HomeFeaturesBetrayal At Club Low
Betrayal At Club Low is an RPG that actually respects your fleeting time on this earthFear of looming mortality? No problem, we’ve got coffins in the back
Fear of looming mortality? No problem, we’ve got coffins in the back
Image credit:Cosmo D Studios
Image credit:Cosmo D Studios
Well, when I picked up Betrayal At Club Low for theRPS Game Clubthis month, I was transported back to my abortive run at Disco Elysium. It’s not that I’ve never played a stat-check-heavyRPGbefore. Far from it. But somehow, each game’s presentation resonated together in my weird brain mush. It must have been something to do with the combination of a surreal, seedy, not-quite-our-world-but-still-very-recognisable setting, and the constant presence of numbers reminding me of my character’s strengths stacked up against their many, many weaknesses.
Betrayal At Club Low - Official TrailerWatch on YouTube
Betrayal At Club Low - Official Trailer
One big reason I’ve never gone back to Disco Elysium is that it intimidates me now. It’s a game that runs for a dense 30-odd hours — and that’s presumably if you can manage not to foul up too often, or indeed can even get past the opening section. It’s been literal years and I have yet to find myself in the headspace to face the deadening prospect of failing again, and having to startagain. Even though I really want to play Disco Elysium and be able to talk to all my cool friends as an equal again.
As a matter of fact, that worst case scenario never occurred, at least in my first playthrough. I ended up replaying the final section a few times (thanks to its generous manual save system, you love to see it) in order to explore some different outcomes. Only on my second of three eventual endings did I stumble into a game over. All in just under four hours of play time, according to my Steam stats.
Betrayal At Club Low proved to be a light snack that satisfied me immensely after I turned away queasy from the eight-course gourmet banquet that is Disco Elysium. Not that I wouldn’t love to attend an eight-course gourmet banquet one day; it’s just not something I can stomach at this exact moment in my life. And now, if you don’t mind, I really need to go and order a pizza.
