Sights & Sounds
- Pretty barebones first person 3D visuals without much stylization. It's a narrative-focused game, so it's easy to let it slide
- Really not much by way of music
- The voice acting (or, really, the voice actor) is outstanding. It's an all-time performance that shouldn't be missed
Story & Vibes
- This is one of those games where the plot is inconsequential but the narrative isn't. It doesn't matter who Stanley is or why his office is so weird. You're here to hear someone yammer on about the mechanics of storytelling and the philosophy of ludicological choice for a few hours
- Not that any of that is a bad thing. It's nice to turn over a few metanarrative stones once in a while to see what's wriggling around down there
- The Super Deluxe Edition presents some additional discourse regarding DLC and player expectation
- The whole package is incredibly funny
Playability & Replayability
- All you have to do is listen to the narrator. Or don't. There are no stakes
- Exploration is highly encouraged. If you see the opportunity to go off course, it's usually worth the trouble
- There's not really any gameplay mechanics beyond what you'd expect from a walking simulator. I guess you could think of trying to find all the endings as one big metapuzzle if it makes you feel better
- It feels a little strange to talk about replayability in a game that essentially requires regular replays in order to find the endings. I wouldn't call it "infinitely repayable", but you'll be starting from the beginning a lot
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Ran exceptionally well on the Steam Deck
- This game obviously has the reputation of a classic and you don't need my recommendation. It's a game for people who love to think about games. Although the experience will stick with you for a while, it's not really going to change too much about your perspective on your video game habits
Final Verdict
- 8/10. Certainly worth a play. It's not an exceptionally fun or even a particularly satisfying experience, but it will make you laugh and think. If you missed it the first time around, definitely pick up this edition
- Pretty barebones first person 3D visuals without much stylization. It's a narrative-focused game, so it's easy to let it slide
- Really not much by way of music
- The voice acting (or, really, the voice actor) is outstanding. It's an all-time performance that shouldn't be missed
Story & Vibes
- This is one of those games where the plot is inconsequential but the narrative isn't. It doesn't matter who Stanley is or why his office is so weird. You're here to hear someone yammer on about the mechanics of storytelling and the philosophy of ludicological choice for a few hours
- Not that any of that is a bad thing. It's nice to turn over a few metanarrative stones once in a while to see what's wriggling around down there
- The Super Deluxe Edition presents some additional discourse regarding DLC and player expectation
- The whole package is incredibly funny
Playability & Replayability
- All you have to do is listen to the narrator. Or don't. There are no stakes
- Exploration is highly encouraged. If you see the opportunity to go off course, it's usually worth the trouble
- There's not really any gameplay mechanics beyond what you'd expect from a walking simulator. I guess you could think of trying to find all the endings as one big metapuzzle if it makes you feel better
- It feels a little strange to talk about replayability in a game that essentially requires regular replays in order to find the endings. I wouldn't call it "infinitely repayable", but you'll be starting from the beginning a lot
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Ran exceptionally well on the Steam Deck
- This game obviously has the reputation of a classic and you don't need my recommendation. It's a game for people who love to think about games. Although the experience will stick with you for a while, it's not really going to change too much about your perspective on your video game habits
Final Verdict
- 8/10. Certainly worth a play. It's not an exceptionally fun or even a particularly satisfying experience, but it will make you laugh and think. If you missed it the first time around, definitely pick up this edition