My analysis of Stanley Parable and UD.

This game will always be one of my favorites, because I love games with a deeper story (like this), and Stanley Parable supplies a depressing story of a burnt-out and mentally ill game developer trying to please his fanbase, hidden beneath humor and choice.

Choice. That’s what this game is about. Down to the symbolism of buttons. Buttons, in this game and in Ultra Delxue, signify choice. The True Ending is all about what decisions you as the player make and what their outcome is.

Ultra Deluxe is MUCH better than the original game, because it shows the fanbase what we loved about the original, and adds an entire slew of new content, which has its own meta-narrative and ending, even poking fun at and discussing un-needed sequels or the milking of a franchise.

The ending (and certain reveals along the way) made me extremely sad. UD’s ending made me feel the way it was supposed to: Isolated and sorrowful. Not just “sad”, but guilty. This game, alongside the original, is a masterpiece of storytelling, and I believe that it is one of the best games out there right now. It’s satirical and funny, but also actually quite sad. The Narrator’s relationship with Stanley signifying the relationship between the creator(s) of a game and their fanbase is written well, especially in UD, and this rant about it is actually really refreshing.

I love this game with all my heart, and hope that this is the final game in the series.

The Narrator has said all he needs to. He’s tired. Let the man rest, knowing that he was a success.

He deserves it.