I actually disagree on one point, it isn't really just about games that give you no choice, it's also poking fun at games that give you the illusion of choice. Think Elder Scrolls. You have a huge world to explore and nigh-infinite things to do- but every single one of these things is something the programmer has given you to do, something the programmer has expected you to do, and something the programmer has manipulated you into doing. The ending where you go up the elevator properly explains this, with the second narrator basically telling you directly that you have absolutely no control over anything, no matter what you obey or disobey, and the only way you can "beat the system" is to quit the game entirely.
But of course, The Stanley Parable wants you to do that.
Illusion of choice is largely true, though I wouldn't use Elder Scrolls as an example, since that series has things happen that even the programmers and designers did not expect. But most games that give you "choice" let you choose "A" or "B", almost like a Choose Your Own Adventure book - there's choice, but they're all prewritten, like you said.
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I don't have the game and so can't post a review, but to me, whining about "illusion of choice in gaming" is the same kind of pathetic obnoxiousness as emos and other like-minded people going "you cannot live forever, so why not commit suicide now". Both refuse anything but unattainable absolutes and pride themselves on doing so, when I would see this the evidence of undeveloped mental faculty. Yeah, every choice is pre-programmed. So? You're not being brilliant and subversive, you're being immature with too much time on your hands and a malaise to actual gaming, especially when you have the gall to include Dear Negative Reader videos within your work.
Trust me when I say, its not whining about it. Its getting you to think about it while having fun with it. You're right that this type of a premise on paper sounds artsy and pretentious but this game is anything but. Its wall to wall snarky incisive humor and mind screw.
Its also poking fun at more than just "the illusion of choice." It is often poking fun at the player for their tendency to rebel against the game for example, among other things. Google the Raphael trailer to see an example of the author poking fun at an emo douche.
The Dear Negative Reader thing is in a promotional trailer, not in the work itself.
And it was hilarious.
Fanfiction I hate.
There are definitely WAY more than 6 endings... Par Example: Freedom, Countdown, Confusion, Maryella, Games, Art, Apartment, "You're not Stanley", Repeatedly jumping off a stairwell, the escape pod ending, the two different window endings, Cold feet, and most importantly "THE BROOM CLOSET ENDING". These are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
EDIT: ... in the modern version.Sorry, misread title...
One not does simply read this correctly.
This is likely a review of the original mod, which had far fewer overall endings.
It is a review of the original version. This review was written before the new, standalone game came out.
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- The irony is that in The Stanley Parable, your actions do affect the story.
How is that ironic? isn\'t part of the point to poke at the fact that your actions don\'t matter in many games.
The irony is that the game is telling you what to do and has a narrator telling the story quite explicitly. Other games have onscreen narration, dialog, whatever, and force you along a linear path even if you have freedom to go to different locations.
And yes, the point is to point out that in most games, your actions don\'t matter storywise.
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Rebelling against narrative brings true freedom (review of original version)
NOTE: This is a review of the original version of this game, before the new, standalone version was created. I wrote this before The Stanley Parable was remade.
It's literally impossible to talk about The Stanley Parable without risking spoiling anything. That's because talking about what makes it interesting automatically ruins the experience of finding out for yourself.
So if you're planning on trying this mod for yourself, stop reading immediately!
The Stanley Parable is about a man named Stanley who has the job of sitting at a computer and pushing buttons and doing exactly what he is commanded to. Despite the apparent monotony of such a job, he loves it, and eagerly awaits his next instruction. Hmm...
But one day, as we're told by a voiceover narrator, Stanley isn't given any orders. So he has no instructions, and the freedom to do what he wants.
Or does he? The narrator tells you what happens next in the story as it's happening. That extends to exactly what door Stanley enters. "Stanley headed through the hall, and entered the door on his left." The catch is that you're told this as you're doing it, so you have the opportunity to disobey. Doing so causes the narrator to variously get angry, change the story accordingly, or mess with you. You could even end up in a graphically unfinished room, causing the narrator even more stress. The world itself is built to try to force you into compliance, with doors that lock shut behind you and can never be re-opened, and other doors that can never be opened at all. Sound familiar?
Different people took different things away from the experience of playing this mod, and in my case, I perceived it as a big middle finger aimed at the current state of the "narrative-driven" aspect of the gaming industry, particularly modern First Person Shooters. Think of games like Call of Duty (single-player), with dialog telling you what to do, micro-objectives telling you exactly what to do next, and a tightly scripted story you have zero control over. You can't stop what you're doing and explore.
The irony is that in The Stanley Parable, your actions do affect the story. You can piss off the narrator, explore a bit, even discover an incomplete, unrendered room (while the narrator mocks you for wasting your time), and ultimately end up with one of 6 possible endings. In a way, The Stanley Parable, despite only letting you walk and push buttons, gives you more freedom than a lot of games.