gaming The Stanley Parable is overrated

[Dark Fox 151]

I got it, yeah it's funny, yeah it's an interesting satire of modern games...But $15? really? The game has roughly 10 endings, and few of them are particularly interesting...There's no story to speak of besides the main ending which is short, rushed and doesn't explain anything...While obviously that could have been on purpose to further satirize modern gaming story telling...Still....$15, give me something more than that...

 

The entire game is yet another example of pretentious, boring indie games...Zero game play, just self aware, overpriced, hipster pandering...Just like FEZ you cannot fail, you just get another ending...No challenge, no game play...And look, you can say "They did that on purpose" all you like, but when it gets to the point that I feel ripped off, they can be as meta and witty as possible and I'm not going to like it.

 

Long story short, It's funny, not fun.

 

If you want to pay $15 for 3 hours of game play, 2 of which involve going through the same path listening to the same dialogue just to go through a different path for a 4 minute ending, then go ahead...I was not impressed.

[Scootalove 10,689]

If a game like that has me going through the same path and listening to the same dialogue, the thrill would wear off quickly for me in my opinion.

[Marcato 2,143]

Well when you take into consideration the necessary programming, accounting for many different potential outcomes, bugfixing, graphics, and other creative parts of the game that takes time and effort... and then when you compare it to most popular and what are defined as high quality games that are usually expensive, $15 is hardly worth complaining about. 

 

An indie game company is quite literally defined as 'a small group of people' that work on a game. Work. These people are using this as their source of income. They gotta get their money somewhere. 

 

I can acknowledge that it may be overrated, but to me the price seems fine compared to most console games hitting $40+ (If not $60)

 

EDIT: For the record, I got Sonic Colours for the DS very shortly after it came out for $40. I got 2 full hours of play time. That's it. Don't complain about 3 hours for $15.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Marcato

[Dark Fox 151]

Well when you take into consideration the necessary programming, accounting for many different potential outcomes, bugfixing, graphics, and other creative parts of the game that takes time and effort... and then when you compare it to most popular and what are defined as high quality games that are usually expensive, $15 is hardly worth complaining about. 

 

An indie game company is quite literally defined as 'a small group of people' that work on a game. Work. These people are using this as their source of income. They gotta get their money somewhere. 

 

I can acknowledge that it may be overrated, but to me the price seems fine compared to most console games hitting $40+ (If not $60)

 

This game was made as a mod from half life using the source engine, so most of the framework was already set for them, and on top of that once a game is already made it's not like it costs any money to distribute it.

 

But simply put...Fallout 3: 100+ hours, GTA 4: 40+ hours, Saints Row: 40+ hours, and all of these games have incredible amounts of replay value. Now, Stanley parable: $15, 4 hours, and most of that time is spent running through the same corridors, listening to the same dialogue.

 

You're basically paying $15 for a walking simulator

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

I still need to play that, I just heard of it the other day so I went and tracked it down through alternative means(cut me some slack, my computer is to slow to risk spending money on anything newer than Fallout 3, and even that I have to play on medium and 800x600 to get decent FPS)

[chaotic567 60]

This game is amazing. It makes fun of what you think are choices and uses that against you. The narrator feels like a living breathing human and can manipulate your choices easily.

Pros

• Funny, Engaging Storylines
• Hugely Replayable
• Great Depth

•  

  Cons

  • Not Strictly A "Game"

9/10

Great

Edited November 12, 2013 by chaotic567

[Gdrlowmgqwmhopqw 107]

This game was made as a mod from half life using the source engine, so most of the framework was already set for them, and on top of that once a game is already made it's not like it costs any money to distribute it.

 

But simply put...Fallout 3: 100+ hours, GTA 4: 40+ hours, Saints Row: 40+ hours, and all of these games have incredible amounts of replay value. Now, Stanley parable: $15, 4 hours, and most of that time is spent running through the same corridors, listening to the same dialogue.

 

You're basically paying $15 for a walking simulator

Yet i wouldn't play Fallout 3, GTA 4 or Saints Row even if they were free. People have different tastes and i happen to really like this walking simulator.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Jormaz

[Leavinh 313]

I feel like these types of games follow the rule of "you get out of it what you put into it". If you go into it thinking "Oh, what a dumb walking simulator" and just plow through the game, then of course you won't get anything out of it or think it's fun. Just like Fez (which is a really weird comparison by the way, the only way they're similar is that they're indie games), half of the game is the atmosphere. There's so much going on in the background that I think this is totally worth the $15, even though I bought it when it was on sale. 

[HoopHoof 137]

I've seen only a review of it and it seems really cute xD I like my games weird and experimental like that. You should give it some props, at least it's not *shudders* Dear Esther (which is more or less a walking simulator) 

[Dark Fox 151]

Yet i wouldn't play Fallout 3, GTA 4 or Saints Row even if they were free. People have different tastes and i happen to really like this walking simulator.

I don't think you're serious, otherwise you're the hipsterest of hipsters, but fine, what games would you pay for?

 

I feel like these types of games follow the rule of "you get out of it what you put into it". If you go into it thinking "Oh, what a dumb walking simulator" and just plow through the game, then of course you won't get anything out of it or think it's fun. Just like Fez (which is a really weird comparison by the way, the only way they're similar is that they're indie games), half of the game is the atmosphere. There's so much going on in the background that I think this is totally worth the $15, even though I bought it when it was on sale. 

I spent the average 3 hours that most people spent, and I couldn't spend anymore, merely because hearing the same dialogue over and over as you pass through the same hallways only to hear some different dialogue only when you reach a new fork was frustrating and tedious.

 

My FEZ example was to illustrate how indie developers make games with zero challenge, no obstacles, bland puzzles and expect people to buy them merely because it comes with some shreds of charm, wit and occasionally story...In Stanley's case, there was a good bit of charm and wit, but a vacant 2 minute story, with a bunch of random nonsense as filler, perhaps 2 or 3 of those endings were interesting or funny.

 

Maybe if it took place in an open world rather than the same tedious pathways I'd like it, but as it is, you have to trudge through the same paths to get to 5 minutes of dialogue which may or may not be interesting.

[Suitaloo 743]

Meh, it was alright. I liked it enough. It was at least an interesting experiment in video game narrative. I'm more pissed about the new Bioshock Infinite DLC, Burial at Sea: Chapter 1. That was the same price, for about the same amount of gameplay time. One Big Daddy, fairly poorly optimized (it was stuttering on my Alienware laptop on low detail graphics), and while I did like what they did with the story (you'll know what I'm talking about if you play it, or you have even completed Bioshock Infinite), it wasn't enough gameplay to justify the $15. If it was for both Episode one and two, yes. For just episode one? I'm regretting I bought the DLC immediately.

[Katana 298]

I don't blame someone for waiting until it goes on sale, but I think $15 was a kind of appropriate price. The game applies to a small market, mainly of game designers and indie enthusiasts, and probably had a budget going some degree over most 2D games.

At least they provide you a demonstration, so that you can wrap your head around just *what* the Stanley Parable is.

[Gdrlowmgqwmhopqw 107]

Did you get the broom closet ending?

The broom closet ending was my favorite xD

 

I don't think you're serious, otherwise you're the hipsterest of hipsters, but fine, what games would you pay for?

 

I guess this goes kinda off topic, so:

 

I might consider buying the next Dark Souls game for PC but it is possible that i wont.. Oh wow, i might not be a gamer anymore.. Is that all i can think of right now?

Or maybe right now i have most games i want already, including many games i don't play, but bought for cheap price (silly bundles and sales).

 

Now, just to make sure, i was not implying that the games mentioned are bad. That is not the case, i can see why people play them. It just offers nothing for me to enjoy. I watched my friend play GTA 3, years ago, and it had its charm, but at no point did it draw me in and hold my attention. I also lost my interest in First Person Shooters years ago after playing Counter Strike: Source, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and a bit of Day of Defeat: Source. Never had the chance to enjoy Call of Duty or Battlefield as my interest was already dead at the time i tried one of these.

 

Fallout 1 is a part of my childhood. Fallout 2 was something.. Fallout 3 was an interesting attempt, that just didn't really work for me.

 

Running around shooting is not fun, yet walking around and listening to a narrator is? Where is the logic? Well, it seems that i like the subjects brought up in The Stanley Parable. Intentional or not, it makes me think or notice certain things. The world has much to offer, so it is easy to miss certain perspectives or forget about them after the realization. And, in certain cases, it is fun to watch people play this game, because certain people react to it in an interesting way. Some are sadly getting "mindfucked" by it and i can't tell if they are serious or overreacting.

 

As for what i play right now..

 

League of Legends. All i can say is that when i play it, it truly draws my attention. Haven't spent any money on it tho..

Diablo 2. I play a certain mod for it sometimes..

Speedrunners. This "thing" is very addicting with people you know.

 

The rest of my game choices can be random and are played at random times. Sometimes i might go back to Terraria, Minecraft, The Binding of Isaac or what ever. Oh right, i also play Garry's mod once in a while. AAAH right, that's what i seem to like the most: user-generated content.. (somehow i forgot that)

 

What i used to love the most was Warcraft III custom maps, but sadly it was killed by battlenet filling with hosting bots and other options available, like Garena, just fail due to lack of players in a single room/network. Also the reason i don't own Diablo III is because it has no single player aka no way of making mods. Alright, there were other reasons, but that hurt me the most, because with mods you can fix most of the other issues i had with the game.

 

MOBA genre also started as user-generated content and while it might be a genre that is taken way too seriously by many players, i can look past it and enjoy it more than i should. I feel like an outsider in the middle of these angry gamers.

 

I don't know if you got an answer to your questions you might of had, because i have issues with staying on topic or knowing how to relay a message effectively. Here is me hoping that you don't consider me to be a freak, because i don't enjoy certain games that so many others hype about to no end.

 

[Revy ~ Two Hands 862]

I got it, yeah it's funny, yeah it's an interesting satire of modern games...But $15? really? The game has roughly 10 endings, and few of them are particularly interesting...There's no story to speak of besides the main ending which is short, rushed and doesn't explain anything...While obviously that could have been on purpose to further satirize modern gaming story telling...Still....$15, give me something more than that...

 

The entire game is yet another example of pretentious, boring indie games...Zero game play, just self aware, overpriced, hipster pandering...Just like FEZ you cannot fail, you just get another ending...No challenge, no game play...And look, you can say "They did that on purpose" all you like, but when it gets to the point that I feel ripped off, they can be as meta and witty as possible and I'm not going to like it.

 

Long story short, It's funny, not fun.

 

Games like Fez, Gone home, and stanely parable are not good games, they are masturbatory, and self serving. Look at Phil Fish and his un-apologetic behaviour, insulting all Japanese game developers and abusing the very people who bought his game through a flurry of immature tweets. There are games that evolve the medium as a whole, so called indie games however are shallow, revolving around a single gimmick.Just my 2 bits. Edited November 14, 2013 by Gamer Twilight

[Flying Space Badger 84]

Yeah, well, that's just like, your opinion man.

 

But seriously, As someone that has played and enjoyed rather diverse game genres and styles, Stanly Parable was something I had not done yet. The narration made me laugh like a lunatic several times, and it was enjoyable figuring out the correct sequences to get all 20ish endings. Sure, not every game appeals to everyone, but DO NOT insult people that enjoy a game you don't. That's no better than the people the start console flame wars or the CoD vs BF arguments. Just...don't.

[Revy ~ Two Hands 862]

Yeah, well, that's just like, your opinion man.

 

But seriously, As someone that has played and enjoyed rather diverse game genres and styles, Stanly Parable was something I had not done yet. The narration made me laugh like a lunatic several times, and it was enjoyable figuring out the correct sequences to get all 20ish endings. Sure, not every game appeals to everyone, but DO NOT insult people that enjoy a game you don't. That's no better than the people the start console flame wars or the CoD vs BF arguments. Just...don't.

Suggesting anyone here is insulting someone for liking a game is itself an insult.

My 2 bits.

[Sunbro 4 Lyfe 939]

The game doesn't want you to go. "I am satisfied by my purchase and would recommend this." the game wants you to go "what is my purpose? Is everything I do, everything I stand up for; just programmed? am I just watched, observed by a higher being? Why do I do what I do?"

 

The character Stanley resembles a typical person, going about their typical life. They are pleased, they don't really think about what they do. They just do it, happily and without protest.

But what if you take that away? Remove the rules, give them a sense of freedom? Actual freedom? And even then, is it freedom? sure your choices aren't monitored by anyone but you and the narrator (bloody good narrator BTW). And when you get that ending, when you finally make all the decisions; you're just put back at the beginning. You can't change this, you can't stop this. You have to play by the rules.

 

Morale of the story, sometimes you don't buy a game for "YEAH EXPLOSIONS AND DRAGONS!!!1" sometimes you buy a game to... think. Ponder and question. It's not all about the game play, or the mainstream. But sometimes, it's about the experience.

[Monocerus 36]

If my opinions matters, I found that i really enjoyed this "walking simulator" i got exactly what i thought the game was gonna be, out of it. i wasn't expecting some big +300 hour game, i excpected a short indie game (that i could record for youtube) and it was a success. 

[Dark Fox 151]

The game doesn't want you to go. "I am satisfied by my purchase and would recommend this." the game wants you to go "what is my purpose? Is everything I do, everything I stand up for; just programmed? am I just watched, observed by a higher being? Why do I do what I do?"

 

The character Stanley resembles a typical person, going about their typical life. They are pleased, they don't really think about what they do. They just do it, happily and without protest.

But what if you take that away? Remove the rules, give them a sense of freedom? Actual freedom? And even then, is it freedom? sure your choices aren't monitored by anyone but you and the narrator (bloody good narrator BTW). And when you get that ending, when you finally make all the decisions; you're just put back at the beginning. You can't change this, you can't stop this. You have to play by the rules.

 

Morale of the story, sometimes you don't buy a game for "YEAH EXPLOSIONS AND DRAGONS!!!1" sometimes you buy a game to... think. Ponder and question. It's not all about the game play, or the mainstream. But sometimes, it's about the experience.

 

So you think the developer is justified in selling little more than his pretentious, cliched and ham-fisted insights for $15 and then marketing it as an exploration game when the only exploration is walking down a different path?

 

Plenty of games can relay a message and also include some challenge, conflict and story, this game just had a message and an excuse to be horrible because it's a parody of modern gaming.

[Crystal Skull 53]

I think that it is a great title and can see a lot of people liking it and a lot of people hating it. The Stanley Parable is a game made for the Mind F*** audience and them alone. For those type of players I can see them getting a lot of time out of this game. I don't own the title yet and I hope to get it soon and to get about 10 hours finding every nook and cranny out of this game.

[Sunbro 4 Lyfe 939]

So you think the developer is justified in selling little more than his pretentious, cliched and ham-fisted insights for $15 and then marketing it as an exploration game when the only exploration is walking down a different path?

 

Plenty of games can relay a message and also include some challenge, conflict and story, this game just had a message and an excuse to be horrible because it's a parody of modern gaming.

Well alright. Let us use your negative words to describe other games.

Minecraft is a game with no story whatsoever that throws you near the deep end and tells you to go and do whatever the heck you want because they were too loazy to give you things to do. You get no help and no idea as to what you do so you end up wandering around or checking a wiki for what to do next; which ruins most of the game. The only time where the game is good it that point where you know most of the recipies but are still learning, because after that you know everything and it gets boring.

 

You see? How about you look at a game from another light?

 

Ot STFU and go spend your money somwhere else.

[Dark Fox 151]

Well alright. Let us use your negative words to describe other games.

Minecraft is a game with no story whatsoever that throws you near the deep end and tells you to go and do whatever the heck you want because they were too loazy to give you things to do. You get no help and no idea as to what you do so you end up wandering around or checking a wiki for what to do next; which ruins most of the game. The only time where the game is good it that point where you know most of the recipies but are still learning, because after that you know everything and it gets boring.

 

You see? How about you look at a game from another light?

 

Ot STFU and go spend your money somwhere else.

 

Minecraft does in fact have an ending goal, a final boss and all that, the game expects you to use online wikis and guides to figure it out I suppose but for 5 more dollars than The Stanley parable you get a game that gets updated monthly with new items and new areas, a multiplayer community that comes up with their own games, an incredibly massive amount of mods to tweak the game and add pretty much whatever you want to it, mods that actually add player created quests.

 

Versus a linear, pretentious bore fest that parodies the gaming industry that it is not even contributing to in an interesting way, all of it's insights are ham fisted and irrelevant for the most part and what new things do I get from a game after it's been out for months? Oh a patch that removes the "racist" part (which to me wasn't even racist.)

 

What a fantastic game.

[Sunbro 4 Lyfe 939]

Minecraft does in fact have an ending goal, a final boss and all that, the game expects you to use online wikis and guides to figure it out I suppose but for 5 more dollars than The Stanley parable you get a game that gets updated monthly with new items and new areas, a multiplayer community that comes up with their own games, an incredibly massive amount of mods to tweak the game and add pretty much whatever you want to it, mods that actually add player created quests.

 

Versus a linear, pretentious bore fest that parodies the gaming industry that it is not even contributing to in an interesting way, all of it's insights are ham fisted and irrelevant for the most part and what new things do I get from a game after it's been out for months? Oh a patch that removes the "racist" part (which to me wasn't even racist.)

 

What a fantastic game.

Yeah. OK.

I'm just gunna leave you and your opinions here.

Probably best for all of us.

[Felix 1,363]

I think the game does a good job of doing what it was created to do. I won't say it was the best game ever, but if you're looking for a game to make you laugh and simply have fun with the idea that it does the most random things which encourages you to go and find out what happens next, then it's an enjoyable game just for that. :3

[Princess Lona 382]

I liked it. I don't think that having a point to make and driving that point home makes a game pretentious. Video games have finally attained a place in the artistic world. People are calling them art. Lots of people, not just gamers. And once a medium is considered art, artists are going to want to experiment more with it and push the limits of story telling (or in the case of Stanley, anti-story telling?). You're right in that it could have been a bit more subtle, but for a first try at expressing what they wanted to express, I think they did an okay job.

 

As for the length to price ratio, look at it from a marketing point of view. Whoever paid for this game was taking a financial risk. If they had made the game forty hours and charged sixty bucks for it, only to find out people didn't like it they would have lost a tonne of money. I'm hoping that the game was kind of short for the same reason that Portal one was short. They're testing the waters to see if they can get an audience and in a couple of years they'll release the longer, cleverer, better looking, and more involved Stanley Parable Two.