There is a magic to Celeste that you won’t see at first glance. Having seen it in Nintendo’s Direct Mini, I brushed it off as just another Super Meat Boy clone. Hasn’t the world been subject to enough challenging 2D platformers with retro graphics? After playing this game, the answer is a resounding, “No.”
You play as Madeline, a woman who has set off to climb Celeste Mountain. Already feeling doubtful about this excursion, you find out the hard way that this mountain is a masochist’s playground. On top of that, her own inner fears manifest in a particular way that makes this journey to the top even more daunting. Do you have what it takes to scale to the summit?
Celeste at its core is a 2D platformer in the style of Super Meat Boy. The goal of each screen is to get from point A to point B without dying. Madeline’s tool set is rather simple, as she can jump, air dash, and cling to walls. All of these actions are seamlessly performed thanks to the game’s air-tight controls. You will mess up a lot, but you will know that it is your fault. And when you do succeed, give yourself a pat on the back for completing some skillful platforming.
Madeline’s abilities don’t really change throughout the course of the game, but the levels certainly do. Every screen forces you to use her abilities in new ways and every world dramatically shakes up the formula. In the first world, she’s using fast elevator-like platforms to traverse from one place to the next. In another, she’s jumping through ethereal blobs of space that jet her across the screen. Later on, you’ll need to explore rooms for keys to unlock new areas. Through the use of clever level design, the game takes its fundamentally simplistic character mechanics and forces you to use them in almost every conceivable way.
The platforming itself is phenomenal. It would be considered a great game if it were nothing more than just traversing through each of the game’s levels. What pushes it over the top is the game’s heartfelt story and the way it integrates its narrative elements into the experience. This is a story about overcoming your fears, and the game constantly hammers that theme home through inner monologues, interactions with other characters, or best of all, her direct battles with her inner demons. Having that persistent and beautifully crafted narrative woven throughout the game and within the gameplay itself really puts you in the shoes of someone taking on a tremendous challenge in order to overcome your own fear and anxiety.
For the truly masochistic, B-side levels can be unlocked, which take an already difficult game and turns the challenge up ludicrous levels. On my first live stream of the game, I attempted to complete the 2nd B-side, ultimately failing to do so after over 400 deaths. Having said that, I was having so much fun and I only stopped because it was well past my bedtime. I don’t think I will ever complete them all, and I may never complete any of them, but they are a nice addition for players that really want to put their skills to the test.
Surprisingly, the game is accommodating players on the other end of the spectrum. With the game’s nuanced Assist mode, you can tweak the game in ways that make it easier to complete while giving you the essence of the platforming. One option you can turn on is the ability to play the game at a slower speed. Another assist you can turn on allows Madeline to hold onto walls longer thanks to increased stamina. It’s an intelligent way of ensuring that players can enjoy the game at a difficulty that suits them without neutering the experience.
Before closing out this review, I wanted to make a note about the game’s soundtrack. Using a mix of 8-bit retro synths and acoustic instruments, the game’s music sounds beautiful in isolation while punctuating every stage and moment in the game. Special shout out to the track “Resurrections“, which is equal parts beautiful, rhythmic, and haunting; perfectly encapsulating that particular part of the game.
Celeste blazes past the well-worn paths of the trial-and-error 2D platforming games that came before it. Matching crisp platforming with an excellent audio/visual treatment and a meaningful narrative makes for a modern masterpiece. With options that allow for the most casual or hardcore players to enjoy the game at a pace that suits them, there is no excuse for avoiding this mountain. Simply put, you must play this game.
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In Third Person 