2013 saw the unexpected release of The Stanley Parable, an environmental narrative game that ended up redefining the gaming medium with meta plot threads and pitch black comedy. Eight years on, after reports of Galactic Café delaying a remastered version, it has finally confirmed an upcoming release date to the delight of many gamers.
The Stanley Parable appears to be about an unnamed employee numbered 427 exploring an office workspace. But in reality, it is an unconventional story about the nature of games as an interactive medium, with multiple endings that range from sensible to ridiculous along with other world-building curiosities. The "Ultra Deluxe Edition" is set to be "a significant expansion" to the base game, as promised by the developers.
When The Stanley Parable was first released, its status was hard to ignore. A big part of the game's exposure was caused by famous gaming YouTubers playing and reacting to the unexpected twists and turns offered by a typical playthrough. As a result of this, the influential nature of The Stanley Parable is hard to overlook. The Ultra Deluxe Edition is the next step in celebrating its impact on gaming, with a fitting release date of April 27 to match Employee 427's story.
Even The Ultra Deluxe Edition's release trailer toys with gaming preconceptions by hinting at details that don't appear in the game at all, or completely misdirecting the viewers. It features the original game's trailer being interrupted by the player literally walking away from the fourth wall, attempting to escape the seemingly infinite corridors while the narrator's soft voice quickly becomes layered and nightmarish. The Stanley Parable is a delightfully meta experience as a result, unafraid to rewrite the rules of gaming that players are familiar with.
It is rumored that the Ultra Deluxe Edition will provide more expansive gameplay and additional story paths, but how substantial they will be is up for debate. The promise of console ports does little to relax gamers, as the inevitable achievement list taunts completionists. For example, the dev team Crows Crows Crows may be threatening to lock away a random Stanley Parable achievement for multiple years just like the original. Deliberately frustrating and obtuse secrets are such a large aspect of The Stanley Parable's charm, but it remains to be seen how far it is willing to go.
Almost every aspect of gaming is deconstructed while The Stanley Parable continually breaks the fourth wall, and the Ultra Deluxe Edition promises more of the same maddening antics that it was praised for back in 2013.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Edition will come to Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One on April 27.
