Systems: Linux, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Stadia, macOS
Original Release Date: January 25, 2018
Publisher: Maddy Makes Games
Developer(s): Maddy Makes Games, Extremely Okay Games, Ltd.
I hereby declare that this is going to be a short article for a couple of reasons. First, I have only spent 2.8 hours playing Celeste and I just started the third chapter, Celestial Resort. I am still getting a hold of the mechanics of the game and wrapping my head around how to time jumps and the best ways to preserve my stamina. I also feel that this is a game that only gets better with additional playthroughs, not that it is required or that I feel the need/compulsion either from myself or the Celeste community that I should play the game at least five times "before I can truly understand the underlying complexity of the game and its narrative."
I was a little wary about playing Celeste as from what I was able to tell from trailers and general talk about gameplay elements and mechanics, was that it sounded like a pixel-perfect platformer akin to Super Meat Boy, which is a game I enjoyed to a certain point, but never finished because I definitely hit a skill wall and the game ceased to be fun. I am also not one to play a game for the speed-running aspect and for some reason just knowing that the game is up there in the speed-running community made me a little anxious that I was going to not "be gud enough" to enjoy the game; for all my bluster about playing and enjoying games the way I want to and not be influenced by talk about min/max builds and "the only right way to enjoy [insert game title here] is to play it the exact same way I play it," I still had that little nagging feeling in the back of my mind.
But then I heard about there being accessibility options in the game which include increasing your character's stamina, slowing the game down, and even making your character invincible, and calmed my nerves down a bit. In these types of games where you need to get from one side of the screen to the other, presumably, as quickly as possible all the while collecting an object that objectively makes the whole process significantly more difficult, I genuinely appreciated that there were built-in options to make the game easier/more accessible for people who were not always seeking out such a challenging experience. Then after the first chapter, your character receives a postcard with an affirmation that had more to do with game mechanics and gameplay than it did being an in-story explanation. The postcard read, "Strawberries will impress your friends, but that's about it. Only collect them if you want to." The second postcard (after completing Chapter 2) read, "Be proud of your Death Count! The more you die, the more you're learning. Keep going!" And with my death count currently at 266 after only completing 2 chapters, that made me feel all kinds of better. I have currently been playing the game without any of the accessibility turned on, not because I find the game easy or too punishing, but because the developers have made the game fun while still being challenging. Similar to how the first BIT.TRIP Runner is both fun and challenging, but that may not be the best comparison.
I am having a lot of fun with Celeste and I think, at least at this moment, that I will be able to finish the game without needing to turn on any of the assistance options. And I will gladly share the number of strawberries and how many times I died when I finish the game.
~JWfW/JDub/The Faceplantman/Jaconian
I Write These Stupid Words
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