Saddest Ending in Stanley Parable.

Channel:

Ramo

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Published on December 27, 2015 7:50:35 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3thNUHuTI

Game:

The Stanley Parable (2013)

Duration: 14:42

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42,078

My attempt at "explaining" this ending:
The Narrator of The Stanley Parable, never assumes that a third party is the one controlling Stanley. He believes that Stanley is the main character, not realizing that Stanley's motivations and choices are from the player controlling Stanley, not Stanley himself. However, this is the only ending where the the Narrator seems to be convinced Stanley is controlled by a third party Player. After finding out, he then shows The Player a sort-of instructional video, one that tries to inform the player to choose "correctly" and to make responsible choices. But if you think about it, doing "correct" choices and doing what is "expected of you" sort of goes against the idea of liberating yourself from industrialist work-places--like sheep in a herd--which is the main message of this game (and the ending that the narrator is trying to lead Stanley towards) in the first place. It's precisely why the story seems to "fall apart" immediately. The Player cannot do "correct" choices, because that would defeat the purpose of "choice". The narrator still tries to blame this on The Player. After this, The Player is mysteriously teleported to a working story. It's not clear exactly what this is meant to signify, perhaps The Narrator tries to "restart" the story in an attempt to make it work. After getting to the Boss's office, The Player is asked to use a voice-recorder that is impossible to use (even with a mic enabled, lol. originally there's a pin-code) The Narrator blames The Player for trying to ruin his story on purpose, not realizing it's impossible to progress it. Finally, you get teleported above Stanley. No longer in control of him. You can derive many meanings from this, but the one that's most plausible is your association with Stanley, you, The Player, "controlling" him, has been removed. So now you stand above Stanley as he is left independent, appearing to stand completely still. Stanley is not able to take control of himself. He's not The player. He cannot decide to walk around, choose the door on his left, so he just stands there completely devoid of any sort of free will.

This message of The Stanley Parable, (aside from some of the quirky comedy) is quite clear. it's a deconstruction of work and modernization. A criticism on mankind's progress of industrialism, how we seem to be reduced to peas in a pod, working at pointless office desk jobs every day, pushing buttons when you're told to, and how we're expected to live like this, happily, for decades. (The PowerPoint presentation in the meeting room makes this quite apparent). The original ending, one that you're all probably familiar with, is Stanley "freeing himself", stepping outside after finally achieving freedom. But that ending is only achieved if you do everything The Narrator tells you. You're not actually doing anything out of your own volition, you are literally pressing buttons when you're told to just like Stanley. However, in this ending you actually *do* achieve freedom, you free yourself from Stanley. (it can be argued that the original ending is Stanley achieving freedom, this one is The Player achieving freedom). In all of my time playing this game and obsessing over it, this is the ending that's emotionally affected me the most. The idea of freeing yourself, understanding what motivates you to make the choices you make, or who controls you; these are the ideas that are presented in The Stanley Parable, and I think this is the ending where it's truly perfectly communicated.

It should be noted that unlike other endings, the credits actually roll up.

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