The Stanley Parable - Maybe you should buy it too.

Alright, have you played the demo or the mod?

What?! You haven't even tried them yet? *Sigh* Go do that...

http://www.stanleyparable.com/ - Free Demo
http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-stanley-parable/ - Free mod (Requires Half-life 2)

Okay, have you tried at least one of them yet? What did you think? Did you like it?

I didn't like it... the ending to the mod sucked...

Um... how many endings? Go play the mod again...

I didn't like it... the humor's not for me...

Then you probably shouldn't get the full game. And stop reading here. You're done.


I loved it! Especially the one ending where...

Excellent. You understand the basic concept. I won't spoil it any further, but here's what the main game has: It's an HD remake of the original mod. If you played the mod, you basically played a good amount of the game so far. And yes, I still think the full game is excellent.

Well, wait... I just played the game for free, then? Why should I buy it?

Because of everything the full game has that the mod didn't! There's quite a few extras, mostly hidden away as Easter Eggs, extended dialogue in areas, extra branching paths, and just a general feel of a well-polished game. This game makes awesome use of Valve's current Source engine (specifically the engine for Portal 2) and it feels like a full game.

The word is 'polish', my friend. This game is very excellently crafted together, with little hidden secrets and extras at every turn. It boasts variety in its playthroughs, and despite the drab office environment setting, I believe it.

But like I said in an earlier review, the game was still only about 4 to 5 hours until you start to get bored from crossing the same few paths again, and start digging through forums, searching for the easter eggs other people have found.

Is it worth the price, then?

Yes. It's a very good idea, and the execution is perfect. Really, the only thing dampening the experience is the short length and the fact that it's a very strict remake of the original mod. The extra pieces added really make it a strong experience though, and I really hope to see more like this idea from Galactic Cafe.

Also, they're having a sale, lowering the price to $12 plus tax... so... if you're on the fence like I was, that might convince you to get it!

http://www.stanleyparable.com/

The Stanley Parable - Yes, you should play it

At the time of posting this, The Stanley Parable HD Remix was just made available on Steam as of last Thursday. This is an excellent experimental game, similar to Portal in its dry humor. However, like Portal, it's one of those games that I can't say anything to really describe or justify it without spoiling the large majority of it.

It's one of those games that you have to experience yourself. It's one of those games that's funny. It's one of those games that's weird. It's one of those games that makes you think about your life in general, alongside with some of the common tropes in video gaming. Also, it's short...

Fifteen dollars worth of short?

Now, that's the tougher question. It is a really short game. It only took me 4 hours to extract as much out of it as I could before it felt like squeezing water out of a rock. Notice I didn't say "It took me 4 hours to beat." Of course it didn't. Didn't you go to their main site yet? Did you read the subtle text hidden throughout the site?

"...THE END IS NEVER THE END..."
-www.stanleyparable.com

This is partly the genius that this game has in it. Without spoiling anything, the only thing I can show you is a screenshot, which I think will describe this game perfectly (while explaining nothing at all):

"When Stanley came to a set of two open doors, he entered the door on his left..."

I'll give you a moment to think on that and let you decide whether to play this game or not.

If you're really uncertain after my vague description of it, there is a demo of the game available on the site to help you decide - http://www.stanleyparable.com/

If you're REALLY uncertain after playing the demo, you can play the free mod released a couple of years ago, which is actually a bare version of the game itself.
http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-stanley-parable/ (requires Half-life 2 and Steam)

Once you've tried both of those, we can discuss further whether it's worth buying.