The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe

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.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe follows up the original 2013's strong narrative theme with an intriguing brand-new one.

A delightful update that fills the original game with even more humorous and thoughtful rabbit holes to get lost in.

In conclusion, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is a game that can, and should, be played.

10s aren't perfect, since nothing is, but they come as close as you could get in a given genre. The new leader to beat in its sector, we're talking pure ecstasy.

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.

"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.

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.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an absolute masterpiece of interactive storytelling that uses the medium of video games to interrogate the very nature of player agency and narrative design. By expanding upon the brilliance of the original release with an equally sharp, deeply philosophical layer of new content, this package achieves a level of creative brilliance that is secondary to none. It runs flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch hardware, delivering a beautifully polished, profoundly funny, and conceptually unmissable adventure that represents the absolute pinnacle of meta-fictional design.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is a thought-provoking narrative game that masterfully explores themes of choice and free will through clever humor and unique endings. While the expansion offers new content, some find it underwhelming, and the pacing can be slow at times. Despite a few less polished moments and a lack of traditional mechanics, the game's engaging storytelling and absurdist themes make it a distinct experience that captivates players.