Disco Elysium gets a Hardcore 'True Detective' mode and ultrawide support

Delirium-soaked cop RPG Disco Elysium is fantastically good. We called it "one of the finest RPGs on PC if you value depth, freedom, customization, and storytelling" in our 92% review, and then we went ahead and selected it as our Game of the Year for 2019. Today, that experience got a little better, possibly, with the addition of a Hardcore Mode that's going to make your murder investigation more rewarding, or maybe just more miserable.

The feature list sure is something:

  • You're gonna fail more
  • You're gonna be poorer
  • You're gonna get screwed by Big Pharma
  • You're gonna learn to love drugs
  • You're gonna treasure your clothes
  • You're gonna think more carefully
  • You're gonna wise up faster

There's a more detailed breakdown of each "category" in the announcement on Steam, but you get the idea—and if you somehow don't get the idea, developer ZA/UM spelled it out. 

"This isn't meant for first-time detectives who aren't already familiar with Martinaise. If you're new on the beat, come back after you've already enjoyed your time in Revachol. This one's for officers ready to burn out on a wild ride," the studio wrote.

"But if you've loved this strange story in this forgotten city, it's a way to experience it from a new perspective—a Martinaise perspective. For those of us here at ZA/UM, who've already spent hundreds of hours playing, this new mode been a wonderful chance to revisit the game in a fresh way."

The update also brings in support for ultrawide monitors, adds FLAC files to the soundtrack, and drops some new wallpapers and updates to the Art Booklet DLC.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.