To give you a peek into the inner workings here at GamerSushi, we recently discussed the fact that there are several prominent games out there that we haven’t actually reviewed yet. Like, for example, Grand Theft Auto V, which landed a solid #12 in our list of the top 20 games of the last generation. We are aware of the oversight, we are, and we hope to make amends soonish. Personally, I planned to start my attack on un-reviewed games by diving into one of my recent purchases, The Stanley Parable by Galactic Cafe. I figured it’d be both quick to play and reasonably timely. It’s still a fairly new game, after all.
Accordingly, late one night I sat down with The Stanley Parable and played it for about an hour and a half. I think I beat it. In fact, I may have beaten it several dozen times. I’m honestly not entirely sure. I am sure, however, that I haven’t experienced everything the game has to offer. It’s hilarious, confusing, surreal and nearly impossible to summarize. Part of the reason summaries won’t do it justice is that the experience is built entirely around the fact that you are playing a game and bringing certain expectations to the table.
The Stanley Parable delights in playing with those expectations, undermining them at every turn while also goading you into rebelling against the strict confines of the game’s so-called narrative. Naturally this is personified by a delightful British narrator who is a large part of what makes the game so entertaining and hilarious. Â After I finished playing I tried to wrap my head around what I might say about the game that wouldn’t be a huge spoiler while also doing a poor job of conveying why you should play it.
If nothing else, I laughed out loud several times while playing the game, and even though I saw one or more endings, I’m definitely going to spend more time playing. If you’re on the fence, there’s always the “demo” to tide you over, and if you’re reading this during the Steam Autumn Sale, the game is currently 40% off.
Has anyone else given The Stanley Parable a spin? Let us know what you thought in the comments.
I’ve been waiting to get this one for a while, and the sale today was the final push I needed. While I wouldn’t dare go into details, this game is a fantastic social commentary on several different aspects of the game industry. I highly recommend it, and I’m so excited to play more of these games that dare to be different.
The game is astounding and your recommendation is to play the demo is perfect, it’s what I’ve been telling everyone. There are so many secrets it is remarkable, I bet it would be Abed’s game of the year on Community.