Zero Parades: For Dead Spies GBAtemp review
Computer
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): May 21, 2026
- Release Date (EU): May 21, 2026
- Publisher: ZA/UM
- Developer: ZA/UM
- Genres: CRPG
Game Features:
Hershel Wilk, Opera spy with the cryptonym of CASCADE, is back on a new assignment that brings her back to Portofiro; the fateful place that saw her and her team of operants miserably fail their mission and scatter five years ago.
This new mission isn’t off to a great start either. Its lead, PSEUDOPOD, is incapacitated, or “zeroed out” as Opera terms it. By all means, the organisation considers this mission to have also failed even before Hershel knows what it is about, and instructs her to return.
Having the opportunity to redeem herself as an operant, CASCADE decides to investigate on her own before her scheduled departure. This leads her on a path to unravel what’s truly behind her assignment and rebuild a team, while navigating through complex political machinations.
A cascading world
Since the launch of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut’s launch in 2019, fans of the game have been eagerly awaiting developer ZA/UM’s next game. Since then, a lot has transpired at the company, and while we might not get another game set in the Disco Elysium universe any time soon (if ever), the studio did manage to launch a new game. This one has a lot hanging on it to prove that ZA/UM is still capable of shipping quality CRPGs.
When it comes to the presentation, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies (mostly) sticks the landing. For their new title, ZA/UM opted for a similar, watercolour expressionist visual style that inspired Disco Elysium. Portofiro and surrounds are depicted with vivid colours and detailed environments, while character portraits pop up during conversations. It’s also fully voice-acted at launch, and this is a huge bonus to ease newcomers into text-heavy CRPG games like this one. Some of the voice actors will even sound familiar to those who played Disco Elysium.
However, there are some inconsistencies with the voice-overs. At times, some lines aren’t voiced, while at others, characters’ speech doesn’t match what’s written on-screen. While a somewhat minor issue, it can be distracting and indicates the need for polishing, even post-launch.
With its art style, UI, and genre, Zero Parades feels vaguely similar to Disco Elysium. However, that’s where the comparisons end. The universe and setting are fresh and intriguing. Portofiro invites exploration, with its detailed environments from a bustling bazaar to abandoned buildings. As you progress through the story, areas outside the city open up. There’s a lot to explore (luckily, there’s a handy fast travel option), and it’s a world that will feel rewarding to the inquisitive player.
It’s also fun to chat with Portofirians, and such dialogues are where ZA/UM shines. NPCs are varied and interesting. You’ll converse with an elderly janitor who is obsessed with cleaning while projecting onto that very act his troubles and the state of disrepair of the building. There’s a doctor operating illegally who’ll send you on a side quest to fulfil his personal vendetta. There are kids engrossed in a foreign animated show who will share their encyclopedic knowledge of its lore with you. It’s simply a joy to partake in these dialogues, which make the world of Zero Parades feel lively and relatable.
Hershel’s assignment is also engrossing. The spy-thriller plot has its fair share of twists, and you get to experience how her character evolves based on your in-game choices firsthand. However, the narrative progresses slowly, only picking up after the first couple of hours.
One element that’s missing in this game is a glossary of sorts. Zero Parades’ universe has its own terms, characters, and political factions that you need to keep at the back of your mind, as they are recurring elements in conversations. Having a glossary would help in refreshing the player’s memory from time to time.
While the game is mostly polished, there are some hiccups to be encountered. It can be tricky to align with an interactive environmental element and have the ‘A’ bubble show up to actually interact with it. This was especially noticeable when playing on a controller. In one instance, Hershel couldn’t get past an obstacle, and she would respawn to her previous position every time I tried to move forward. This was fixed by loading an earlier save. Another bug that I found had to do with the audio that would cut at random. That was not a common issue, but I did encounter it. These issues indicate additional areas that require polish.
Welcome back, Operant
As with classic CRPGs, Zero Parades draws inspiration for its mechanics from dice-based tabletop RPGs. It plays from a top-down, isometric perspective where you control Hershel and interact with characters and the environment in a point-and-click fashion.
While you only play as Hershel, you do get to determine your skillset. When starting the game, you can select from one of the three presets or adjust CASCADE’s skills on your own. As you progress through the game, you can get modifiers that impact her skills permanently or temporarily. Notably, Hershel’s attire provides modifiers, and how she looks can also influence how some NPCs react.
There’s also the Conditioning System (something like Disco Elysium’s Thought Cabinet). It allows you to focus on certain ideas that you come across in the game. These further shape the type of spy CASCADE becomes by enhancing her skills and thought process.
All of the choices you make relating to Hershel’s skills impact the outcome of the interactions you have, and you will have many, being a spy on the hunt for clues. This will play out in dice rolls that impact choices made in conversation or when interacting with the environment. With the right attire or skill level (or combination of both), you will be able to, for example, squeeze some information or break into a place.
Even if you roll unfavourably, all is not lost, as there are more ways than one to progress in Zero Parades. This makes for an engaging gameplay with branching paths and, ultimately, alternate endings. Indeed, based on the in-game choices you make and allegiances you forge, the narrative plays out differently. Zero Parades takes a while for this to become apparent, but seeing how your choices converge to your current path feels satisfying.
On top of managing Hershel’s attire and skills, you will also need to keep an eye out for her Anxiety, Fatigue and Delirium levels. If one of these exceeds a certain limit, you will need to lower a skill as a compromise to reset the corresponding gauge. There are items from cigarettes to alcohol that can lower these pressures, while certain turns of a conversation can increase them. This adds a welcome layer of challenge to the experience.
As a game that invites exploration, you will be able to chase several leads as you try to piece together the way forward for CASCADE’s mission. These lead to some interesting side quests, such as finding a missing father who disappeared after falling into a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. Chasing these quests can even feed into the main quest, and this loop feels satisfying as it further fleshes out the game universe.
There’s a little more action in Zero Parades compared to Disco Elysium. At certain key points in the story, you will experience dramatic encounters. During these, you are offered some paths to choose from, and you can also examine the situation to inform your choice. An early example is when you are being followed in the bazaar. You can either choose to blend in with the crowd or try an alternative route. The result of these encounters can even have ripple effects down the line.
Zero Parades: ZA/UM’s grand return
ZA/UM’s new game cannot escape the comparisons with Disco Elysium, nor the drama that surrounds their iconic debut game. It’s for the better that they opted for a new direction with Zero Parades, as, despite the similarities in aesthetics and genre, it is only vaguely similar to Disco Elysium. It is a wholly new franchise, with a new setting and new characters. This is for the best as it sets ZA/UM on a new course while still showcasing its talent.
This talent does come through in the writing, world-building and beautiful universe. The developers crafted a new universe that is as deep and complex as you’d expect from ZA/UM; although some of it can feel forced at times. Time will tell whether Zero Parades will become as much of a cultural phenomenon as Disco Elysium, but it is a worthy addition to the CRPG genre.
If you can look past the Disco Elysium drama and are looking for a CRPG to sink your teeth into, you’ll find a lot to like with Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. It marks ZA/UM’s grand return and marks a promising future for the studio.
ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies - PC Launch Trailer
Verdict
- Intriguing spy-thriller setting
- Interesting characters and quests
- Branching narrative paths
- Inconsistencies with voice-overs
- Some need polishing
- Lack of a glossary
