The Stanley Parable

So to get this out of the way, I apologize for going so long without posting. I have had a crazy couple of weeks and things have prevented me from sitting down and writing what I should have. So we’re back to playing catchup. This post brought to you by Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen, probably my favorite “Oktoberfest”-style beer. If you want to truly experience this as it’s meant to be… grab yourself a 6-pack, rewind your clocks back to 2 weeks ago, and let’s get going.

Where do I possibly begin my ode to that which is The Stanley Parable? How do you sum up a surprisingly fun and witty little game that made you laugh, smile, and simply immerse myself in a game more than I have probably any game since Portal? I don’t know. Which also happens to be the same answer that I would give if someone asked me how to describe The Stanley Parable. 

What is it? I don’t know. But it’s fucking awesome.

So I’ll start with the original trailer for those of you who are unfamiliar (about 3 minutes):

So yeah, that totally explains and shows what the game is like, right? I mean you know exactly what to expect upon playing it, right? Surprisingly, yes. But like a lot of the other reviews of this game, I’m going to say that I don’t want to ruin it for you. Because really. You need to experience this with no preconceptions. But, I’ll show you what made me really want to play the game. It came out that it was coming out soon, and this was the most recent trailer on Steam (6 minutes long)…

So yeah, while making the game, they allowed people to write letters to the Narrator of the game. Someone wrote a stupid/unhelpful review/letter to the Narrator… and they devoted an entire video to trolling the writer. I laughed so hard watching this trailer that I knew I needed to play this game. So I bought it the day it came out, and I played the shit out of it.

(For those who want to see more videos they made, I highly recommend the “Making Of” Trailer. It’s pretty damn funny too (about 3 minutes long).)

My personal recommendation? Buy the game. Take some time. Sit down with it. Let yourself get dragged in. Have a conversation with the Narrator (this will be a lot easier than you think it will). And of course, follow your instincts.

There are multiple endings of the game, but depending on how you play it, you can beat the game in probably 10-15 minutes… and probably not think anything of the game. But once you start delving in… there’s no going back. I’ve seen some playthroughs on Youtube that get through all the endings in just over an hour… but don’t rush. Enjoy the game. Linger in the game. You won’t regret it.

If you’re curious, here is a video of *MY* playthrough of the game, complete with running commentary by me. My friend Paul was watching along for a good chunk of it, so I answer questions and comments from him (which you can see in the tiny chat window). I recommend going over to youtube to watch it in all its glory here, but I’ll embed it below… running time around 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has all but one ending in it. If you’re curious and don’t feel like playing the game… this may be a better method of consumption. Seriously, watch the first 10-15 minutes of it… at the very least. (Warning, it’s a first person a game, so if you get motion sickness… you’ve been warned.)

Play it. Have I sold you on it yet? No? Tough, go play it. Download the demo at least. It’s free. Do it. Do it now.

P.S. – So National Novel Writing Month has begun. I kicked all kinds of ass the first weekend. Work’s been getting in the way lately because they’re stupid. I’m also set to head to the field for almost 2 weeks. So I know there’s going to be a gap in my posts which I’ll catch up on once I’m back. I’ll make sure to cover this past weekend and the one coming up. I plan to spend the whole period of time in the field to write as much as I can for NaNo. Look forward to another couple posts in the next couple days.