disco-elysium-sideblog · 1 year ago
Text
I’m sure this has been talked about before but the health system in Disco Elysium is so good at portraying Harry’s physical and emotional state. Like yeah, looking at bullet holes in a wall can give you a heart attack. Someone not liking you poem can cause a complete mental break. None of these things on their own will kill you, but your mental and physical state is so fragile that any one of them can be the final straw. The health system and the story convey what a mess Harry is in complimentary ways and it’s fucking awesome
And if something would actually kill or seriously maim you? The health system doesn’t get involved. You just die or get seriously maimed. You antagonize someone until they shoot you? Doesn’t matter how much medicine you have. Get shot in the leg? Yeah that’s gonna stick no matter how high your health is.
And of course the way that both low morale and low health can kill you- and the way that their mechanics are basically the same- shows Harry’s state as well. His mental and physical health are separate, but both can end his career and both are endangered every time he talks to someone or does anything even slightly dangerous.
In most video games, health functions to give you a second chance. Instead of dying outright from a bullet, you just lose health. Disco Elysium is the opposite. You will die outright from things that would kill you, and also if you aren’t keeping an eye on things you can die from the embarrassment of failing to make a jump! The health system is a way of emphasizing your fragility, not your strength. It’s super coo!!
458 notes · View notes