LogFAQs > #970422610

finished ultra deluxe. i went back and forth between the new material and the original game a lot, and while the new stuff has the advantage of being new and more expansive, the original is tighter, which is probably to be expected. overall it's very delightful and funny, though there's a lot more of it so not everything lands. its major topic is the difficulty of sequels and yeah, it's hard to go back given how much of a touchstone the original was and how much has been done in the metatextual space in games over 9 years and not least of all, because the beginner's guide exists.

when pugh and wreden split off and made dr. langeskov and the beginner's guide respectively they kinda split the soul of the stanley parable in two - the gags in the former and the philosophy in the latter, and while i enjoyed dr. langeskov, i was bowled over by the beginner's guide. so ultra deluxe does well on the former but it doesn't quite measure up in the latter, and not just in depth of content (since ultra deluxe is obviously more broad) but in framing and delivery which felt like a step forward in tbg. still! a lot of it is great and i am stopping myself from just describing jokes i liked.

second best adventure game ruminating on the difficulty of sequels of 2022