I Have Seen the Light, and Its Name Is Dead as Disco

I love it when a game gets dropped off in my email that turns out to be an absolute banger. And Dead as Disco is 100 percent that. I don’t even have any clever lead-in. I just want to talk about it and go back to playing it.

‘Dead as disco’s steam next fest demo is incredible

From the very moment Dead as Disco starts up, it is clear that it contains all the personality in the world. The main character, Charlie Disco, stands in the background as a silhouette. And when you hit “new game”, he breaks out in a dance that would leave some of the best Soul Train dancers mesmerized. And it’s something like a solid 15 seconds of him dancing before you even get into the tutorial. I didn’t mind one bit.

Once the tutorial starts, though, it’s clear there’s some real game behind it. Taking inspiration from Hi-Fi Rush and even the Batman: Arkham games, Dead as Disco nonetheless stands on its own two platform shoes. The game offers a counter-and-dodge system, but also rewards aggression with a “Fever Rush” mechanic that fills up as you fight. All of your attacks sync up to the awesome soundtrack, and getting in rhythm with the music incentivizes you to turn up the heat on your opponents.

The neon-soaked environments mesh well with the comic book-style graphics and enhance the fighting experience significantly. I feel like an unstoppable fighting machine that’s a mix of Bruce Lee and Ready 2 Rumble‘s Afro Thunder. If that wasn’t enough, in the final game, you’ll be able to upload your own music and fight in the game’s Infinite Disco.

But what about the story?

Yes, there is a story here, and I would have been interested if I had only read it. But having played Dead as Disco, I need this as soon as it’s available:

“Journey through a handcrafted, non-linear story of reunion, revenge, and redemption. For the first time in 10 years, the living members of the legendary band, Dead as Disco, are reuniting — for a concert honoring their dead drummer, Charlie Disco. You are Charlie Disco. And for one night only, you can have your revenge. Confront your ex-bandmates, now the larger-than-life Idols, and uncover the secrets of the past to find out the truth of who really killed Disco.“

I haven’t been this excited for a game in a while. I mean, I look forward to many releases. But it’s been some time since something has lit me up like Dead as Disco. The demo alone is pure energy from start to finish. Even now, as I type this, I can feel it in my chest. Dead as Disco is a game that everyone needs to have eyes on. Wishlist it on Steam, download the demo, just get to it.