It has been quite some time since I wrote about my favorite music tracks in video games. So far, I have written 24 articles in this series. Today I have a special spin-off article in this series. I was a guest on the “Untitled Game Music Podcast” by Alexander Sigsworth. Today it’s finally live and to give it some publicity since this series is amazing and I highly recommend that you all listen to it, this week’s article is simply going to be an embedded version of the podcast. Please enjoy and feel free to leave a comment here or on Alexander’s channel!
Tag: remix
My Favorite Gaming Music #21 – Time for a REMIX.
More stuff like thisThere are two reasons why I wanted to talk about my favorite music in video games today. One, I didn’t have a lot of time to play a new game to review on my blog. Two, it has been too long since I wrote an entry in this series. So, that’s why I’m doing one of these again. Normally, the rules are that I’m only allowed to talk about original tracks from the games and only one track per franchise. This time, it’s different. One track per franchise remains, but now, it’s a remixed version of the track. So, I hope you are ready for some amazing music since here we go!
Hyrule Lemon – Essence of Lime (Remix: The Legend of Zelda – Oracle of Ages Intro & Title)
In my Creative Christmas series, I have mentioned the Essence of Lime & Lime of Seasons albums. I seriously can’t get enough of these tracks.
When I found this album and heard the first track and heard that they added various sound effects from the games, I was sold right away.
For those who don’t know, this whole album is created by Hyrule Lemon and a team of various artists to remix the soundtrack of the amazing Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. Seriously, this music is so well made! I hope the remix other soundtracks as well since the talent behind this album is just amazing. They made an album using the music I’m so nostalgic about. Thank you for these guys and girls! Thanks.
Pascal Michael Stiefel x OC Remix (VGR) – A Hat In Time Main Theme (Remix: A Hat In Time Main Theme)
This album just came out a few days ago. And it’s amazing. OC Remix is an amazing website where various artists come together to show off their remixes of video game music.
Indie dev team Gears for Breakfast teamed up with them to create a new album called “B-Side Soundtrack”. And, it’s amazing.
Now, I recently gave A Hat In Time a perfect score. I even said it was my favorite game of 2017. Now, when this track pulled my emotional string right around the 1:20 mark, it just blew me away and I bought this soundtrack on Steam. This soundtrack is only 5€ for 85 amazing music tracks. Again, only FIVE euro! That’s a steal! Seriously, if you enjoy this one, go and buy it on Steam.
Dunderpatrullen – Mega Man (Remix: Mega Man 2 Dr. Wily’s Castle)
Now, I have never really played Megaman 2 so I don’t know the soundtrack that much. I still do recognize Megaman tunes here and there.
Why am I telling you this? Well, when I discovered Dunderpatrullen, I was looking around for more music that they created and I found this track they preformed live on a DreamHack event.
If you never heard about Dunderpatrullen and you enjoy chiptune, electronic music; please fix that. Give their music a try. Let me throw in as a bonus this video game medley to enjoy. While I know I mentioned this in one of my Creative Christmas articles, I still wanted to give the spotlight to these artists since I think they are amazing and I really hope they create some new music in the near future!
The GAG Quartet – 8-bit Anthem Medley (Remix: various ones)
Something I have a real soft spot for is medleys and nostalgia. This is one that combines both.
I think that a lot of my fellow bloggers will enjoy this track, since you have Mega Man, Pokémon, Monkey Island, Zelda amongst various others.
The visuals in this video made my nostalgia go in overload. It’s very well made and this was actually the track that made me subscribe to their stuff. I simply can’t wait to see more music created by these guys. Also, if you are interested, they also created a medley with various internet memes from the past couple of years. So, give that a listen if you are interested.
Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion Song (1000 Doors)- The Living Tombstone -feat. BSlick & Crusher-P
I have no clue why I bought this game. I hate jump scares in horror games. Yet, I enjoy playing this game. It’s very well put together and it’s pretty challenging.
Now, The Living Tombstone, some remixes from this artist I dislike and others I really like. This is one I really like. Maybe, the fact that Crusher-P helped with this track since I like his stuff as well. On the other hand, I really like the Living Tombstone’s original track “Cut the Cord“.
So, talking about the game; I still have to play a bit more before I can actually review the game. Maybe this Halloween if no other game distracts me? If you would ask me, really give Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion a chance, it’s an enjoyable game and I can’t recommend it enough to horror fans who want a “light” horror experience.
Final words
So, that’s everything for today. If you guys & girls ever find an amazing remixed track of a game you enjoyed playing, don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments.
I’m really curious to hear your opinion on the tracks I chose to feature in this article. Do you hear about them or are these the first time you heard about them? In any case, I hope you enjoyed listing to them and maybe discovered some new artists.
Thank you for reading this article and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to be able to welcome you in another article but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care!
Game Music – My favorites #16: A Special One
It’s time to talk about some more amazing tracks from games. Normally, I have a rule that I have to use the original music from the game. But in this article, I will also talk about some tracks that are related to games but aren’t in any game. So far example, a song with various quotes from a game. In any case, the rule that one track per game still applies. So, I hope you enjoy these tracks. And as per usual, feel free to write a comment with your opinion on the tracks, games and/or your opinion on the content of this article!
(Hardstyle) Markove – Reawaken (Quotes from Bioshock Infinite)
Bioshock Infinite reviewSo, around the one-minute mark of this hardstyle track… You are greeted with a quote from Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite. When I heard that quote, the memories of this game came flooding back to me.
Hardstyle is one of my favorite genres. I love melodic hardstyle. And honestly, when it’s combined with quotes or references from one of my favorite game series, then it’s even better.
When you like hardstyle or music with a lot of bass; you owe it yourself to check this track out!
(Trance) SkyMarshall Arts – Monkey Island (Quotes from the Monkey Island series)
Review of Escape from Monkey Island
First Impression of Tales From Monkey Island
SkyMarshall Arts is a DJ that makes a lot of different game-inspired music. He made songs about various games like Portal, DooM, Resident Evil and Monkey Island.
This song appeared on his “Nintendo Generation” album. On his own website, he explains the history of the album.
The song is really catchy and is quite fun to listen too. As a Monkey Island fan, it’s one of my favorite songs.
It’s a nice compilation of some great quotes from the games and the actual theme song. Honestly, I have the impression that this could be used right at the end of a game in the series; when the credits are rolling.
(Original) Undertale – Hopes and Dreams
So, I wanted to talk about Undertale for so long… So, here I go. The reason I’m not writing a review or a first impression for this game is because this game has been covered well enough.
Also, I haven’t finished the game yet. I know, shocking. But hey, it’s on my “to finish” list.
Undertale doesn’t need an introduction. It’s a very well known game. Maybe in the future, I’ll write an article about it. But for now, we have this amazing track from the game to listen to. Seriously, this track is very lively and one of my favorites in the game.
(Original) Rise Of The Tomb Raider – The Observatory
So, recently I have finished this game called “Rise Of The Tomb Raider” on PC. I wanted to finish this game sooner but there were just so many good games coming out in early 2016.
This game was an amazing sequel to the original Tomb Raider reboot from 2013. I’m very happy that this game finally came to PC since I had a blast playing this game.
I’m going to try and not talk too much about this game since I’m planning to write a review about this game.
But seriously, I played this game with some amazing headphones and that made the music even stronger. The atmosphere that this track brings while exploring tombs and various other locations is just amazing.
During this track, I stopped exploring and just moved the camera slowly around Lara. The visuals and the world design is pretty well done in this game and is a sight to behold. Thank you, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix for this amazing adventure and the amazing music that came with it!
(Techno) Basshunter – DotA (Song about playing DotA)
Okay, time for a disclaimer. I haven’t played DotA, nor am I playing to play DotA. But why do I bring up this song?
Well, because this track from Basshunter introduced me to electronic music which is has been my favorite genre since.
This song made my 13-year-old mind interested in electronic music and got has its hooks in my since. So, yeah this song has some strong childhood memories for me. Now, I wonder… Which game(-related) track has some strong childhood memories for you while you have never played the game it’s about? Feel free to tell me in the comments.
Wrapping up
It’s time to wrap up this article. Something became quite clear to me. When I want to talk about a game without writing a separate article about it, I write about it in this series.
In any case, I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing this one. I’m quite curious to see which tracks you guys & girls like.
Have a great rest of your day and I hope to be able to welcome you in another article. But until then, game on!
Gaming Music – My Favorites #10: Ten to see.
Don’t mind the title please. A title of an old Belgian TV show fitted well here. “Tien om te zien.” or freely translated: “Ten to see.” was an interesting music show at one of the cities at the beach. But in this series I talk about my favorite video game music. I’m not allowed to put more then one track of a series in one article and I’m only allowed to post originals. Remixes aren’t allowed. Although, I think I’m going to allow it in this special article. I’ll give you 5 remixes or video game related songs and 5 of my favorite video game music tracks. Enjoy listing to them while I talk briefly about my memories, why I selected the track or something else. Anyways, feel free to leave a comment on the content of this article and or with your opinion and or your favorite video game music tracks.
Game related tracks and remixes
#1: Dj S3RL – Green Hills
LinkI was on the train when I suddenly heard some Sega sound effects playing. I wondered to myself, since when did I put the soundtrack of Sonic on my mobile? It turned out that I found another track of S3RL that is very game related.
When I heard it for the first time, I was hooked. Together with Pika Girl, these are my favorite tracks of this DJ.
The people who know me in real life know that I adore electronic melodic and fast music. This remix fits the bill perfectly. It doesn’t even have the annoying stop for the sound effect as in the Pika Girl song. Give it a listen for sure!
#2: SkyMarshall Arts – Forever Gamer
Wouldn’t it be a shame if I didn’t talk about SkyMarshall Arts? I mean, this guy made some album names referencing gaming culture.
The only thing I dislike about this song is that it’s rather slow. It’s a trance song, so it’s slow by definition. But I told you guys earlier, I’m more into faster songs.
Yet, I really enjoy this song. Just listen to it and enjoy the lyrics. I can truly relate to the feelings in that … appear (?) in the song. Oh, and when you enjoy this kind of music, don’t hesitate! Give the other songs of this artist a listen. He makes some pretty good stuff.
#3: Midibar Remix – Bravely Default – That Person’s Name Is
I already talked about another remix of this game in one of my previous game music specials. So, since I wanted to talk about more then one track, I had to wait until a chance like this one to talk about it.
This lovely tune is a remade theme for battles and it sounds even more catchy then the in game variant.
The music sounds and feels more alive. The big difference is the ending. I love how the ending of the ingame track doesn’t loop out. So you can barely hear where the track starts or stops.
Well, the people who remember the game music better then I do at then when I’m writing this article… Is it really as good as I’m telling here. I’m kind of sure, I’m telling the truth. Now, let’s wait for the next special to talk about another remix.
#4: PokeRemix Studio – Game Studio Remix
LinkHow do you make an extremely catchy and memorable song even “worse”? You make an awesome remix of this song of course.
This song appeared while I was doing research about the history of Pokémon. I started listing to it and since then it’s a proud part of a my collection folder of amazing game theme remixes.
Now that I’m listing to it again, I feel that this tune should go to my mobile. I love it that much. While I enjoy listing to remixes, only the best ones I put on my phone. Since those are songs I need to be able to listen to over and over again without getting bored of them. That’s mostly because I forget to put on new music frequently.
Anyways, I won’t spoil anything about this track. It’s up to you to listen to it. But let me tell you, it’s a catchy Pokémon tune made even more catchy. Be warned in advance.
#5: ZREO Orchestra – The Legend Of Zelda series
Link to their Wind Waker Orchestra
I’m terribly sorry that I didn’t talk about this group before. Each and every Zelda fan has the right to know about the group.
The melodies of the Legend Of Zelda series are translated so well into an amazing orchestrated piece of music. Amazingly, as good as every main theme series game got an orchestral “remix”. I’m a bit sad to see that my favorite games didn’t get their whole soundtrack remixed (yet)
You could visit their website, but the last time I visited it, it was down for I think construction.
Anyways, you should really give these guys a listen! They are totally worth it. Please, don’t come complaining to me when you became addicted to their music.
Game music tracks
#6: Chrono Trigger DS – Chrono’s Theme
I heard a lot of rumors about this game. That it’s a good game and all. At first I looked at it as one of those popular JRPG’s with a deep story that got a cult following. Rather recently I started playing.
I directly understood why this game is seen as one of the better JRPG’s. It’s such an amazing game.
What is even more mindblowing is the fact that the “remake” on the DS is more of a port then a remake. The music even sounds and has the feel from the SNES area.
I just fell in love with this game. I had to put it down for a bit recently due to a section where I needed to grind. And you guys all know how much I hate that. But in any case, give the soundtrack a listen and give the game a shot! It’s very worth it.
#7: Ducktales Remastered – African Mines
Time for some nostalgia. The DuckTales games bring a lot of memories back to me. I never owned a DuckTales game but I was always allowed to lend it from a cousin of mine.
One-a-days, I barely see or talk to that cousin, but when I started playing DuckTales Remastered on Steam and heard the music, like the African Mines, the memories came back in full force.
It made me put down the controller for a second and take it all in. You should do that with this track too. It’s really that good and catchy on it’s own.
#8: Kirby Triple Deluxe – Techno Factory
I only recently finished this game’s main story. It was quite a fun game. I agreed to myself that I only played this game on the train to work. That’s so hard, since this is an amazingly addictive and fun game.
While a lot of hardcore gamers say that Kirby is too easy, please consider that it might be aimed at the youngest gamers. Besides, you can make yourself some rules like not using Kirby’s copying abilities to make the game harder.
Anyways, enough of that. I am planning to write a review of this game sooner or later. In any case, we are here to talk about the soundtrack. It’s what you expect from a Kirby game. Very memorable, upbeat, melodic and fun. Oh, and catchy as well.
Anyways, give it a listen and tell me what you think. I would love to hear it. Since this game might just be my favorite Kirby game ever made.
#9: Tomb Raider Underworld – Unnatural encounter
My first ever game of Tomb Raider was Tomb Raider Legend. When I bought it as a 12 year old youngster, I didn’t realized what I bought. The kick of playing a 3D adventure game with such updated graphics blew my mind.
Since then I’m pretty hooked on the series. I bought the next PC game so I could play even more Tomb Raider fun.
Then Underworld released and I was bummed out, my old pc couldn’t handle the game. So, I had to play the game in a different way. My mother was so kind to me that she actually bought the game on my DS for me. While it isn’t a very good game, the emotional bond I have with it makes up for it.
Then I got my laptop, the very same one I’m writing this article on, and I got myself a copy of Underworld. When I found out that I was able to run and play it…. Well, I had a few sleepless game nights.
So, that’s why I’m so nostalgic about this game and it’s soundtrack. I really advice you guys to give it a listen. It’s pretty amazing.
#10: Monster Tale – Windmill Plains
LinkSo, you are in the final area of an amazing Castlevania-inspired game. You have fought your way through enemies and a lot of though bosses. Now, you hear a song that starts very similar to the main theme.
But a few moments later, the bass kicks in. It gives you that extra urge to finally defeat that one character that has been making your life a living hell through the story. You finally want that character to bite the dust.
The music drives you through the final parts of the game, your skills are being tested. Everything you learned in the game will be put to use now. Meanwhile you can look back on the amazing experience you just had. Well, that’s how I felt when I played this game when this track played.
Finishing this article.
I already said it on Tumblr, but I have been extremely busy lately. That’s why I don’t publish so many articles this month. Thankfully things are looking up for me. Soon, I’ll be finishing more games and I’ll be able to write more articles.
Lately, I’m doubting if I shouldn’t aim for less articles but maybe have better content. I seriously don’t know. But this isn’t material for the end of this article, isn’t it?
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this article and listening to the music. Maybe you discovered a new game or two. Who knows? I had a lot of fun writing this, you may be sure of that.
Feel free to suggest a game I should take a look at next! I love requests. But until then, I hope to welcome you a next time on my blog. Take care guys and girls.
Gaming Music #8 * SPECIAL *: Remixes and game related tracks.
I listen to a lot of music, maybe too much. From soundtracks to hardstyle. From classic music to dance. Apart from dubstep and metal, I love all kinds of music. I’m really drawn to melodic music. I’m sorry for the fans of dubstep but most of the times, a sudden bass drop kills the melody for me. And metal, sorry guys, I’m more fond of the electronic music. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t care if my friends play music of those genres in my neighborhood, it’s just that I will never listen to it myself. Out of that love for music, I started my gaming music series. I talk about my favorite tracks in gaming and why I love them so much. Normally I have a rule for 1 track per game. But I’m allow to select multiple tracks over the other articles. This rule still be will here. The other rule that I can’t select a remix is going out of the window. Now, in this article I will talk about a few songs that are either remixes of somebody, not by the creators of the game, or a song that’s heavily game influenced. Now, feel free to leave a comment with your favorites and or the opinion on my selection.
#1: Secret Of Monkey Island – Main Theme (Dubmood / Chiptune Remix)
Muddy, this is one for you. MuddyMaster and myself enjoy the chiptune quite a lot. A while ago, I posted a picture of a Monkey Island game on the forums. It turns out that Muddy knows and likes the series as well.
And who doesn’t? The amazing writing, the great adventure, the sometimes self-aware characters, the brilliant puzzle design… Man, too bad that LucasArts is closed.
This nice track is often my alarm when I need to wake up. I had people make fun of me, since this track sounds like a theme song from the old consoles. Honestly, I don’t care. While I can’t find the artist of this track (feel free to let me know) I think this is a well crafted remix.
When I was playing around with Audacity, I found out that there is a small silence in the track. A trained ear will hear the gap easily. But when you are relaxing, there is a big chance you will not notice it. And now, because I mentioned it, you guys will most likely all notice it.
Anyways, this track is an awesome way to start! I hope you guys are ready to listen to some great music. Dj, next one please!
#2: S3RL – Pika Girl (Handz-Up / Dance / Tech)
I still remember a few years ago, when I heard “Pretty Rave Girl” from this artist for the first time. The video didn’t credit the artist and most of the times, people claimed that Basshunter was the creator.
After some digging, I found out, this year that the artist is S3RL. And when I heard this track, I was instantly in love with it.
I have one minor complaint. The healing sound effect is out of place the first time. The music comes to a way to abrupt stop. While this isn’t a real remix by definition, this track is really game related.
The lyrics made excellent use of the Pokémon terminology. In addition to that, the track tries to mix the show in with the actual games. Now, that’s something I rarely see happening. Or is that just me?
#3: Castlevania – Blood Tears Remix by Lyude (Rock)
Shame on you when you don’t know Castlevania. This game is a game that nearly every time comes to mind when I’m playing platformers. Now, let me be clear. I don’t like Mario style platformers. They are a simple as going from point A to B.
But the Castlevania (2D) games at the other hand mix amazing RPG elements into the formula. I’m not really interested in the vampire story line that much, but it’s a great setting for the gameplay.
While this remix is rather short, I often play it on a loop while writing. When I’m writing articles where I don’t listen to the soundtrack of a game I’m writing about, I have a playlist ready. And this track is pretty high up that list. The pure energy that comes off this track, it’s amazing. Give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed.
#4: Gerudo Valley (Zelda series) – Remixed by IncredFX (Electro)
Remember how I selected the original of this track in a previous entry of this series? Well, there are a lot of dubstep remixes out there of this amazing song. Yet, this electro remix takes the cake for me. It has an amazing bassline and above all, a great build up.
While you can clearly hear the actual music in the remix, it stays true to the fact that’s it’s a remix and some nice electro melodies are mixed in to it.
I really love this track. I wish I found it earlier. Also, you can download a highly improved version in the description of the video. Believe me, it’s totally worth it.
I admit that I have been dancing a little while writing this. Dancing on this amazing tune. Yes, it’s pretty clear by now. I can’t stress enough how much I like the style of this track. I have no real negative thing to say about this track. Although, I should have gone the extra mile and looked for a better screenshot to put here. Well, it’s a track from the Zelda series and a picture from the Zelda series… I think I can get away with this.
Closing words
And I think I’m going to end my article here. I know a ton more songs I want to mention, but I think I will keep those for the next special. I hope you enjoyed this special music article. I really enjoy writing articles like these.
If you ask yourself why I keep my article at this length, well, to keep it “bite-sized”. This way I force myself as well into putting the most important info in the article.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this article and hopefully I can see you in the next one.
Gaming Music – Number 7: Moar good tracks
Oh yes, it’s time to write a new article for this series again. In this article, I didn’t look for artwork that has to do with game music but I used the first screen from Electronic Super Joy. A game that’s good because of the music. Anyways, I’m a huge fan of game music. I admit that I listen to it nearly all the time. Even when going to work. It’s just addicting to listen to the amazing tunes they create for games. The atmosphere is just so… amazing thanks to the music. Now, I do have some rules. I can’t pick two tracks of one game in each article. Also, I avoid picking two tracks from the same series in one article. I hope I never slip up and pick one track twice. If that happens, feel free to leave a comment. Oh, and do feel free to comment on my music picks for this article. Anyways, here we go!
#1: The Legend Of Zelda – A Link Between Worlds (3DS) – Lowrule Overworld Theme
Such a shame that I haven’t finished this game. Yet, the music is amazing. I really enjoy the melody of this tune. Yet, I have written a first impression of this game.
You truly recognize the melody of the overworld from Hyrule. This theme gives a more acapella-remix, one where the major leading instruments are taken out.
To be honest, this was my ringtone while I was playing the game. It happens frequently that a track from a game I really like becomes my ringtone.
Something I dislike about this track is how it doesn’t fit the mood of Lowrule as I image it. I honestly think it should be a lot darker. Then again, this track might be in such a light mood since our hero is bringing light and peace to this realm.
Yeah, this must be it.
#2: Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright (3DS) – Objection Theme
Remember my extremely long review of this game? Or my first impression. The game is amazing in my eyes. It really deserved all the hype and it totally met all my expectations. As usual, I ignored the posts with new screenshots to avoid spoilers. This way I can totally hype up myself.
I’m still enjoying the additional content for this game. Maybe one day, I might write a game quicky about it. Who knows. I’m changing the formula of game quickies anyways.
But I really enjoy this theme, it’s one of the best in the series. I’m hoping they are making a sequel for this game in the future since it deserves one. This is one of those kind of games where you’re sad it’s over. And be sure that I put the music of this game on replay. Just like this track. No question about it.
#3: Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald (GBA) – Legendary Pokemon
When this track played when I found the legendary Pokémon for the first time in Ruby, I was hyped. While I think that the second generation is the best Pokémon generation, the 3rd game is the actual game I really got into the series.
This track still stays with me until this day. I fondly remember decoding the braille marking on the stones on get the Reggies.
I love listing to this track when I’m riding my bike home through the rain. I get the same vibe then from fighting a legendary Pokémon.
What kind of memories do you have with this track? Please let me know in the comments. Since I’m really curious.
#4: DuckTales: Remastered (PC ~ Steam) – The Moon
I haven’t played a lot of this game. Yet, this track got posted on my forum by one of my friends who finished the game. He says that they keep this track until the end of the game. And dayum, is this a track to close off the game.
I really liked the music in the original but the remix for the remastered version is really amazing. Thumbs up for the creator of this track, or the remixer. It’s really well done. It’s almost perfect. I feel a new ringtone coming up. Yeah, I think I might take this one as a ringtone for a while.
#5: Okami (Wii) – Giving Kushinada A Ride
Man, I’m so bummed out that I saved over my save file. I need to restart this game. Now, this game isn’t too hard so it’s no real pain. The biggest issue is that I have to restart. And this game is pretty long.
Strangely, I haven’t written any article about this game. Well, I have mentioned it in an article of games I want to finish. But that has been an article of last year. Now, I added this game to the list to write a first impression about in the future. Maybe you will see this game appearing on my blog in August.
This game has beautiful music. That’s why I’m mentioning a track in the article of course. The music is very amazing. You really can image giving somebody a ride (to safety). Through a beautiful painted landscape, this moment is really memorable.
The rest of the soundtrack is pretty amazing, but none is so memorable to me as this one. Yeah, when you play it and get to this moment… You will understand what I mean.
And yeah, this track is my alarm in the morning. When I need to wake up and go to work. It really wakes me up. (And my mother, who is in the room next doors.)
Final words
There we go, another music article. I hope you enjoyed this one. For my next article in this series I have an amazing idea. I’m listing the remixes and game-related music tracks I love to listen to.
I have a few great tracks in mind. And it might not be the only one of it’s kind. So yeah, keep an eye on my social media for more updates on the releases.
Anyways, I think I’m going to end this article here. Thanks for reading and until the next time!
Let’s look at: The Stanley’s Parable
This is a story about a Neko. This Neko’s name is Jonez. He works at a website and all he did was writing articles, by pushing buttons. He was employee number 427. In his office he had a screen where a game was displayed so he could push buttons to write an article. The screen also gave hints in how long he had to press the buttons and how many times. But one day, no order came on the screen for more then a hour. He was confused, asking for comments to what people thought of this game or this article, but because he found nobody, he had to wait for comments…
Un-reviewable
Did the introduction interest you? Confuse you? Good. Since this game isn’t one I can review. Since this game is an experiment. And a great one. It’s one of those experiences you have to have. And if you play the different versions, you’ll get a different experience every time. The original source mod and the HD remake differ a lot.
This game started as a “simple” mod. Yet, since PewDiePie played this game, it’s popularity sky-rocketed of course. And it’s worth it. This game has a great story. A special one, one I really like. One where your chooses make you have a different ending. Virtue’s Last Reward and various other games come to mind then.
Yet, the demo of this game doesn’t even give the correct impression. While it indeed gives the right impression for the newly updated graphics and the style of the game, it’s nothing really like the full game.
Difficult to review
When I release this article, a friend of mine over at ButtonSmashersBlog has his birthday. And his nickname surely explains what this game is. TheThinker (linking to his Twitter), I wish thou a happy birthday man. And if you really want a game that challenges your thinking abilities, play this one.
So, why is this difficult to review? Truth being told, this game can be beaten in under 5 minutes. Yet, there are different endings. To achieve all endings, you have to think outside of the box.
But the game is an experience. It’s different for everybody. And with the lack of many music tracks and only good graphics, great controls and an amazing story, you can’t really write a review without spoiling it too much. The only controls are moving and clicking on buttons. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
I do wish that this game got a more lengthy sequel. The game is short. The achievements on Steam do help it having some replay value but you’ll be done with it after a week or so. Yet, don’t worry, it’s a game you will never forget.
Mod to HD.
This game actually started out as a mod for Source. Then this game got a HD remix. With there first of all a demo and secondly the full game. I have beaten all three multiple times. And I enjoyed them a lot.
While the mod and the HD remake are very similar, there are things you can only find in the Source mod and things you can only find in the HD remake. If you ask me which one is the best, I prefer the HD remake better. Since it’s a bit more funny and it has more references to itself. In addition, the menu is amazingly designed.
Yet, the HD remake has a major issue. When you alt+tab out of the game, going back into the game is a major issue. It crashed on me then several times. Also, I’m disappointed that the game doesn’t have an overview of all endings you already got. Like the ending room at one ending, I would have loved to have seen it in all the endings.
The demo is a different beast all together. It’s a special thing. It’s self-aware and it makes fun of itself. The game is extremely funny and worth playing through. If you want to have the real experience, I truly advice that you watch the trailers as well. Those make fun of Let’s Players and the usual angry “YOUR GAME SUCKS” letters.
Yet, the mod version of this game has it’s charm playing for it. It’s free and you really get the great taste of the Stanley Parable. The artwork isn’t made for the game though, so it’s more with the assests of the engine. But hey, it’s used extremely well. No complaints there. And even a reference to the engine itself was extremely clever.
Final thoughts
I have done my utter best in this article to not spoil things to much. Yet, I have told hopefully enough to raise your awareness to give this game a shot. Really, try spending your pocket money on this game instead of the latest Pokémon or Call of Duty we are all waiting for so much.
You won’t regret it, go in it with a fresh mind. And let the game guide you pushing buttons. Don’t go all “WTF AM I PLAYING?!”, yet let it sink in. Relax and enjoy the ride. And honestly, the first time I played the full game, I played on for more then a hour. But keep in mind that the game was able to be beaten in 5 minutes. Yup, that happened.
To conclude this article, I can’t write a full review of this game. While the inner workings like the alt+tabbing needs some improvement in the game, it gets from me the full 100/100. Agreed, it’s not a perfect game at all, considering it’s length. Yet, this is a game you must play. One you must experience to truly understand that this game is a gem. One of a kind, something you won’t see in a while. Play all three of the games. The demo, full game and the mod. Two of them are even free so you don’t have an excuse there! And the full game is 10 euro’s here in Europe, so if you come to truly dislike it, you haven’t lost so much money. But thanks for reading, a happy birthday to theThinker, and I hope to see you another time here!
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