GAME REVIEW: The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe

At the time that the original version of The Stanley Parable was released, it was a breakthrough in terms of what was possible with video games. Although it began life as a mod of Half-Life 2, creators Davey Wreden and William Pugh reimagined it as an enduring game in its own right, one that challenged the very idea of what games were in the early 2010s. While there were games that questioned the relationship between the player and the game, such as the original Bioshock, none of them did so as cleverly as The Stanley Parable did it. Moreover, it was also a formative game in the “walking simulator” genre, which uses the environment as a means of telling the story as the player explores the game map. For many reasons, The Stanley Parable has become a modern cult classic game, beloved for its witty sense of humor as well as for its bizarre metanarrative and imaginative rethinking of the medium.

Of course, the challenge presented by a game of this stature is how one could possibly follow up on it. As the game itself admits, a traditional sequel would simply not have worked, and that simply is too conventional a solution for this type of game in any event. However, Wreden and Pugh found a much better solution, one which is much more in keeping with the identity of The Stanley Parable. The solution was The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe, a game which is at once a sequel and yet very much the original game at the same time. If this sounds impossible or ridiculous, this is because the nature of The Stanley Parable is a cyclical game; every run through the maze ends up back where the game starts. The foundation of the original game is still there and you can still do a traditional playthrough of the original content. However, as you play through it, the game will direct the player to the new Ultra Deluxe content, at which point the game becomes a different experience.

The new Ultra Deluxe content is every bit as fresh, as funny, as entertaining to explore and as completely insane as one would expect from this game. One of the dangers of adding content years later is the risk of the new content not fitting into the original work, or seeming stale in comparison to the original. This fortunately does not happen here, and in fact, the game comes up with extremely clever additions. One long playthrough into the new content sends the Narrator into commentary on the gaming industry and into revisiting reviews of the original game, and it’s extremely good. The game pokes fun at the medium, into game industry politics, and even at the idea of Steam reviews, but it’s gentle poking by a game that knows how to laugh at itself. At one point, the game plays around with different experimental features, whether it’s the Jump Circle or the idea of a skip button. The game successfully turns the idea of a skip button against the player, and at times the game becomes eerily quiet amidst a desolate landscape. The narrator, as talkative as he may be, becomes a comforting presence by the time he returns, and he is always a fun and fascinating character to travel with. Once the new content is established, the fun of the game is seeing how the game changes with the new features. This game replays constantly, but every playthrough feels different while being the same Stanley Parable experience from the original game.

The most important element of the game is the figure of the narrator, as well as his relationship to the player. Kevon Brighting, the original voice of the narrator, returns for the Ultra Deluxe edition, and in many ways it feels as though he never left. Although the narrator tells the story as the player progresses through each of the branching paths through the game, he takes on greater life as you travel down the office hallways. The narrator is meant to challenge the idea of free will within the game, as opposed to the usual plot railroading that is typical of many narrative-driven games. However, he is also a brilliant character in the Ultra Deluxe, as he questions the narrative of gaming itself and the way that games are made and sold to the player. Sometimes he plays tricks on the player, offering a choice that he later takes away from you during the game. At other times, he is a more sympathetic figure, questioning his own role within the video game narrative that he inhabits. His wit is always sharp and insightful even in the new content, and he feels like exactly the same character he was in the original game. At the same time, you get new layers from him, and when he briefly goes silent in one path, it’s easy to miss the reassurance he gives you. The narrator’s relationship to Stanley and the player is a complex one; the narrator provides direction and assurance to the player that you’re going in the right direction, but he can also be an obstacle, a trickster, or even occasionally a nuisance. At all times, however, he is an enjoyable and complex character and the game firmly establishes why the player needs the narrator, for all of his occasional drawbacks. The relationship between player and narrator is symbiotic in this game, and the writing does a good job of exploring the many facets of that dynamic.

The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is available on all platforms, and it’s worth experiencing in all of its mind-blowing glory. While the game was intended as a PC game and is best played this way, it’s an accessible game regardless of your experience with it. If you’re new to the game, pick up this version, because it offers the full Stanley Parable experience with all the content available. If you played the original, you should get this for two reasons—the new content is more than worth its asking price and you can play it without losing your achievement for not playing the original game. In either case, this is a game worth experiencing for yourself, and the joy is simply trying new things to see what the game does. While I do not often recommend walking simulators, this game realizes the potential of that genre in an accessible and entertaining way. This is a game that will make you laugh and make you think long after you’ve played it, and that’s the sign of a truly special experience. Don’t miss out on this one.

Score: 5/5

Developer/Publisher: Crows Crows Crows

Platform: PC

Author Profile

Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).