The Morals of The Beginner's Guide

  In my last post, I discussed the way in which moral contrast is set up in some games, and I talked vaguely about the players' perception when faced with certain circumstances. I didn’t go into too much detail, but it occurred to me that I left out a game I just love to go on about. The Beginner’s Guide. At this point, you should all know my feelings and thoughts on that emotional masterpiece.

  The reason that game, in particular, would’ve been a great talking point in my last post is that Davey Wreden, the in-game narrator and the real-life creator, is a perfect example of how morals often don’t even occur to players until a certain point. In the beginning, Davey comes across as an innocent tour guide, a bit like a teacher encouraging show and tell. He is friendly and disarming, addressing the player in a way that immediately allays any sense of falseness. He’s showing us his friends’ games, and telling us various details about each one.

  There are hints from as early as the first level that Davey is not all that he seems to be, but we pay no attention to that because of the way he introduces himself. “Hi there, thank you very much for playing The Beginner's Guide. My name is Davey Wreden, I wrote The Stanley Parable, and while that game tells a pretty absurd story, today I'm going to be telling you about a series of events that happened between 2008 and 2011...” Davey then goes on to explain how he met Coda, the original creator of the games he's showcasing. This interaction leads us into a false sense of security. We believe Davey because of his tone and the way in which he presents himself. He hasn't yet given us a reason to disbelieve him. Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t a liar. That’s not the type of moral I’m talking about.

  I'm not going to tell you what Davey does, or what his purpose is. I’m a massive advocate for finding this game yourself and playing it, or at least watching a walkthrough of it so you can experience the story for yourself. Davey the Narrator is very special to me. I can relate to what he is seeking for himself personally, and the purpose he serves.  He is there to tell a story, to get you to believe in something and in a sense he’s looking for your company. Telling you what happens would be depriving Davey of that.

  What I will tell you is that Davey is troubled, and it is his issues and the problems on his mind that cause his morals to be misplaced. He knows what he's doing, but he just can't stop himself. Trying to subdue what he's feeling clearly outweighs his sense of right from wrong and with every apology he attempts to make, he digs himself an even deeper hole. By the end, you realise how much Davey is hurting, but also how seriously he was damaging somebody else. It's at this point that you start questioning everything you thought you'd learned and re-thinking your opinion of the game.

  The Beginner's Guide is a work of art that will cause you to perpetually and painfully ask yourself what you're doing with your life. It has done so much for me both mentally and emotionally, minus the existential crises, and gotten me through so many difficult nights that I hope to one day personally thank Davey Wreden for the hard work he put into it. Do yourself a favour and find this game.

Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
22/03/2018