Celeste is a fantastic precision platformer that is definitely worth the full asking price! There is so much content packed into this game, such as:

• Each "level" having a entertaining twist or mechanic to master, in addition to a B-Side - a completely unique, often brutally-difficult "hard-mode" version that will push the player and their knowledge of said mechanic to the limit.
  
• Absolutely amazing soundtrack - including an alternative guest-remix banger for the corresponding B-Side.
  
• Well-told and heartwarming, yet simple story woven expertly into gameplay.
  
• Nice pixel-art artstyle interwoven with a 3D world-map and pleasant 2D story scenes.
  
• A movement system allowing for interesting tech, such as wavedashing and longjumping, a great addition for speedrunning.
  
• Myriad of other features, such as a built-in speedrunning timer and plenty of extremely well-hidden secrets and collectibles.

Celeste is the best indie game I've played in 2018 and will please both the casual audience looking for a challenging platformer with a good story, and also the hardcore audience looking to complete every B-Side or complete the game in record time.


The first standout to me in Celeste was the soundtrack. Composed by Lena Raine and featuring remixes by plenty of guest artists - the sound of Celeste is dynamic and varied; slowing down or reaching a hushed volume during a particularly difficult room, or percussion fading in and tempo increasing when advancing to the next subsection of a stage. In a game where the player is likely to die very frequently and might spend a lot of time listening to the same track, Celeste did a great job of never making me annoyed or tired of hearing the music.

After I reached the end of the game, it dawned on me - this game is much bigger than first glance might make it seem. Each level is packed with strawberries - small optional collectables that either make you hunt for secret passages, solve puzzles, or pass difficult platforming challenges. In addition, there are other well-hidden collectables and secret unlockables in the game that require thinking outside of the box; a-la 2012's Fez. Searching for missed strawberries or other secrets in effort to full-clear each level added plenty or replayability that never felt like a chore. The unlockable stages are incredibly difficult - but I loved how they really pushed each mechanic as far as it could go - the split-second dashing and precision-platforming making my A-Side struggles seem like a breeze in comparison.

Finally, I'd like to comment on the story. Without spoiling, I felt that the narrative was woven really well into the gameplay - especially toward the end of the game. As often as internalized pressure and anxiety are used as a plot-point in storytelling, I felt like Celeste dealt with the topic in a very mature and refreshing way - in addition to never getting overly hamfisted or preachy. The game is filled with charming and engaging intro, outro and mid-level scenes in each chapter - funny, unexpected, and motivating - which push the story along and give the player a drive to keep climbing the mountain.

If I were asked to give a negative thought on Celeste, it would be quite difficult! In my opinion, for as many puzzles that were in the game, I felt like there could have been more - or perhaps some could have been altered to be either more difficult and less obtuse. I felt like the Chapter 1 and 2 puzzles set a good precedent that amounted to a missed opportunity later in the game. For example, I felt that the Chapter 3 puzzle was too easy for the reward.

As stated above, Celeste is a solid experience that everyone will be able to get something out of! Best of luck on your climb, and we'll see you at the top!