New Single-Player RPG Combines Baldur's Gate 3 and Disco Elysium (and It's a Hit)

There are no shortages of interesting RPGs taking inspiration from the success of titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Disco Elysium, two of the most well written games of the last decade. However, only one has managed to capture Disco Elysium‘s unique approach to storytelling, existing as a recent release that also adopts D&D mechanics into its gameplay. Much like Baldur’s Gate 3, this title uses the concepts of fantasy world building and character driven narratives to craft an adventure with tons of personality fans of CRPGs should try right away.

Videos by ComicBook.com

Dialogue options are fairly standard to most RPGs, but Baldur’s Gate 3 and Disco Elysium stand out by allowing players to inject layers upon layers of personality to interactions through this mechanic. BG3 dialogue options to persuade or intimidate others can change depending on your class, subclass, background, or even racial origin from character creation. Likewise, Disco Elysium‘s stats are sentient, offering additional context and routes to decision making through rolls that help mold the protagonist’s unique demeanor.

Esoteric Ebb Creates A Fantastic CRPG Inspired By Disco Elysium & Baldur’s Gate 3

Esoteric Ebb dialogue option in dungeon location — Courtesy of Christoffer Bodegård

Esoteric Ebb has the DNA of BG3 and Disco Elysium in its veins, particularly the latter game as its primary inspiration. The single-player CRPG uses fully voiced stats to craft an internal monologue within your character, rolling dice based on your scores to unlock various paths that drive the game’s story forward. Encounters are entirely determined by narrative choices and stat-based luck, with your actions influencing your levels of success or failure.

Decision after decision drives the direction of your adventure in Esoteric Ebb, much like a TTRPG campaign of D&D. Isometric gameplay allows you to explore a unique fantasy world and interact with a number of interesting characters at every turn. Deep interactions drive complex dialogue, whose options reveal important context clues or information that help you become successful in your other actions. The hilarity that comes from spectacular fumbles from some dialogue choices are similar to Disco Elysium, where memorable moments come from failure and victory alike.

Character Action Is Driven By Voiced Stats That Drive Encounters Based On Rolls

Esoteric Ebb stat selection screen — Courtesy of Christoffer Bodegård

Each of the six core D&D Ability Scores that make up your character in Esoteric Ebb are fully voiced characters who guide your decisions throughout the game. This adds a level of immersion to the RPG much like Disco Elysium‘s stats did, leading to hilarious moments and deep self-reflection that lets the game’s stellar writing stand out. Controlling the inner struggle between stats can be equal parts funny and challenging, as you decide which parts of yourself are the most valuable to listen to.

Voiced stats have conflicting views, interrupting important moments to weigh in on their thoughts to influence your own at times. Esoteric Ebb‘s main draw is how these voices aren’t always “right,” and often just a reflection of how you want to craft your own character’s personality as your journey continues.

D&D Fantasy World Building Crafts A Classic Adventure With Almost Infinite Creative Freedom

Esoteric Ebb dialogue interaction — Courtesy of Christoffer Bodegård

The game of Esoteric Ebb is almost 1:1 to a classic TTRPG like D&D, having you play as a Cleric character straight out of Dungeons and Dragons. Your voiced stats are the core Ability Scores from the tabletop game, with concepts like Initiative determining combat turns, magical spells, quests, and other mechanics tying directly back to BG3 or D&D as a whole. From the unique fantasy world of Norvik, you have almost complete narrative freedom in your approach.