ZA/UM Project C4 first look preview — Failing forward

The fallout surrounding smash hit Disco Elysium has been… interesting to see unfold. There are several studios claiming to be making the real successor to the game, but, honestly, I don’t care about a successor. Disco Elysium was a once in a lifetime game, and we’ll never see anything like it again. I’d rather see something new, from people with original ideas, and that’s exactly what ZA/UM has cooking. GamingTrend was invited to see the first teaser for their next game, known only as Project C4 for now, and while we didn’t learn much, what’s there looks promising.

It seems like the developers at ZA/UM agree with me regarding a Disco Elysium follow up, as they said that they don’t want to repeat or redo anything from their previous work. As such, C4 is all about espionage. Taking inspiration from the likes of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” and “The Left Hand of Darkness”, players may need to balance conflicting allegiances, choosing whether to stay loyal to those they love or their work. 

The teaser has some psychedelic imagery, very evocative of international espionage work. The developers also placed a focus on the idea of failing forward. C4 is a CRPG just like Disco, so that means they want to make failing to pass a stat check just as interesting as succeeding. There are a lot of games that do this, and more often than not I just find myself reloading a save until I succeed, so it takes a very special game for me to just roll with it. Whether Project C4 can be one of those games remains to be seen, but I’m looking forward to seeing more. 

ZA/UM Studio today introduced its next game, codenamed Project [C4], a new mind-warping espionage RPG that blends player introspection, deep character-driven dialogue, and high-stakes encounters steered by dice rolls.

The world of [C4] is rife with shadowy characters who help move the pieces for competing geopolitical powers in a game of concealed conflict. The player sets out to complete a desperate assignment which will put them at risk of losing their life, or much worse – being exposed for what they really are.

As an Operant serving a questionable global power, the player finds themselves locked in a vicious, clandestine struggle for truth and influence. Yet it is the mind that takes centre stage in Project [C4]. More vulnerable and more powerful than the physical world, it can be erased, changed, reordered, and of course significantly altered through regular use of psychoactive substances amongst other means. Players must steel themselves with whatever comfort they can in order to survive the violent canvas of the real.