ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies

"Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is not an easy game, and within that difficulty it explores interesting themes related to media, ideas, curiosity, and the danger of drive. It digs deep to find its own identity while also being built …"

"Quote not yet available"

"Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is an excellent CRPG spy thriller that dares to step out of Disco Elysium’s shadow and carve out an identity of its own. Beneath its painted, melancholic surface lies a rich web of espionage, psychological …"

"The second game from Disco Elysium studio ZA/UM, this text-heavy, dice-driven RPG is an exquisitely constructed take on consumerism, empire, nostalgia and beyond."

"As a successor to Disco Elysium, ZA/UM&s;s spy-fi RPG is a little too fearful to roll the dice on something new. But if the systems and themes are a little too familiar in Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, that does …"

"Ultimately, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies does manage what looked unthinkable: it stands on its own, turbulent development cycle aside. It was never going to completely step out from the monolith that is Disco Elysium, but viewed strictly on its …"

"Zero Parades: For Dead Spies is a spectacular sophomore effort that takes the subgenre and grafts new and interesting mechanics onto it. Minor bugs do little to impact the consistent delight of narrative twists, beautiful prose, fully realised characters, and …"

""Lightning rarely strikes twice, but against all odds, Zero Parades is a spiritual successor worthy of taking the torch from Disco Elysium and running with it. This spy thriller is a slow burn, but one that slowly blossoms over time. …"

"Zero Parades: For Dead Spies lives in the shadow of something bigger, and it never quite manages to escape it. Its biggest flaws come from a lack of confidence in itself, and when it speaks with its own voice, Zero …"

"Overall, ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies is an exciting espionage thriller that succeeds far more than it stumbles."

"Zero Parades is about being failed. It’s about how your failure affects people you love and how their failures shape you, but beyond that it’s about how the framework we live in prevents us from success."

"For Dead Spies adopts the classic structure of narrative adventure games—multiple dialogue options, locations to visit, and items to retrieve—and grafts it onto a surprisingly deep RPG system, featuring psychological stats, customizable builds, perks, and dice rolls that can radically …"

"Zero Parades isn&s;t Disco Elysium 2, nor does it try to be. It does, however, demonstrate that, even after the rift that engulfed ZA/UM, there&s;s still someone within the studio capable of writing profoundly strange and tremendously fascinating games, capable …"

"ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies delivers a dense and engaging narrative experience, standing out through its strong writing, memorable characters, rich world-building, and the freedom it gives players to approach challenges in different ways. Its unconventional take on espionage stories, …"

"A messy, ambitious, occasionally clunky, and often fascinating hybrid of ideas, with enough sharp edges and personality to stand apart from the games it will inevitably be compared to."

"Zero Parades: For Dead Spies brings a new take from studio ZA/UM on the narrative RPG format, now digging into espionage drama."

"All in all, Zero Parades has that ever-elusive quality of convincing you to keep playing: to find out what happens next, to unravel the narrative, to keep experiencing Portofiro."

"Even beneath the enormous shadow cast by Disco Elysium, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies succeeds in delivering an engrossing espionage narrative that can stand alongside its obvious inspiration. Although the game occasionally struggles to step out from Disco’s influence, its …"

"Zero Parades is neither a disaster nor another Disco Elysium. Instead, it succeeds in the impossible by being its own rough, unpolished, and fascinating thing. Not all the ideas are fully formed yet, but for fans of smart and challenging …"

"If you enjoy narrative role-playing games that let you immerse yourself deeply in a world, I can recommend "Zero Parades: For Dead Spies." However, if you&s;re not keen on reading a lot, you&s;re better off staying away from this game."

"While Zero Parades: For Dead Spies does feel like a spiritual sequel to Disco Elysium, its narrator doesn&s;t quite have the same spark as its predecessor. Given that she whispers in your ear for the entire game, her rough-and-ready accent …"

"Despite a beautiful world and some clever mechanical flourishes, Zero Parades doesn&s;t commit to its espionage concept enough to be convincing."

"Zero Parades: For Dead Spies makes no attempt to be accommodating, and it is in this stubborn refusal to compromise that both its most obvious limitation and its most valuable quality lie. It is a game that demands of the …"

"The shadow of its predecessor looms over every second of gameplay. And despite being a good game, with good ideas, good moments, and an interesting story, it falls short when compared to Disco Elysium. This creates a bitter taste for …"

"ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies is a fantastic, dark, but also funny sci-fi spy story that hooks you and doesn’t let go. It gives you a lot of room to solve situations and build your own Sick Crew, for better …"

"On its own this is a truly special title for fans of unconventional RPGs. One that should be seen as an artistically valuable contribution from a dedicated development team, setting aside studio conflicts. ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies not only …"

""A psychological spy experience with heavy narrative ambition" Zero Parades: For Dead Spies offers a narratively heavy RPG experience that relies more on psychological depth and decision-making than any other element. The game succeeds in building a comprehensive system that …"

"It&s;s these systemic enhancements that most notably separate Zero Parades from Disco Elysium. It struggles in other areas, often feeling like a pale imitation of the studio&s;s predecessor--dangerous territory when the likelihood of reaching the same heights is marginal at …"

"Zero Parades: For Dead Spies arrives with high expectations following the success of Disco Elysium. It must not have been easy for ZA/UM to live up to the immense anticipation surrounding its latest work, especially given the complicated production circumstances. …"