GLWY Episode 01: The Stanley Parable

Mel and S3VYN kick off their “Gonna Level With Ya” series with their very first experience with The Stanley Parable. If you’re up for some laughs and are curious about the game, check out the video and reviews below!

Mel’s Review

I went into The Stanley Parable expecting to solve a puzzle or problem based on the trailer, I didn’t get what I was hoping for from the game.

It felt as though I was walking in circles for 3 hours with absolutely zero payoff. I can see where some people may dig deep and draw out some deeper life meaning from it but that isn’t what I am looking for in a video game. I personally can’t find inspiration from something so frustrating. One thing I did enjoy about the game was the narrator’s voice and accent. He was pretty funny, especially when he got angry. With all of that said, I don’t regret playing the game because I had a really fun guy playing alongside me but it’s just not the kind of game I enjoy playing.

S3VYN’s Review

I’m not sure what I expected going into The Stanley Parable. I’d heard a lot about the game over the years and it was always in a “don’t watch reviews” sort of way, so I had somehow avoided knowing too much about the game until now. If you’re looking for an action-filled game experience, this isn’t really the game for that. However, if you’re a gamer who knows all the tropes, is game for some mind-bending meta deconstruction and some existential, fatalist philosophical viewpoints, then you’re in the right place.

As we played the game we had some great laughs. The narration is masterful voiceover work (it’s Kevan Brighting, so yeah, of course it is) and the story makes points without being too on-the-nose, which is difficult and rare. If you’re looking for a way to sip a single malt while considering what life is really about, The Stanley Parable is a good companion for a few hours.