The Stanley Parable is... is... wow...

[roski]

Anyone who finds Douglas Adams funny will definitively get a good laugh out of this. If you don't like D. Adams, or hated the Hitchhiker's Guide you should probably stay away from it.
Personally, I think it's worth every cent, even though it's relatively short, and I wouldn't pay more for a 100 hour-long tour to a Skinner box.

 

[wulf3n]

the bottom line is simply, this is a 1 hour long game

It's patently not an hour long, I put four in during my first session and I've still not seen everything. Check the hours linked from my Escapist profile.

Bottom line is you're saying it's something it's not, perhaps it's best reviewed by people who have actually played it?

How long does a single run last though?


OT:

As much as I enjoy games like these (I really enjoyed the demo. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face) I feel empty once I've finished with them. That makes it harder to justify buying them when they're $5+

 

[Weaver]

I'm going to be 100% honest here: My problem with the game is everyone refuses to actually describe what it is and the replies whenever anyone asks are all meme spouting fuckheads who then flood the thread with "8" and "Tuesday" and things like "It's 30 seconds and it's 10 days".

Give me a fucking break; the fanbase has killed my interest in this game already.
If the game is like the demo, then it's not "indescribable" by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[bluepotatosack]

I was turning off computers like a mother. Until... "Input received."

Then this begs the question. Did you reach Heaven?

Because buttons.

Not yet... I've found two of the computers that had the input screen. The bar makes me think I need to find two more.

 

[Pseudoboss]

The mod seems to me to be a metagame. One playthrough isn't much more than a short video. Taking all the various options and decisions that you can make after replaying it is where the game differentiates it from video and begins to be a game.

 

[[REDACTED]]

I'm going to be 100% honest here: My problem with the game is everyone refuses to actually describe what it is and the replies whenever anyone asks are all meme spouting fuckheads who then flood the thread with "8" and "Tuesday" and things like "It's 30 seconds and it's 10 days".

Give me a fucking break; the fanbase has killed my interest in this game already.
If the game is like the demo, then it's not "indescribable" by any stretch of the imagination.

It's not so much that it's "indescribable" as that it's very hard to talk about it without going into serious spoiler territory. I hope you try it at some point, preferably after the annoying fans have long since shut up about it. It really is a worthwhile game to play.

The best way I can describe it without spoiling too much is this: the narrator is trying to tell a story. You have the opportunity to completely throw it off the rails, and it is glorious to behold.

You don't need to worry about it being pretentious either. It's clever, but it's much closer to Douglas Adams than it is to Pynchon.

Don't let the fans ruin it for you. Portal is still a good game, no matter how many obnoxious memes it spawned.

 

[The Lugz]

the bottom line is simply, this is a 1 hour long game

It's patently not an hour long, I put four in during my first session and I've still not seen everything. Check the hours linked from my Escapist profile.

Bottom line is you're saying it's something it's not, perhaps it's best reviewed by people who have actually played it?

you know what? i haven't timed it, but the story the game is based on under even the most convoluted path cannot take 4 hours, unless there's an 'maze ending' hidden somewhere.. and i honestly wouldn't put it past them so kudos for finding that. because even if you pace in circles in the rooms you'd just end up with some silly ending or another so essentially you've been off achievement hunting, but yes there are a whole bunch of endings that's very true and even a few new objects to click if you reset the narrator often enough.

does that honestly pass for content nowadays? we used to call that a new seed.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

does that honestly pass for content nowadays? we used to call that a new seed.

Oh don't you worry, AAA publishers got you covered with tacked on multiplayer, co-op, DLC and addons. Oh all the glorious content.

 

[MrDumpkins]

I don't want to spoil anything about this game because it really is just awesome, it will teach you something about yourself. yeah it's not a lot of content for 12 dollars but judging artistic endeavors by content is stupid. You still pay 10 dollars to go see an hour and a half movie as you would a 3 hour movie. In the 1 hour or so I played it so far I got to experience something wonderful, and that experience I can guarantee you is worth your money. I'd much rather pay 12 dollars for a quality and awesome experience than 12 hours of quantity. This isn't a game, it's an experience, don't buy it if all you want is a game.

 

[Story]

Honestly these are the types of games that I really enjoy and I would buy it OP if I had the right platform for it. E.I I don't have a gaming PC.
Also, I watched the Mod version on Youtube and it was differently the most entertaining thing I watched in a long time, but has this question been answered yet?

Is there anything new compared to the original mod?

If the answer is no, I'm going to have to agree with others and say its not really worth my time and money. It sure is unique, but I can't see myself paying for content I've already seen for free.

 

[fish iron4]

I really want to express to everyone that this game isn't a "Gamez is art" type of experience, I cannot describe it but the Stanley parable is downright amazing, its worth not spoiling ANY of it and can change dramatically on how you play

Spoiler

it can be boring and short (Obeying the narrator) or by going off and going in completely random directions it can be downright hilarious and genuinely brilliant.

I reckon it's at last worth giving the demo a shot and seeing if its kind of humour is to your taste.

 

[immortalfrieza]

If the answer is no, I'm going to have to agree with others and say its not really worth my time and money. It sure is unique, but I can't see myself paying for content I've already seen for free.

Same here. They'll have to have thrown in quite a bit compared to the original mod to justify a $14 purchase, at least twice as much content if not more. If not, I can just save my cash and play the original mod instead.

 

[The Lugz]

the bottom line is simply, this is a 1 hour long game

It's patently not an hour long, I put four in during my first session and I've still not seen everything. Check the hours linked from my Escapist profile.

Bottom line is you're saying it's something it's not, perhaps it's best reviewed by people who have actually played it?

How long does a single run last though?


OT:

As much as I enjoy games like these (I really enjoyed the demo. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face) I feel empty once I've finished with them. That makes it harder to justify buying them when they're $5+

#Warning, spoiler tag below#

firstly, if you enjoyed the demo you'd probably really like the game. it's just more of the same.

and the answer is anything from 30 seconds to 15 minutes
you add up a few playthroughs and that's going to be mr average joe's experience of the game.

it's definitely not possible to sniff down every corridor and poke a pen in all the electrical sockets and collect all achievements in 1 hour, however you can play through what i'd define as 'the content' a better description is below for those who have played the game, are brave or don't care about spoilers.

the problem is this game is hard to define without explaining it in plain terms.

Spoiler: ### Game Content and Mechanic Spoilers!###

as most of the endings are accessed from 3/4 choice rooms and a corridor or two. you can experience a good chunk in 1 hour. if you stand around for long periods you occasionally get some extra flavour dialogue along the lines of 'well this was worthwhile, wasn't it' or 'perhaps the game is giving you a hint' or 'i've totally lost it this time, go back to the beginning'

there are, according to the steam forums about 14 endings along with several set redressing events if you ignore the speed running and silly side events, that's 10 paths with a possible different decoration, which average out to say 12 minutes each ( this is assuming we know all the endings, we probably don't it's usual for these games to have a couple Easter eggs tucked away for a moth or two )
but that all works out to roughly 120 minutes, which is two hours but that assumes you're following and know the exact path you need to take to get a new parable, which for most people is impossible so you'll probably just get a re dressed set or stuck in a loop where you experience the same 3/4 parables from a slightly different path which could extend the game to 5/6 hours.

so, are we clear? you're running in circles because of the complex game gating that's going on, you're being fed 'waiting dialogue' in rooms and run ragged by drill Sargent narrator.

it's taking the concept of a rogue-like procedurally generated game to mix the main story up, but then they've recorded appropriate dialogue for the correct spots in said game to create the illusion the game is following your actions and the narrator is really there.

 

[major_chaos]

Have you ever enjoyed a movie or TV programme?

On rare occasion, but I don't follow many TV shows (still haven't seen a single episode of breaking bad or Game of Thrones) and I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that was still in theaters

In which case, why can't you imagine yourself enjoy media that's part game and part movie?

Because if I'm playing a game I'm seeking to be involved as a player, and if I watching a movie my intent is almost always to kick back with a bowl of popcorn and/or a small bottle of vodka and relax. A game that mixes the two doesn't give me the enjoyment and stimulation of the former, but forces just enough interaction to prevent the "feet up, brain off" relaxation of the latter.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

you know what? i haven't timed it, but the story the game is based on under even the most convoluted path cannot take 4 hours, unless there's an 'maze ending' hidden somewhere..

Actually, the four hour thing involves a Baby and a Button. I won't spoil anything else, but that's what takes 4 hours.

OT: I plan on getting this game ASAP. I really want to test out some Ideas I've got from watching LP's of it...

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

This game makes most of the Gone Home hype look really, really stupid.

 

[T_ConX]

OK, I'm reading the reviews of this thing, and I'm still hesitant. I'm worried because the vibe I'm getting is that this is one of those games that gets GREAT SCORES from every review site. However, once I actually get around to playing it, I quickly discover that the game is terrible, but everyone just seems to pretend they like it. Why? Because if anyone who says they don't like it gets accused of being too dumb to understand it. Emperor's New Clothes.

Basically, I'm still hurt over the fact that I paid actual currency for Gone Home.

Carolyn Petit gave it a 9/10.

Well now I know it's shit.

OH! The game is SO DEEP because there's this one point where the narration says one thing, but you can totally do THE OTHER THING. I get it! After years of chasing objective markers in games like Call of Duty and Halo, all it takes is a simple binary choice to get you excited.

Screw it. Not losing $12 to this. I'll wait for a Steam Sale or Humble Bundle.

 

[Quadocky]

I wouldn't call it a game. Yet it is a game.

Also I don't like it. At the same time I really do like it.

It invokes a deep melancholy in me, but it also makes me smile.

But to be absolutely serious, I've seen this done better in an old TFC map that had a hidden 'level' in it with branching paths and challenges. It turned the whole game upside down and basically pulled off the same thing the Stanley Parable does in a way, but without a narrator.

I also agree that the Demo is probably better in terms of writing and humor.

Lastly the Stanley Parable mystifies me, thinking upon it invokes a sort of... instantaneous nostalgia. Its spooky as hell, even though I only played it for 3 hours... it feels like i've played it forever, and its the only gave I have ever played.

 

[Somebloke]

WARNING: Some might consider the stuff below somewhat spoiler-ish (nothing specific - it may just give you preconceived expectations, going into the game, which in turn could take away from your own experience of discovery).

...
OH! The game is SO DEEP because there's this one point where the narration says one thing, but you can totally do THE OTHER THING. I get it! After years of chasing objective markers in games like Call of Duty and Halo, all it takes is a simple binary choice to get you excited.
...

Well, the thing is that it is a meta design; It gives you the choice to disobey the immediate narrative, yes, but in doing so, highlights how no matter what you do, no matter how much the narrator chastise you for your actions, with much the very same snark that you just provided; the options are there because the makers of the game built them and authored and recorded the scathing words - you are still moving down a prebuilt corridor.
How much is your free will at play, here? The main theme of the "immediate" narrative and the completing of it, prove paradoxical in nature, which is worth a chuckle, at the very least.

The game is a humorous experience that lets you reflect on story structure and player agency in the game medium, specifically, along with the mechanics that are commonly used to facilitate this, and you really need to have played a few other story/player_choice games, to get the most out of it. Recognition and all that...

Different things have different value to different people -- I hope you'll enjoy The Stanley Parable, once it comes around at a pricepoint that is suitable to you.
In the meantime; Consider trying the original mod - there is a point of recognition or two, in the remake, for returning players.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

OH! The game is SO DEEP because there's this one point where the narration says one thing, but you can totally do THE OTHER THING. I get it! After years of chasing objective markers in games like Call of Duty and Halo, all it takes is a simple binary choice to get you excited.

Ummm, but it's not one point. It's every point: There are so many branching paths to this game because there are so many different choices in the game. There's also a lot of secrets (For example, entire maps are hidden from you if you try to see them in the games folder).

But whatever, it's your choice to not buy this game...