Style and Aesthetic
The Stanley Parable, Ultra Deluxe has a very basic visual design. Most of the game is set inside an office and therefore has little colour and/or design. The walls are plain and the corridors are long and straight. It is not a very visually appealing game but that is part of its charm. It is not simple because it has to be, but rather simple because it adds to the confusion. There is nothing distinct about each corridor and due to this the user will forget which door they entered to get to a certain point. It adds to the spirit of the game.
However the colours are different in some areas, in the premier area for The Stanley Parable, Ultra Deluxe is a very different place visually with the game now having bright pops of red on the carpet. This is to mimic an actual premier but also to make a visual difference between the original and the new content.
However, where the visuals and colour scheme is lacking, the soundtrack makes up for it. The game’s soundscape often changes, starting with no music, Stanley’s faint footsteps, and the ticking of a clock. This is done deliberately to make the user feel utterly alone and hyper-aware of their decisions. In other parts of the game, there are different noises, such as when the 'Adventure Line' appears there is loud marching type music that is a cliché of stereotypical adventure music- used to make the user feel as though they are on a quest. When stuck in 'The Infinite Hole', the Narrator’s voice gets quieter as he says that he is leaving due to Stanley’s negligence. His voice is replaced by eerie noises and it feels cold due to this. Audio plays an important role in video games as it can aid the writers and producers in creating tension and emotion (Scarratt).