NOTE: This review assumes you have played the original mod (if you haven't, you should). The overall experience between the mod and the standalone is largely the same, with this review discussing the differences.
While the original version of The Stanley Parable was a very good mod, it was still a mod, and as such, could feel very "moddy" at times. You know, those times when you go, "hey, I recognize that wheel from here" or "this door comes from there" and get taken out of the experience. The HD Remix not only fixes those (very minor) problems, but adds several more paths for you to take, making it considerably more than simply an improved version of the mod.
With its own assets, the game feels a lot bigger. The office feels more like an office, with desks and papers scattered around and one of those inane slide shows running in a conference room. What was once a narrow corridor with TVs on the wall is now a massive, pitlike chamber with screens covering the walls. The employee lounge looks less like a kitchen and more like a lounge. All of this serves to make the story more real when you follow it. On the other hand, when you disobey and start breaking the game, it feels more fake than the original mod, and so makes its point a lot better. There's even new music, all of it quite fitting for the situation (too fitting, in one case).
Of course, none of this is worth much if the rest of the experience hasn't been preserved. Fortunately, all of the choices have been kept largely intact, with additions where appropriate. A slew of new endings has also been added, ranging from attempting emergent storytelling to examining the disconnect between PC-as-player and PC-as-character to questioning the viability of choice when you can simply reload and make the opposite choice to mocking overly-simplistic, pretentious "art" games. The Narrator remains as story-devoted, passive-aggressive Narrator-y as ever and, taking all the endings into account, develops into a surprisingly complex character, given that you can experience almost everything about him in approximately three hours.
With all of these additions, the HD Remix is well worth your money. The changes it makes to the original mod only improve its story for the better. Or improve its lack of story, depending on your choice. Your choice does matter, after all.
The HD Remix: Worth the Money
NOTE: This review assumes you have played the original mod (if you haven't, you should). The overall experience between the mod and the standalone is largely the same, with this review discussing the differences.
While the original version of The Stanley Parable was a very good mod, it was still a mod, and as such, could feel very "moddy" at times. You know, those times when you go, "hey, I recognize that wheel from here" or "this door comes from there" and get taken out of the experience. The HD Remix not only fixes those (very minor) problems, but adds several more paths for you to take, making it considerably more than simply an improved version of the mod.
With its own assets, the game feels a lot bigger. The office feels more like an office, with desks and papers scattered around and one of those inane slide shows running in a conference room. What was once a narrow corridor with TVs on the wall is now a massive, pitlike chamber with screens covering the walls. The employee lounge looks less like a kitchen and more like a lounge. All of this serves to make the story more real when you follow it. On the other hand, when you disobey and start breaking the game, it feels more fake than the original mod, and so makes its point a lot better. There's even new music, all of it quite fitting for the situation (too fitting, in one case).
Of course, none of this is worth much if the rest of the experience hasn't been preserved. Fortunately, all of the choices have been kept largely intact, with additions where appropriate. A slew of new endings has also been added, ranging from attempting emergent storytelling to examining the disconnect between PC-as-player and PC-as-character to questioning the viability of choice when you can simply reload and make the opposite choice to mocking overly-simplistic, pretentious "art" games. The Narrator remains as story-devoted, passive-aggressive Narrator-y as ever and, taking all the endings into account, develops into a surprisingly complex character, given that you can experience almost everything about him in approximately three hours.
With all of these additions, the HD Remix is well worth your money. The changes it makes to the original mod only improve its story for the better. Or improve its lack of story, depending on your choice. Your choice does matter, after all.