Zero Parades Reviews Overshadowed by ZA/UM Crisis

Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, as the first major game from ZA/UM after Disco Elysium, could normally have generated great excitement. However, the crises experienced at the studio in recent years have made the game’s release controversial. The game, which started with mixed reviews on Steam, is being evaluated not only for its content but also for ZA/UM’s past creative team departures.

Zero Parades Overshadowed by the ZA/UM Controversy

The controversies surrounding ZA/UM intensified in 2022 with the departure of Disco Elysium’s lead writer Robert Kurvitz, writer Helen Hindpere, and lead artist Aleksander Rostov from the studio. This was followed by further departures, layoffs, and the formation of different studios by former team members. This process created significant distrust towards ZA/UM among a large portion of Disco Elysium fans.

Therefore, as soon as Zero Parades was released on Steam, some negative reviews focused directly on the studio crisis. A portion of players were reacting to ZA/UM’s past decisions rather than enjoying the game itself. In particular, the presentation of the new game as “the work of the original team” after the departure of the creative core from Disco Elysium has upset some fans.

Of course, not all negative reviews are solely about the studio dispute. There are also criticisms directed at the game itself, primarily concerning the narrator’s voice. Some players argue that the narration style is tiring to the ear and negatively impacts the flow of dialogue. In a game following the legendary writing of Disco Elysium, the fact that the voice acting and narration tone are being discussed so much naturally attracts attention.

Despite this, Zero Parades hasn’t been entirely met with negativity. Some players, putting aside their resentment towards ZA/UM, praise the game’s writing, espionage theme, atmosphere, and visual style. The picture is more positive on the critics’ side; the game has a Metacritic score of 83. So Zero Parades seems likely to be remembered not only for whether it was a good game, but also for whether ZA/UM managed to confront its past.

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