You must’ve heard about The Stanley Parable. There’s no way you haven’t. Back in 2013 both press and the players were raving about the new game with a mind-bending plot. A lot of us weren’t so lucky though: being available only on PC (and later on Mac and Linux) the game that had started as a Half-Life 2 mod wasn’t available to a lot of players. Not anymore: The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is out on pretty much everything.
But that’s not all: the famous title has also got a lot of new content, basically doubling in size while retaining a very competitive price. This time we tried it on the Switch.
The Stanley Parable is a game that’s hard to explain without spoiling anything. It’s filled to the brim with mysteries, Easter eggs, and humor. It’s an experiment of sorts: one of the first truly great “walking simulators” with an absurd amount of wit. The less you know about it, the better. In fact, my job as a reviewer is pretty much done here. Hear me out: stop reading and go and play it. That’s the review.
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Still not sure? I get that, too. No game is universally beloved, and I know folks who can’t stand this absurdist take on video games where no fighting or other typical video game’y stuff happens. But even if you’re not sure, I suggest you try it anyway.
Also, I wasn’t expecting this game to look as good on the Switch as it does. There’s nothing to write home about, of course, and even with the facelift it’s still a 2013 game, but 60 fps (more or less stable) and sharp picture on the go are about as much as I could’ve asked from Crows Crows Crows. They added a lot of accessibility features as well.
For me, The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is the perfect game to play before going to sleep. I can’t lose in the usual sense, which means I don’t have to smash buttons like crazy, but I pay attention and drink in every narrator’s word.
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Verdict
I love my reviews to be wordy, but not this time. The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is good for discussing, but only after you’ve played it. So, my verdict is simple: go and play it on whatever platform is most convenient to you. And if you’ve already played it… do it again. The new content is worth it.
Review code provided by the publisher