Some thoughts about Zero Parades

Warning: This article has spoilers. Read only if you don't plan on playing the game. First things first: I'm not taking into consideration any of the debacle regarding ZA/UM (the company) with ZA/UM (the former collective). Regardless of the issues with Kurvitz, other people worked on Disco Elysium, and some of them are still in the company. Still, I feel that's partially what held this game back, as it is not Disco Elysium, it's not even the same world as Disco Elysium (as far as I know), but it still tries very much to be Disco Elysium. And that's the issue, I guess: it has potential, it has some great moments, but it also carries a lot of mediocrity, and it is, at times, too pretentious. It feels like lots of different things glued together, trying to make some sense, instead of one whole package. It wouldn't surprise me if this is due to the issues with the studio management and pressure on the devs. Anyway, I digress. I like this game, but I also feel underwhelmed by it. It's a…