77 strawberries, 1628 deaths, 7 hours
Celeste really is platforming greatness. If you're a purist for the genre, then look no further. It's expertly spread across eight levels that are all ripe with fresh and different mechanics and steep challenges. I never got bored and the levels rarely lingered too long.
The real draw for the million people that bought this indie title is the story. The protagonist, Madeline, suffers from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks, which you experience from her perspective throughout the game in her interactions with herself and others. The objective is to reach the summit of Celeste Mountain in spite of yourself. The Mountain has a mystical quality and you soon find that all of Madeline's insecurities and fears have materialized into "Part of You" (dubbed Badeline by the fan community) claiming to be Madeline's "pragmatism". She belittles and chastises you for trying to climb while the rest of the characters, and Madeline herself, all serve as voices of encouragement. Ultimately, the game is about the attempt to continue on in the face of adversity, dealing with mental illness, and accepting yourself and your duality, warts and all.
I thought the narrative was a little choppy, personally. The dialogue was a little inane, saying shit like "YOLO" and endless chatter about selfies, being from far-off places called "Seattle". It all struck me as eye-rolling, hipster prattle, but I gotta say, the characters grew on me as I went along. The greatest video game story ever told this is not, but I do appreciate it and it did end up endearing.
I paid maybe $5 and it was absolutely worth it. I can give it a solid recommendation as long as you know you're in for a tough, but forgiving game with real heart. Just remember, like climbing an actual mountain, you're doing it because it's there and the reward is the journey.
Celeste really is platforming greatness. If you're a purist for the genre, then look no further. It's expertly spread across eight levels that are all ripe with fresh and different mechanics and steep challenges. I never got bored and the levels rarely lingered too long.
The real draw for the million people that bought this indie title is the story. The protagonist, Madeline, suffers from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks, which you experience from her perspective throughout the game in her interactions with herself and others. The objective is to reach the summit of Celeste Mountain in spite of yourself. The Mountain has a mystical quality and you soon find that all of Madeline's insecurities and fears have materialized into "Part of You" (dubbed Badeline by the fan community) claiming to be Madeline's "pragmatism". She belittles and chastises you for trying to climb while the rest of the characters, and Madeline herself, all serve as voices of encouragement. Ultimately, the game is about the attempt to continue on in the face of adversity, dealing with mental illness, and accepting yourself and your duality, warts and all.
I thought the narrative was a little choppy, personally. The dialogue was a little inane, saying shit like "YOLO" and endless chatter about selfies, being from far-off places called "Seattle". It all struck me as eye-rolling, hipster prattle, but I gotta say, the characters grew on me as I went along. The greatest video game story ever told this is not, but I do appreciate it and it did end up endearing.
I paid maybe $5 and it was absolutely worth it. I can give it a solid recommendation as long as you know you're in for a tough, but forgiving game with real heart. Just remember, like climbing an actual mountain, you're doing it because it's there and the reward is the journey.