Artistic Value: Graphics, music and sound effects are non-important in this video game; that's not what The Stanley Parable is about. The style and setting of the game is aptly and purposely average on the surface, but hiding something different in the corners; like a boring cardboard cutout with a dick drawn on the back. In less than two …
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Artistic Value: Graphics, music and sound effects are non-important in this video game; that's not what The Stanley Parable is about. The style and setting of the game is aptly and purposely average on the surface, but hiding something different in the corners; like a boring cardboard cutout with a dick drawn on the back. In less than two minutes of playing you will notice that the writing breaks the fourth wall constantly; in fact the whole game is self-conscious and self-referencing. Without giving out too much, let me say that the narrator's dialogue is some of the most weird and unique writing you will come across in any video game. Rating = 7/10 for great.
Gameplay: Mechanics, controls and interface are one of the most standard of any video game... but even so, the gameplay is one of the most unique. You just have to move forward and make choices; choices that don't really matter, but they still matter. It is after all an exploration game; but you're not really exploring a map (OK, you're exploring a very small map), you're exploring the game's psyche. It is hard to explain but since the game breaks the fourth wall you can think outside the box and have some fun. Rating = 6/10 for good.
Fun Factor: Narrative story, replay value through the roof, and originality +100% makes this game a lot of fun... for a couple of minutes until it frustrates you and angers you. It feels like the narrator gets to know you better and better with each playthrough, and you get to know the narrator better; it's unavoidable to want to annoy the narrator and he will annoy you back. You'll probably replay this game dozens of times before putting it down, but that's still just a couple of hours. This game is a lot of fun, but very gimmicky. Rating = 7/10 for great.
Final Verdict: One of the most unique video games I've ever played for a couple of hours. Rating = 6.7/10 for Great.
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