A metafictional account of Davey Wreden, creator of the Stanley Parable (2013), who takes the player through the games of his old friend, Coda, while giving his commentary and interpretations of them, in order to understand why he makes the bizarre, often melancholic games that he makes, and decipher Coda's personality and inner struggles.
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Less a videogame, more an experience. I mean that in a good way
This review contains spoilers
So I'll preface this by saying I went in totally blind - I hadn't even seen the trailer, I just knew the developer's previous game (The Stanley Parable) and kinda went in since I actually quite like artsy walking simulator type games, but this was a bit different from what I expected. My type of thing in the genre is more like LSD Dream Emulator or Yume Nikki - something completely abstract and non-linear, something that leaves everything up to interpretation , or something like Titanic II - Orchestra for Dying at Sea, 10 Beautiful Postcards or Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective - something with a fairly sardonic or irreverent sense of humor. This is a much more conventional, linear experience - not quite as abstract as I was expecting. If you've played The Stanley Parable, you'll notice the developer has some Charlie Kaufman-esque sensibilities, and they're still very much at play here, it's just that if SP was his big award-winning breakout comedy, this is more a deepy dramatic, sincere, personal drama - and it does feel like a very personal work of art.
In terms of storytelling, I felt it could be a little amateurish here, a little corny there, but the ending did somewhat make up for that. What I really did like was the level designs themselves - it is a game specifically about level design, as opposed to the more open-ended umbrella term "game development" - and the philosophical pondering about level design, what goes through the mind of the developer when they create a level, when they are finally satisfied with one. To me, those were the best parts and the reason I would recommend the game, though I can see that's not necessarily a popular opinion.
As an outside observer, one of those pipe-dreamers who would love to make a game but just cannot get themselves started, I do feel like the themes of mental health and isolation seem to be something that is endemic within the game development community. I follow a lot of game devs and game industry types on twitter, and it's an industry that constantly in flux - job security seems to always be shaky at best - and combined with the usual pressures of creative block and self-worth when it comes to being a creator, it seems to me like this is a really fertile ground for games, so it strikes me as odd that the only other one that comes to mind is Segagaga, which is a Japanese satire about working at a failing major company.
In terms of storytelling, I felt it could be a little amateurish here, a little corny there, but the ending did somewhat make up for that. What I really did like was the level designs themselves - it is a game specifically about level design, as opposed to the more open-ended umbrella term "game development" - and the philosophical pondering about level design, what goes through the mind of the developer when they create a level, when they are finally satisfied with one. To me, those were the best parts and the reason I would recommend the game, though I can see that's not necessarily a popular opinion.
As an outside observer, one of those pipe-dreamers who would love to make a game but just cannot get themselves started, I do feel like the themes of mental health and isolation seem to be something that is endemic within the game development community. I follow a lot of game devs and game industry types on twitter, and it's an industry that constantly in flux - job security seems to always be shaky at best - and combined with the usual pressures of creative block and self-worth when it comes to being a creator, it seems to me like this is a really fertile ground for games, so it strikes me as odd that the only other one that comes to mind is Segagaga, which is a Japanese satire about working at a failing major company.
It's bare bones and doesn't offer much in terms of gameplay, but it tells an immeasurably powerful story that should be thought of for years to come through a collection of unfinished games.
Doesn't work all the way on Steam Deck, but a very powerful 90 minutes if you've got the time.
The narrator spoke during my play session, and I felt something. Still kicking. Good.
For an hour and a half you take a tour through some simple games with some incredibly earnest and sincere narration. I wouldn't say its perfect, but it's very, very good at making you feel something. One of those games all creatives should play once, just to form their own opinion about the work.