Video Game Review: "The Stanley Parable" and "The Beginner's Guide"

        I'm about two days out from going through both "The Stanley Parable" and "The Beginner's Guide", and I have to say: I'm not really sure what to write. That isn't because I don't have opinions about either one, for I have thousands of words worth of opinions about them (though that won't be the length of this review), but more because my describing what happens inside of each doesn't really do them justice. I may have found the first pieces of media that I think may actually be lessened by finding out a lot about them before you actually interact with them. Normally, I don't care about spoilers,  but the very nature of both of these games make your own, personal experience with each immensely important. So, this isn't going to seem like a typical video game review. I"m not going to mention the fidelity of the graphics, or the capabilities of the AI, or even how well optimized they are (since they're both PC games). Instead, I'll talk about something just as relevant to these two games, but wholly separate. If you get around to playing both (and I do recommend you play both), it may make sense why I chose this route for the review.
     If I were to look back at my own life, I would see that my own experiences have totally influenced the way I create art. I mean, that seems totally obvious, but I suppose it's one of those things that is more profound on a personal level than we may think. Now, I wouldn't say my childhood was tumultuous, as I did have two loving parents. What I will say, though, is that they certainly had some bad habits that didn't make things to terribly easy. Being quick to anger or overreacting to situations with an overabundance of anxiety or aggression; speaking ill of the other to my brother and me; arguments that amount to just being prolonged screaming matches; some combination of these things, these were more common occurrences than I would have liked. So, these things had an influence on the way I interacted with my family and the way I would think about myself. Knowledge became a refuge, as did logical reasoning and philosophy. I would listen in on their arguments to find the holes in logic in whatever they said so that I wouldn't be caught in the same traps. At the same time, I had an immensely low self esteem. Add to that the leagues of pent up aggression I had within me that I didn't know how to handle and, the massive range of emotions I had, and you have a recipe for one distraught, but intelligent person.
        Now, all that wasn't just to elicit some sense of pity from you, but more for the important fact that all of these things influenced the way I started creating art. I would go so far as to say that the articles on this blog certainly are art, so it goes even further into that, deep into the very way I reason my thoughts. That being said, one would be a bit remiss to think that those words you read are a 100% representation of myself. Even more, don't think that there isn't some small level of validation that comes from my checking the data on my Blogger page for this blog, and seeing that people have viewed/read the entries. There definitely is a sense of achievement in that, as well as with my YouTube channel. Tied up in all that is a sort of subtle, but sick kind of thing. There's an addiction there, one to that sense of validation from creative output. That's something that weighs on me a bit, given my predilection to modesty, thanks to my religious beliefs as a Christian. I can admit that I do value that validation that comes from my output, but that doesn't mean that I condone it, in the end. There's a sense of disappointment of self that goes along with it. If I'm going to be totally honest, that was part of the reason I eschewed making this a "normal" video game review. To pursue a different path in the hopes of discovering something new about either writing, or myself.
        I don't know if it was successful. Maybe I misconstrued much of what I meant to say, so it may come off as attention-seeking, or arrogant, or deeply pretentious. I can accept that. I mean, those are wholly valid takes on this. You may be more right, than not. A large part of me writes these as a therapeutic act, as well as the previously stated purpose. It involves the exploration of  ideas for the sake of peace of mind. Maybe I should be more expository? My fascination with logic, and reason, and art, and God all stemmed from my upbringing. Humor can be a bit of a defense mechanism, so I like to throw in some here and there in what I write and make. I have a very strong desire to be clearly understood, so I can tend to be a bit long-winded. I have a pretty substantial fear of rejection, so perhaps some of what I make ends up subconsciously pandering more than I may want it to. Maybe it's this openness, this sense of truly letting down my walls, that I really am seeking.
        "The Stanley Parable" and "The Beginner's Guide" reflects so much of  everything I just wrote. The exploration of why we do what we do, and the implications therein; the sense of validation that comes from sharing what we do and why we feel that; even more, the reasons why we ask those very questions. There are sure to be many different interpretations of what takes place in both games, and even more, some may be inclined to not even call them games at all due to their very nature. I, obviously, would be inclined to disagree. Not only are these two games, but I'd say they're two of the smartest games ever made. Not only using the conventions of video games within itself, but exploring the very core of those things at the same time. So powerful was its effect upon me that I felt compelled to write this very thing, and explore those same themes and how they manifest within myself.