It's very easy for something to be too clever. So self-aware and meta that it defeats its own purpose or somehow misses it altogether. But I feel like if you say The Stanley Parable is too clever, it's going to be as a hyperbolic compliment.
The game takes the form of a postmodern philosophical exercise, as an office worker named Stanley is controlled in first-person after discovering his building suddenly abandoned. A narrator preemptively dictates actions you don't have to actually follow, forming the crux of the game as you and the narrator grapple with questions about game design and player freedom, with the narrator/character dichotomy standing in for the player/developer dynamic. The game's structure is one of branching narrative paths determined by your level of adherence to the narration, and often, endings don't cut off when assumed or the intro has subtle changes to keep the player off-balance. The game also gets in some good digs at player expectations for secrets and rewards. The aesthetic of the game is corporate but also frequently bizarre and unsettling, with the game having a good amount of tension with some of the more emotionally and visually disturbing setpieces. It's a comedy game with some excellent jokes but it never leaves you feeling entirely secure and goes into heavy and chilling moments from time to time. Its aesthetic and tone was later heavily emulated by the game Superliminal, and while there's likely no connection, fans of The Good Place will probably vibe pretty well with its philosophical bent and visuals.
The rerelease adds some fantastic new commentary and content as well, grappling with the game's own legacy and reception and the question of follow-up. What's got to be added? Should there be a sequel instead? The game eventually comes around to making itself into its own sequel and adds new content in a pretty deeply-integrated manner, including a nonsensical second game of sorts where each ending is altered or replaced for the sillier by taking an item with you at the start. The game devs definitely poke fun at themselves but also at the laziness some rereleases may display, all while successfully (to me) committing those sins in a wry and funny way. Perhaps I'd be more resentful coming into the game having owned the previous version, but for what it's worth, I've been familiar with the game for years before finally buying and playing this edition and didn't feel annoyed by the new content.
I love the experience of this game, as it asks the player how much smarter than the game they can realistically be while providing funny and harrowing moments in turn. You have a choice to buy it...but many (or no) more choices may await you if you do.
A metaphilosophical masterpiece.
It's very easy for something to be too clever. So self-aware and meta that it defeats its own purpose or somehow misses it altogether. But I feel like if you say The Stanley Parable is too clever, it's going to be as a hyperbolic compliment.
The game takes the form of a postmodern philosophical exercise, as an office worker named Stanley is controlled in first-person after discovering his building suddenly abandoned. A narrator preemptively dictates actions you don't have to actually follow, forming the crux of the game as you and the narrator grapple with questions about game design and player freedom, with the narrator/character dichotomy standing in for the player/developer dynamic. The game's structure is one of branching narrative paths determined by your level of adherence to the narration, and often, endings don't cut off when assumed or the intro has subtle changes to keep the player off-balance. The game also gets in some good digs at player expectations for secrets and rewards. The aesthetic of the game is corporate but also frequently bizarre and unsettling, with the game having a good amount of tension with some of the more emotionally and visually disturbing setpieces. It's a comedy game with some excellent jokes but it never leaves you feeling entirely secure and goes into heavy and chilling moments from time to time. Its aesthetic and tone was later heavily emulated by the game Superliminal, and while there's likely no connection, fans of The Good Place will probably vibe pretty well with its philosophical bent and visuals.
The rerelease adds some fantastic new commentary and content as well, grappling with the game's own legacy and reception and the question of follow-up. What's got to be added? Should there be a sequel instead? The game eventually comes around to making itself into its own sequel and adds new content in a pretty deeply-integrated manner, including a nonsensical second game of sorts where each ending is altered or replaced for the sillier by taking an item with you at the start. The game devs definitely poke fun at themselves but also at the laziness some rereleases may display, all while successfully (to me) committing those sins in a wry and funny way. Perhaps I'd be more resentful coming into the game having owned the previous version, but for what it's worth, I've been familiar with the game for years before finally buying and playing this edition and didn't feel annoyed by the new content.
I love the experience of this game, as it asks the player how much smarter than the game they can realistically be while providing funny and harrowing moments in turn. You have a choice to buy it...but many (or no) more choices may await you if you do.