendrils can be felt throughout the entire town. Whether it’s pop singer Ultra Violeta becoming so popular with the youth that teenagers are willing to throw themselves off buildings, or the ultra modern fashion that is sweeping the streets much to the chagrin of older inhabitants.
As a result, Portofiro is a town that is having a cultural identity crisis. Some see La Luz culture as an invasion, while others openly embrace it with open arms as “the future”. The constantly shifting morality and complicated political perspectives of characters in Zero Parades: Dead for Spies is something that will be familiar to Disco Elysium fans.
Zero Parades’ Emotional System Adds Real Stakes
Zero Parades largely keeps the features that Disco Elysium perfected. Every choice, even down to your own inner thoughts and personality, is shaped by dice rolls and dialogue options. Skill points and clothing items can lessen the number you need to roll to succeed. Although allowing your character to fail in Zero Parades is a necessity. It often leads to branching story progression and unexpected events.
However, one of the more interesting things about Zero Parades is its fleshed-out emotional system. Herschel has to balance her Fatigue, Anxiety, and Delirium levels. If any of these stats get maxed out, you are forced to remove a skill point to reset them. This might seem like a burden at first, but it quickly becomes one of the game’s best features. ZA/UM gives players many options to keep on top of these stats.
For example, you can take drugs, drink beer, smoke cigarettes, or just sleep to lower them. But this system works because it adds a lot of weight to dice rolls and key story moments. You might find yourself in a major plot beat, and suddenly failing a roll could max out your Anxiety bar if you weren’t managing it. On the surface this sounds like it would be a pain. However, I found the way ZA/UM cleverly interwove it into the narrative that it actually enhances the story.
Zero Parades’ Action Sequences Are Surprisingly Intense
Finally, there are also key pivotal moments in the story where time slows down. In these sections, players have to make important decisions quickly. These are Zero Parades’ new action sequences, and they are awesome. One minute Herschel is observing evidence, and then a second later she has to move or risk eating a bullet.
Without getting into spoilers, there was one moment in my playthrough where I kept failing dice rolls. This continued to put Cascade into deeper and deeper trouble, which made it all the more intense. Thankfully, these moments also aren’t overused, and they serve as climaxes to story arcs. What really makes them work though are second-by second decision making. The dice rolls and many choices lead you to drastically different outcomes.
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies Is One of the Best Narrative RPGs in Years
If you loved Disco Elysium, you are going to really like Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. It might not match the first game perfectly in some aspects. But for me, what made Disco truly special was its quirky cast of characters and complex narrative that you slowly peel back through seemingly infinite choices. Zero Parades: For Dead Spies has all of that and more, while being wrapped up in an incredible espionage storyline that you’ll want to spend hours getting lost in.
Verdict: Best In Its Class (5/5)
Pros
- The new emotions system and action sequences further evolves Disco Elysium’s already incredible cRPG gameplay.
- Portofiro is packed with an interesting cast of characters that feel directly out of a David Lynch story.
- Players are given an infinite amount of choices and branching paths, making Zero Parades: For Dead Spies easily replayable.
- Captures the magic of Disco Elysium with its hand-drawn artwork and layered explorable maps.
Cons
- Some may find managing the emotions system overwhelming at first. However, as Zero Parades‘ story progresses, the new mechanics become easier to balance.
- The story might start off a little slow at first, as a lot is hidden from the player initially. But it quickly ramps up.
Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is available on PC starting May 21, 2026, and PS5 later this year. A code was provided by ZA/UM for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC through Steam.
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