I'm very conflicted about this game. On the one hand, Celeste has creative platforming gimmicks, good controls, and a great soundtrack by Lena Raine. On the other, I find its trial-and-error gameplay to be exhausting and the story immensely overrated. Others have spoken at length about the game's strengths, so I feel it's only right to address its flaws.
The reason why the gameplay is exhausting is because the game does not give you a chance to breathe. Struggling on a current screen? Don't worry, because you have to do that 20 more times! This is more applicable to the B- and C-side stages, but the main levels have their own problems. Hunting for strawberries requires exploring the levels. Even though I didn't care for the different endings, I usually enjoy finding collectibles in platformers. Unfortunately, this game requires replaying platforming challenges that ask for the same solution every time, which is just as monotonous as it sounds. I know there are advanced movement techniques, but so many of them require finnicky button inputs and interactions with the terrain (**** the wall jump dash). I'll admit this may be a problem with my Joy-Cons, but this game also goes out of its way to provide accessibility options for players, so these inconsistent input requirements feel out of place.
The story has noble intentions, asking one to overcome their inner demons and embrace who they really are. As someone who has comforted a loved one numerous times when they've experienced a panic attack, I must say that I'm severely disappointed with how the writers went about discussing this sensitive topic. It's one thing to be worried about bad things happening in the world or around you, and another thing entirely to suffer panic attacks. The latter always happens for a specific reason and communicating with a person to discover that reason is a big part of addressing it. Celeste's narrative doesn't explain why Madeline suffers from panic attacks. Even if it did, the millennial-style dialogue and babble sound effects used in place of full voice clips are beyond irritating. They give off a feeling of patronization.
My assessment of the gameplay and especially the story is certainly up for debate, but you would have to be a fool to believe that Celeste pushed the platforming genre forward with more involved storytelling. What about the original Ninja Gaiden on NES with its story cinematics between levels? What about Super Mario Sunshine's worldbuilding through unique, but thematically cohesive levels? What about Shovel Knight's subversion of the "save the princess" trope used by countless platformers? What about Ori and the Blind Forest's emotional story about resurrecting the cycle of life in the forest through pacifism and understanding thy enemy? What about A Hat in Time's individual stories within levels?
Celeste is not the first game to tell a story in a platformer and merge it with the core gameplay. It's just a platformer that despite some creative ideas, ends up contradicting itself.
The reason why the gameplay is exhausting is because the game does not give you a chance to breathe. Struggling on a current screen? Don't worry, because you have to do that 20 more times! This is more applicable to the B- and C-side stages, but the main levels have their own problems. Hunting for strawberries requires exploring the levels. Even though I didn't care for the different endings, I usually enjoy finding collectibles in platformers. Unfortunately, this game requires replaying platforming challenges that ask for the same solution every time, which is just as monotonous as it sounds. I know there are advanced movement techniques, but so many of them require finnicky button inputs and interactions with the terrain (**** the wall jump dash). I'll admit this may be a problem with my Joy-Cons, but this game also goes out of its way to provide accessibility options for players, so these inconsistent input requirements feel out of place.
The story has noble intentions, asking one to overcome their inner demons and embrace who they really are. As someone who has comforted a loved one numerous times when they've experienced a panic attack, I must say that I'm severely disappointed with how the writers went about discussing this sensitive topic. It's one thing to be worried about bad things happening in the world or around you, and another thing entirely to suffer panic attacks. The latter always happens for a specific reason and communicating with a person to discover that reason is a big part of addressing it. Celeste's narrative doesn't explain why Madeline suffers from panic attacks. Even if it did, the millennial-style dialogue and babble sound effects used in place of full voice clips are beyond irritating. They give off a feeling of patronization.
My assessment of the gameplay and especially the story is certainly up for debate, but you would have to be a fool to believe that Celeste pushed the platforming genre forward with more involved storytelling. What about the original Ninja Gaiden on NES with its story cinematics between levels? What about Super Mario Sunshine's worldbuilding through unique, but thematically cohesive levels? What about Shovel Knight's subversion of the "save the princess" trope used by countless platformers? What about Ori and the Blind Forest's emotional story about resurrecting the cycle of life in the forest through pacifism and understanding thy enemy? What about A Hat in Time's individual stories within levels?
Celeste is not the first game to tell a story in a platformer and merge it with the core gameplay. It's just a platformer that despite some creative ideas, ends up contradicting itself.