The Stanley Parable by developer Galactic Cafe and publishers Galactic Cafe, Kiel Software—PC retro reflection written by Hamza.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
This game tells the story of Employee 427: a seemingly nondescript 9-to-5 office worker consigned to pushing random buttons in a small room at an office that is disturbingly labyrinthine, infinitely complex, and seemingly multiversal. One day, Employee 427 wakes up from his thankless job only to find all of his co-workers missing. Even his boss is gone, as he shortly discovers. He is then thrown into a series of surreal encounters of Kafkaesque and Orwellian proportions. This is the story of a man named Stanley.
Choice. Free will. Determinism. Control. Destiny. These are the topics that have befuddled mankind since Day 1 of our blue marble's history. When man learned to make music, he populated these curiosities alongside treble and bass clefs. When man learned the art of film, he made countless movies arguing and debating these conundrums; and when man learned how to push pixels around, he started to push these issues along with them, too. These topics, as well as more moral and philosophical themes, are continuously being tackled by contemporary games—the Modern Warfare arc of Call of Duty are good examples of this, as are the Army of Two and 3D Grand Theft Auto.
2011's The Stanley Parable is not a second coming so much as a satirical look into the concept and psychology of video games—though it does possess an identical layer of intricate, compelling narrative. This is a game that breaks the fourth wall more than Deadpool and confuses and confounds the player more than Face/Off and The Usual Suspects combined. By the end of a single playthrough, your perception of what is real and what is not will be forever shattered.
Played from a first-person perspective, The Stanley Parable starts with the titular character finding himself suddenly all alone in his workplace. His extraordinary, multi-faceted journeys begin from his room: 427. Every time a possible ending is reached, or when the Narrator resets the game, the player is transported right back to this room. Although it seems like a normal office building, it is gradually revealed to be alien in nature—possibly a puppet theater prop for a deep-shadow conspiracy. Or is it? Is it really linked to a parallel universe? Is Stanley such a vivid daydreamer and fantasist that everything is literally coming true for him? Or is the ubiquitous and acerbic Narrator (who may or may not be Stanley's boss, or—gasp—Stanley himself!) some sort of Silent Hill-esque personification tormenting the mute protagonist?
These theories, crazy as they sound, are both true and untrue. You see, this game has multiple, non-linear endings, and they can be unlocked in any order. A few of them end on a positive (albeit somewhat ambiguous) note, while others are less than happy. One possible ending will literally drive you insane, requiring you to save a cardboard cutout image of a baby and a puppy from a real fire for four straight hours. I could not make this up if I tried. If you somehow manage to accomplish that (may God rest your soul), you get an "I love you" message that I am pretty sure you will leave unread, as your mind will probably have melted like a fried egg by then!
The true beauty of The Stanley Parable, however, lies in the excellent narration by Kevan Brighting. They say anything uttered in an English accent becomes important in tone and automatically more believable than a news headline reading "Scientists have discovered..."—and here, this maxim has never been truer. Mr. Brighting's exceptionally brilliant voice carries just the right amount of cold sarcasm and mentor-like warmth. He is both your guiding ally and a slightly cruel observer who taunts you. In short, the relationship between Stanley (and, by extension, you) and the Narrator works like that of a test subject and an analyst in some grand psychological experiment. Beyond this, the narration is truly impeccable. Everything—from a small quip to a minute-long monologue—is fantastic to listen to. Standing in one place for an extended period just to hear a well-delivered line of sarcasm is worth every single second of being idle.
Before I played The Stanley Parable, I had always thought of it as a puzzle game. I was expecting complex, esoteric puzzles—you know, brain-twisting stuff. Funnily enough, for a clever title with smart commentary and intelligent design, this game contains absolutely no puzzles, nor any Half-Life 2-type interactive actions like pulling switches or connecting wires. Well, it does have you pushing buttons, but not in the same context, and definitely not with a puzzle design in mind. Seeing how the game turned out, I am rather glad it has no puzzles.
The production value is also impressive. I played the HD version, and I have to say: it is among the most attractive-looking games I've had the pixel-pleasure of experiencing on the PC. The office looks simply gorgeous, with the boss's room full of sexy glamour. The chamber full of TV screens is breathtaking, instantly reminding you of Cerebro from the X-Men films. In fact, virtually every accessible area drips with gorgeousness like oil from a frying pan. The museum is not just the highlight of the game, but one of those rare places in a video game that I desperately want to visit, if only for the architecture. It is simply too beautiful to describe in simple words, so I will just say what reviewers like to say most: "experience it for yourself," and leave it at that. You just have to turn left at the "Escape" sign. Easy.
In conclusion, The Stanley Parable is one of those rare games that you always hear about but seldom encounter. It is one of those experiences that forbids you from playing other games for a long, long time because of its addictive and demanding quality. It is a game that will stay with you forever. It rubs its magic on you—the rare kind. And anytime you should encounter a set of two doors, the prospect of taking the right one will be very compelling. Even if it means coming home to a mannequin that sounds like your significant other.
