The problem starts with the name: 'Masterpiece Edition', as if Cyan's original The Manhole wasn't a masterpiece already. What that game really needed to be considered a true work of art (at least to the new rockstar developers of Cyan circa 1994 after releasing their actual masterpiece, Myst^) was an ill-fitting 3D pre-rendered makeover (nostalgic of-its timeness totally unacceptable in this aesthetic revisionist case), with recognizably cheap comic strip type character art and a soundtrack that just flatout fucking sucks compared to the 1988 one. Charmless and quite honestly, pretentious, with the idea that games can continually be made new and betterer if they keep up with the current best of ever evolving technology.

Charmless and pretentious are words I would never have thought to use in regards to, the simply titled, The Manhole; a constantly surprising gem that took creative inspiration from Carrolian surrealism while innovating with its interconnected absurdist playground built on the metaphysical pillars of space and perspective, two aspects which are uniquely suited to exploration in the video game medium. This George Lucas-esque Special Edition overhaul is among the many, many video game remakes that completely lost the point. Maybe Bluepoint Games should handle the next update.

^the new inclusion of references to other Cyan games like Osmo and Myst strike me with the same kind of shared brand universe grotesquerie that we see all the time nowadays. A hideous self promotion exercise, destroyer of art and individuality.

"Metaphors of Intercultural Philosophy

This book isn't about anything."

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