The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Reviews
The Stanley Parable still holds up a decade later, and the Ultra Deluxe version essentially adds a whole new game's worth of additional content to stumble upon.
"NINE OUT OF TEN," Alex bellowed as he wrote. "A thoroughly enjoyable expansion of an already classic game treated with love, care, and most importantly a meta awareness that pays tribute to everything that made The Stanley Parable so beloved. It may leave a small few questioning more than they'd like, but we wouldn't want it any other way."Alex wondered if this small sound bite could be considered a complete review, but he was certain that if he needed to, he could find a way to pad things out.
A delightful update that fills the original game with even more humorous and thoughtful rabbit holes to get lost in.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe follows up the original 2013's strong narrative theme with an intriguing brand-new one.
Visually it's definitely an improvement, although it's behind the curve by modern standards. It makes up for that by doubling the size of the game with all-new content, alterations to existing endings, and more that fans will adore. If you've played The Stanley Parable before, Ultra Deluxe gives you lots of reasons to revisit the experience. If this'll be your first time, well, lucky you. Once the element of surprise is gone, there's little reason to return — but while it lasts, this is easily among gaming's most unique and memorable journeys.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an excellent expansion of a bonafide classic interactive adventure. We'll admit we were slightly concerned that returning to something so masterful, expanding and adding to such a carefully constructed experience, could somehow dilute the magic, but we needn't have worried. All of the new content here simply embellishes what came before, resulting in a wonderful piece of art that's now better, more ultra and, you might even say, deluxe than ever before. Whether you're coming to this one for the first time or returning to see what's changed, you'll be handsomely rewarded for your curiosity.
Among the indie games I've greatly enjoyed on PC over the years and have wondered when they would make their way to Switch, The Stanley Parable was one of my last holdouts, so I'm thrilled it is finally here...
Sure, it might have a few technical issues here and there, but they are minute when you assess everything this hilarious and thought-provoking walking simulator has to offer. Not to mention the fact it runs superbly well on the Switch. In short, buy The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. It’s brilliant. It’s a testament to game design. It was oh so worth the wait.
Even though it’s been almost a decade since it originally came out, The Stanley Parable keeps finding ways to surprise me…. and I hope it never stops.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe expertly expands the original critically acclaimed narrative adventure with hours of brilliantly written new content and a lot more of Kevan Brighting's incredible narration. Even if you played the original, you shouldn't miss this updated version.
The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is a conversion, remake, update, sequel and negation of the original work. All together. A title that nine years ago changed the videogame landscape and that today returns not to complete its mission, but more to reflect on itself, on what it has represented and on what it has left to the industry. Some passages of the "New Content" are hallucinatory and brilliant, and blend with the original content in a masterful way. In short, The Stanley Parable is one of those experiences that anyone should play at least once in their life.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an essential title. Not only does it refine a classic, but it also expands on it. In its cheeky knowing manner, it celebrates and mocks the very ideology of the re-release. With plenty of laughs throughout, the zany game beckons you to explore and rewards you with nuggets of gold at each point. Strange and alluring, the secrets within will surprise and delight you, keeping you hooked on the loop. Incredibly, Crows Crows Crows have managed to create an outstanding package that is attractive to both first time and returning players, making this a truly Ultra Deluxe iteration of the game.
Through its thoroughly engaging writing and cutting commentary, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is able to make fun of exactly what it is and get away with it, allowing the game to have its cake and eat it, too.
It might make you laugh, leave you confused and upset, possibly sad, even scared but never indifferent. Not so much a game as it is a unique experience worth checking out.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe has been deliberately designed so that whether you’ve never heard of the game before and are starting fresh, or you’re a seasoned veteran who experienced all the endings of the 2013 game, there is still plenty here for you to enjoy. The humour may not be for everyone’s taste, but the writing remains as sharp as ever. All of the new content adds about 3 hours to the game’s runtime if you go hunting for every last ending, plus a couple of minor amendments to the original game content are fun to spot. All in all it does flesh out the original in a meaningful way, making this an unqualified recommendation to those who have never experienced it. There has never been a better time to experience The Stanley Parable, where the end is never truly the end.
Thinking of The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe as just a remaster or a sequel to the original would be doing it an immense disservice. Yes, it's The Stanley Parable with more content and on new platforms. But it's also much more than that: it's a criticism of the industry's overreliance on DLCs and sequel, it's a tale that makes us reflect on what videogames are and should be, and it's a powerful window on Davey Wreden's evolution since the original. Unmissable.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe really does live up to the high pedestal it has always shined upon. There is no better time to play or revisit this relevant social commentary of games, media, and decision-making now, more than ever before. With Ultra Deluxe, Crows Crows Crows and the masterminds behind The Stanley Parable’s original release have only added more to appreciate about the harsh reality of the titular employee’s mind-bending debacle.
It’s a dining experience worth returning to for fans who already count The Stanley Parable among their favourite meals, balanced with providing the perfect place for new players to take a chance on something different. Regardless of which door you enter, the philosophical taste is likely to linger long after you’re finished.
Although it's short-lived, I had some good fun with The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. Its sheer absurdity had me laughing out loud on a few occasions but I also wish there was more to it such as additional gameplay elements other than simply walking through doors.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is the definitive version of Davey Wreden's game, which now returns with its unforgettable story of always, but with additional content. A game that no lover of good stories should miss.
Review in Spanish | Read full review