A playfully clever treatise on the predominant psychological mechanization of The Player’s approach to games in the 21st century as primarily dictated via AAA structural and ideological hegemony. What an interesting central subject to take on in a game functioning around a core experimental question of how far someone will go to see a story with even the slightest illusion of choice through to the end.

Prompts a few crucial questions: Does narrative choice necessarily always equal autonomy for The Player in games? Is “autonomy” ever a feasible goal in a product fundamentally bound to and by the static (if sometimes imperfect) code of its very base ability to exist? Bound by the (oft unfortunate) limits of its writers? How much emotional and intellectual manipulation can you stand during the course of any title? We know that so many of the AAA ilk attempt to obscure observation or discussion of these ever-tenuous dynamics in their games with various self-indulgent sentiments, but this game laughs in the face of all of these efforts.

I respect this game a lot, and I’d like to think it truly respects me and all the rest of its audience, too.

Completed with 100% of achievements unlocked. The Corridor is a short 'experience' game, based around the idea that the game doesn't want to be played. The player is initially presented with a featureless white corridor, empty save for a red button at the end, which upon being pressed, closes the game. Relaunching, the button is then moved/recontextualised, with a further plea from the game for you to leave. This approach repeats throughout, with the core appeal coming from the humourous voiceover and range of approaches to trying to deceive the player - from a simple corner 'hiding' the button, to turning the player around, starting the game with a black window to make it seem that the game is hanging, and much more. It's all very simple, but enjoyable to see what the game comes up with for each successive attempt - and at 20-30 minutes for a complete playthrough, the perfect length to explore this concept without becoming stale. Good fun.