Sights & Sounds
- Well, there's not much to say about the visuals. It looks like a GMod game, mostly because The Beginner's Guide and the short games it explores were made using the Source engine. Lots of 45° and 90° angles everywhere
- The music is surprisingly good, which I wasn't completely expecting from a game this short. Lots of genres, moods, and instruments are explored, but I'd typify the soundtrack as being mostly subdued electronica with some piano and occasional vocals
- The voiceover is very well done and may be the best thing about the game. Great and convincing emotional range
Story & Vibes
- On its surface, The Beginner's Guide is an exploration of games supposedly made by a single creator named Coda in the early Source engine modding scene. As you make your way through the title, the narrator points out stylistic choices, guides you through each game, and discusses his relationship with Coda
- A number of complex themes are explored here, but the two most focal are parasocial relationships and the difficulty of creative work. These ruminations are both heartfelt and heartbreaking, and anyone who has a job with any sort of productive work (where you need to make, develop, publish, etc. your labor) will be able to relate to these struggles
- Unfortunately, some of these musings do come off as a bit self-absorbed and whiny. The narrator (is it supposed to be Davey Wrenden himself?) seems a bit obsessed with the notion of audiences demanding too much of creators. This is possibly true; there's no shortage of perpetually online pindicked keeb warriors who like to make death threats under the guise of anonymity. But with how large my backlog is at this point, it's hard to envision going onto social media and demanding a new game from any developer
- The mood starts out didactic, sways towards pensive for a while, transforms to dark and hopeless near the end, then moves back to pensive by the time the credits roll
Playability & Replayability
- There's really not too much gameplay involved here. You just follow the narrator's instructions. If you've played any walking simulator in the past, you already have all the skills you need (admittedly, not many) for The Beginner's Guide
- Not too sure I'll be revisiting this game. One playthrough is sufficient to see everything
Overall Impressions & Performance
- This was an interesting little nugget of a game and a fun 1-2 hour meditation, but there's not much in the package. Think of it more like a movie than a game
- Ran just fine on the Steam Deck, but this seems like it would run just fine on just about anything
Final Verdict
- 6.5/10. Davey Wrenden loves exploring the relationship between developer and player, so the tone and topics here will likely resonate with you if you enjoyed The Stanley Parable. It's just not as long, humorous, enigmatic, or fun as that game
- Well, there's not much to say about the visuals. It looks like a GMod game, mostly because The Beginner's Guide and the short games it explores were made using the Source engine. Lots of 45° and 90° angles everywhere
- The music is surprisingly good, which I wasn't completely expecting from a game this short. Lots of genres, moods, and instruments are explored, but I'd typify the soundtrack as being mostly subdued electronica with some piano and occasional vocals
- The voiceover is very well done and may be the best thing about the game. Great and convincing emotional range
Story & Vibes
- On its surface, The Beginner's Guide is an exploration of games supposedly made by a single creator named Coda in the early Source engine modding scene. As you make your way through the title, the narrator points out stylistic choices, guides you through each game, and discusses his relationship with Coda
- A number of complex themes are explored here, but the two most focal are parasocial relationships and the difficulty of creative work. These ruminations are both heartfelt and heartbreaking, and anyone who has a job with any sort of productive work (where you need to make, develop, publish, etc. your labor) will be able to relate to these struggles
- Unfortunately, some of these musings do come off as a bit self-absorbed and whiny. The narrator (is it supposed to be Davey Wrenden himself?) seems a bit obsessed with the notion of audiences demanding too much of creators. This is possibly true; there's no shortage of perpetually online pindicked keeb warriors who like to make death threats under the guise of anonymity. But with how large my backlog is at this point, it's hard to envision going onto social media and demanding a new game from any developer
- The mood starts out didactic, sways towards pensive for a while, transforms to dark and hopeless near the end, then moves back to pensive by the time the credits roll
Playability & Replayability
- There's really not too much gameplay involved here. You just follow the narrator's instructions. If you've played any walking simulator in the past, you already have all the skills you need (admittedly, not many) for The Beginner's Guide
- Not too sure I'll be revisiting this game. One playthrough is sufficient to see everything
Overall Impressions & Performance
- This was an interesting little nugget of a game and a fun 1-2 hour meditation, but there's not much in the package. Think of it more like a movie than a game
- Ran just fine on the Steam Deck, but this seems like it would run just fine on just about anything
Final Verdict
- 6.5/10. Davey Wrenden loves exploring the relationship between developer and player, so the tone and topics here will likely resonate with you if you enjoyed The Stanley Parable. It's just not as long, humorous, enigmatic, or fun as that game
3 Comments
@RedBackLoggd, There's one jumping "puzzle" early on that could be potentially confusing and one regular puzzle that frankly wasn't much of a challenge. The rest is essentially a guided tour courtesy of the narrator
Ah copy, must be thinking of something else. Good review as always Duh
RedBackLoggd
2 months ago