This is a game that’s been on my radar for a looooong time. I’m a big fan of precision platformers like this, having enjoyed a lot of games like Knytt and Super Meat Boy when I was younger, and it was really just a matter of having too much other stuff to get to that I already owned that was keeping me from getting to this (a game I knew I’d really enjoy). However, the Epic Game Store gave it away for free a while back, and it’s also a favorite of my wife’s. I was a bit burned out on RPGs after finishing SaGa 3, and my wife had the weekend free just like I did, so it seemed like an obvious choice to finally sit down and play through this while she could watch me~. It took me about 5.5 hours to beat the English version of the normal game (getting 149/175 strawberries and dying 661 times), and then I spent another 6 or 7 hours doing just about all the B-side levels, chapter 8, and as much of chapter 9 as I could manage (it’s very very tough <w> ).
Celeste is the story of Madeline, a woman who has taken it upon herself to journey out to the wilds of Canada to climb the titular Mount Celeste. It’s a strange and mystical place, and the climb is said to be incredibly treacherous, but she refuses to back down regardless. On her journey up, she encounters a strange old woman who lives on the mountain, a similarly strange spirit who haunts the deserted buildings, and a fellow climber named Theo. The actual beat-by-beat happenings of Celeste aren’t terribly interesting to list off (without getting into super spoiler-y territory), but it’s an incredibly well put together story, just as I’d heard it was. While the humor is a little dated in places (you will never forget that this game came out in 2017 XD), the story itself is as strong as ever. It’s a really well told story of self-discovery, self-doubt, and self-realization. Yes, there are a lot of indie games out there that are platformers that deal with significant themes of mental health, this is true. Nonetheless, Celeste stands out from the crowd as a truly impeccable example of just how great this type of game can be. The story is great, sure, but Celeste being a really tightly designed and well constructed platformer is also a significant feather in its cap. With very forgiving checkpoints and a well put together accessibility system with its Assist Mode options, platforming veterans and newbies are given the best chance they’ll have to get through the 7+ chapters of this game. Madeline has the ability to climb, wall jump, and normal jump, but she’ll gain (and lose) other abilities depending on the stage, and each of the game’s chapters does a really good job of using its particular focuses to make something that feels different from all the others. There is also a fair bit of optional content in each stage, and that’s where the strawberries and B-sides come in. There are also some special (and often quite difficult) puzzles to solve for special heart collectibles, and the cassette tapes you’ll find unlock harder “B-sides” of chapters that you can challenge as well (and even C-sides for the truly daring), but the more common strawberries are only there for bragging rights (as the game very openly states). Celeste is a very well put together precision platformer, yes, but I believe that its dedication to being accessible to all those who want to tackle the climb is a very meaningful part of its design that has led in no small part to just how popular it’s become over the years. The aesthetics of Celeste are also very well done. The music is excellent, and the pixel art graphics make each chapter come to life in unique and interesting ways that help add to their unique character just as much as their respective design focuses do. Another thing I loved a lot were the character portraits. There isn’t a *ton* of dialogue in Celeste, but just how expressive and numerous the faces that the characters get helps them all stand out and be memorable in their own ways so well that I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. Verdict: Highly Recommended. Honestly, if you’re the kind of person who knows me well enough to be reading this, you probably already know what Celeste is very well given what a popular game it is. Even still, if you like platforming and/or story-focused experiences, then this is absolutely not one to pass up. Celeste’s reputation as a stand-out excellent game is completely deserved, in my opinion, and it’s one absolutely worth checking out yourself too~.
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AuthorI'm an avid gamer who likes to detail their thoughts about what they play in the hopes it might aid someone else's search for a game to play. Archives
April 2024
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