Some games want to be serious, emotional, and cinematic. Dead as Disco has no time for that. This game immediately throws you into neon chaos, cranks the music up to maximum, and makes you smash opponents to the beat as if you've stepped into a disco version of a John Wick movie. And honestly, it's hard not to get swept away.
At first, it seems like just another indie experiment that will rely on “vibes” and colorful effects, but after a few minutes, it becomes clear that Dead as Disco has an identity. The combat is fast, aggressive, and rhythm-based, so every hit works best when you catch the beat. Initially, everything feels a bit chaotic as the screen constantly flashes with neon, effects, and enemies coming from all sides, but once you get into the flow, the game becomes seriously fun.
The best feeling comes when you manage to chain combos while the soundtrack builds in the background, and the whole scene looks like a music video that someone decided to turn into a beat 'em up. Dead as Disco then stops being just a game and transforms into a pure adrenaline trip.
And then we come to perhaps the best thing in the whole package – the ability to add your own music. Here, the game goes to a whole new level of madness. It's one thing to smash opponents to the developer's synthwave soundtrack, but it's entirely different when the chorus of Siniša Vuca hits you while you're tossing enemies across the dance floor like a bouncer who's had enough after three in the morning. It's even crazier when five minutes later, Michael Jackson starts playing, and suddenly you're chaining combos as if you're at a lost rehearsal for the Billie Jean tour.
And most importantly, it doesn't feel forced or like a gimmick. Quite the opposite. Dead as Disco then gains that personal chaos that makes every fight different and much more fun. There are few games that can make you seriously focus on chaining combos while a mix of Balkan hits and world classics plays in the background.
Of course, the game is not without its flaws. The camera can sometimes go haywire in smaller spaces, the combat can become overwhelming, and after a few hours, the repetitiveness starts to set in. There are also minor technical issues that remind you that this is still an indie project, but fortunately, nothing is serious enough to ruin the fun.
Visually, the game looks great if you love neon aesthetics and a synthwave atmosphere. Everything bursts with color, the animations are fluid, and the whole presentation feels like the developers asked, “What if a disco club became a video game?” The story exists more as an excuse for action than something you'll particularly remember, but honestly, you're here for the gameplay and energy, not for philosophical monologues.
Dead as Disco may not become the new indie classic that will be talked about for years, but it has enough style, character, and pure gaming pleasure to keep you engaged much longer than you'd expect. And when you start smashing enemies to Vuca and then immediately transition to Michael Jackson's hits, it's hard not to smile and think how gaming can sometimes really be beautifully silly.
A copy of the PC version for the purposes of this review was provided by the development studio Brain Jar Games,
