The Beginner's Guide
The Beginner's Guide
Sorti le 1er octobre 2015, The Beginner's Guide est un jeu d'aventure indépendant développé et édité par Everything Unlimited Ltd., avec Klei Entertainment comme coéditeur. Signé Davey Wreden, l'auteur de The Stanley Parable (2013), le titre est disponible sur PC (Windows), Mac et Linux et tourne sur le moteur Source. Il est proposé au prix de 9,75 euros.
Le jeu se présente comme un récit métafictionnel : Davey Wreden y fait découvrir au joueur les créations de son ancien ami Coda, des jeux étranges et souvent mélancoliques, tout en les commentant et en les interprétant au fil de la partie. Il cherche ainsi à comprendre pourquoi Coda conçoit ces univers et à déchiffrer sa personnalité et ses tourments intérieurs. D'une durée d'environ une heure et demie, The Beginner's Guide ne propose ni mécaniques traditionnelles, ni buts, ni objectifs ; il raconte l'histoire d'une personne confrontée à quelque chose qu'elle ne comprend pas.
L'accueil critique a été globalement favorable, avec un score Metacritic de 76 et une note Opencritic de 73. Le Washington Post a salué un projet d'une franchise rare sur la fragilité humaine, tandis que The Jimquisition soulignait que l'expérience dépasse le simple temps de jeu et continue de nourrir la réflexion bien après la partie. Les joueurs, eux, sont partagés : certains ont pleinement apprécié l'expérience, allant jusqu'à lui donner 9 sur 10 et à souligner son absence de prétention, tandis que d'autres, venus de The Stanley Parable en attendant un jeu comparable, disent avoir perdu leur temps.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« Few game developers have ever ventured such an open-hearted project about human frailty – and knocked it out of orbit. »
« There’s more to this game than it’s 90 minute runtime. The fact I’m still thinking about it, deeply, hours after I played it is all part of the value too...The fact it prompted me to write much of what I wrote here is something… special. »
« On the surface, The Beginner's Guide is a game about game design and critical analysis. Digging deeper, it provides a window into the mind of a man I might not have fully understood otherwise. It does all of this in a way only a video game could. More than anything else, it has caused me a lot of introspection, a feat few games ever achieve. »
« I cant recommend this game enough simply for the experience of a totally unique game unrivalled in the games from the past, present and future. A must buy for those wanting an emotional connection to the developers themselves. »
« Do not look the score. There is no way to qualify or quantify The Beginner 's Guide. From a scale of 1 to 10, all you can measure is how much it has connected with you. »
« The Beginner's Guide is an incredible art piece of a game that gets you thinking your relationship with the games you play. »
« If you really love video games, play The Beginner's Guide. »
« The Beginner’s Guide is as fascinating as The Stanley Parable is hilarious. One of the most intriguing ‘games’ that we’ve played in recent history and an easy recommendation for everyone who likes weird game experiments. [dec. 2015 / page 062] »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« Fully enjoyed my experience with this game and would recommenced for types of gamers. »
« Brilliant. Watch the trailer. Read the store description. Don't look at ANYTHING ELSE. In fact, STOP READING REVIEWS AND GO PLAY IT! Anything else you read might possibly spoil the experience for you. I think the beauty of this game is that everyone takes their own message from it. I played it at just the right time in my life, when I needed it the most. I've spent long nights laying in bed, pondering the questions it raised in my mind... it might not hit everyone the same way, but it's DEFINITELY worth the experience. »
« Cuando buscas una foto de Davey Wreden te haces una idea del tipo de contenido que crea. Aquí todo ese snobismo se vuelve insufrible y abrumador en el peor de los sentidos. The Stanley Parable huele a tufo hipster y es aceptable porque, al menos, permite algún tipo de interacción con el medio. Esto… bueno, mejor dejo que lo experimentéis por vosotros mismos, si tenéis la paciencia. Creo —quizá me equivoque— que no todo el mundo es tan inteligente como cree que es y que, a veces, es mejor callarse que evidenciar lo idiota que uno puede llegar a ser. »
« maybe not everything has to have a meaning. or a story. or be cohesive. or be anything, really. maybe it's just allowed to exist. like we are. »
« This is not a game in the common sense. It`s a mix ****, a story and art. Its like you want to describe someone an emotion or feeling they never felt before. Be warned that you will/could encounter themes of depression and loneliness during this experience. You probably should experience this in one go instead of having breaks between chapters. 8/10 »
« This game is more of an experience than any normal videogame which may bore people who find a lot of talking boring. This game is a walking simulator that tells a story about art and parasocial relationships in a very compelling way that will surely make you cry by the time you reach the end. While I can’t rate it too high considering there is little replay value and no gameplay to speak of, this is a worthwhile hour long experience that will make you rethink how you experience art. Also, the story told is an allegory. Coda is not real. No spoilers but that is important to note. »
« This game has touched my soul in a way very few games do. The environments really nail the look of prototype projects while still maintaining a tense and zanny atmosphere. Davey wreden is a genius of storytelling in games. 4th favourite game of all time. »
« Whether the narrative presented is real or metaphorical is ultimately irrelevant. The Beginner's Guide is a short, but incredibly brutal emotional roller coaster that should (and did) find a place in many people's hearts. »
