I\u2019ve played close to 150 new video games in 2026, but few of them have stuck in my mind quite like Zero Parades: For Dead Spies<\/em>. What I thought might land with me as a pale follow-up to the sensational Disco Elysium <\/em>has only cut deeper as I\u2019ve spent time with a story of personal failure in a world built on betrayal. Every day, I feel more like Hershel Wilk, a disgraced spy who can\u2019t seem to do right by anyone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re as much of a glutton for self-loathing as me, you\u2019re in luck: Zero Parades <\/em>is finally available on more platforms today. A new Director\u2019s Cut <\/em>brings the formerly PC-only RPG to Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X with new content in tow. Despite carrying the baggage of a turbulent development cycle that ended in post-launch layoffs, Zero Parades<\/em> is still very much worth playing to discover a sharply-written espionage RPG that has a way of getting under your fingernails.<\/p>\n Zero Parades <\/em>very much follows Disco Elysium<\/em>\u2019s playbook to the letter. It\u2019s a narrative-driven RPG built on tabletop rules, complete with dice rolls and skill checks. There\u2019s a narrator who gives voice to the clashing personality traits in your head, a cast of eccentric townies, and painterly art that makes it clear that\u2019s consistent with developer ZA\/UM\u2019s breakthrough success. Those elements were almost a burden when the game first released earlier this year, as some<\/em> worried that Zero Parades <\/em>would be a desperate imitation of Disco Elysium <\/em>made without many of the key creatives behind that game.<\/p>\n I had the same concerns when I first tried it, but it\u2019s a testament to Zero Parades<\/em>\u2019 quality that it overcomes the baggage. That\u2019s thanks to its brilliant writing, which is on par with Disco Elysium<\/em> \u2014 if not better in moments. The star of the show is Hershel, aka Cascade, a spy who is shipped off to the town of Portofiro for one last job. Genre conventions would have you believe that Cascade is some kind of super spy who is a master of deception, but that\u2019s not exactly the case: She\u2019s a total screw-up.<\/p>\n The story\u2019s power comes from the fact that Hershel\u2019s last big job ended in disaster. Unfortunately, she can\u2019t get her new mission done without regaining the trust of several of the spies who she betrayed in that operation. That premise takes a traditional spy tale and turns it into a personal reckoning. You\u2019re on an apology tour as you explore Portofiro, trying to make things right with the people you hurt while also getting them on board for another risky mission with major political ramifications.<\/p>\n Some manipulation is required to pull that off, and that\u2019s what makes Zero Parades<\/em>\u2019 such a tragic comedy of errors. As much as Hershel wants to sincerely apologize, that noble desire for forgiveness is hampered by a job that demands she deceive the very people she\u2019s trying to apologize to. Every successful dice roll stings as you lie your way into redemption; and every failed dice roll is a hilarious reminder that Hershel is no James Bond.<\/p>\n A weekly cheat sheet to what you\u2019ll eventually love to play. No buying, no \t\t\tSign up free![\"Cascade](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/zero-parades-impressions-2.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2\")
\n <\/picture>Image: ZA\/UM via Polygon<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGet Polygon\u2019s Wishlister newsletter<\/h3>\n
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