Celeste

1. bulger_paul

   Jan 28, 2018

   10

   I don't like being a reactionist, or overpraising something too soon, but Celeste is one of the best 2D platformers I've ever played. I'llI don't like being a reactionist, or overpraising something too soon, but Celeste is one of the best 2D platformers I've ever played. I'll break down my review into individual segments:
   
   Controls: 10/10
   Very tight, extremely simple controls. Move with Left control stick. Jump with B. Dash with Y. Climb walls with RT. End of tutorial. But the sheer amount of mileage these developers get out of such a simple base is staggering
   
   Gameplay: 10/10
   While the controls are deceptively simple, every single chapter introduces a few new mechanics that you will have to master in order to progress. Whether they be platforms that disintegrate underneath you, platforms that move in sync with your dashing, walls you can dash through that have a unique effect. gemstones that replenish your dash midair, bubbles that shoot you far off into certain directions, and the list goes on and on, each new mechanic requires you to use them with near perfect precision and timing. The challenge can be occasionally frustrating, and you may find yourself dying several hundred times in any given chapter (I'm not exaggerating, you will die a lot), but it's the good kind of frustration that invites you to persist, not the kind that will cause you to rage quit. And none of your deaths feel out of your control. It doesn't require you to memorize every obstacle coming next, because there's never anything popping up that you didn't expect. Every obstacle is laid out in front of you, clear for you to see, which makes the challenge more inviting than frustrating.
   But I don't want to scare off potential players who are not so keen on the sound of timing and precision based gameplay, since that doesn't sound particularly fun by description alone, but this is a joy to play and an innumerable amount of sequences had me smiling and feeling accomplished by their end.
   
   Difficulty Level: 7/10
   I know 7 seems fairly low considering how much time I've already spent re-emphasizing the demand for precision, and how often you're going to die, and I'm sure you've already seen many other reviews that describe it to be tough as nails, and it is, but (thankfully) the game doesn't punish you for dying over and over and over and over. I had more than 300 deaths in a single chapter once. But this game doesn't kick you in the balls the way Cuphead does every time you die, you always re-spawn in the same frame that you died in, and it takes roughly half a second to re-spawn. The sheer amount of precision the game demands in and of itself would be enough to make it a 10, but the forgiving nature of the game makes the challenge much more manageable, so you can throw yourself at the same obstacle over and over and over and over again until you get it right, which is a godsend, because I would have honestly never bothered finishing the game if I had to deal with a lives system, or if it sent me back to the beginning of each level, or something like that.
   
   Story: 7/10
   I'm actually not as enamored with the story as many other people seem to be. I think it's great to see more and more video games experiment in dealing with heavy thematic matter such as anxiety, panic, apathy, depression, emotional distance, etc, and I think Celeste does a good job of it, and I can imagine many people out there being touched by it, because it handles delicate topics with sensitivity, earnestness, and a touch of humor. I like the characters a lot (and I love that they actually created an Instagram account for the character who is always taking selfies and writing posts throughout the game), but I don't think it's quite perfect yet. I really hope the developers keep experimenting with this kind of subject matter, because Celeste has made me eager for whatever the dish up next.
   
   Artwork/Design: 8/10
   I used to refer to this segment as "graphics," because graphical power used to be important when reviewing games, but we've reached an era of gaming when gamers and reviewers are less concerned about graphical horsepower and more interested in artwork, with absolutely beautiful looking games such as Cuphead and Journey, which are both stunning games due to their artwork, even though they're not going to max out the system you run them on by any means. Celeste is in that category, and it is a brilliantly designed game.
   
   Music: 9/10
   It is impressive in and of itself that these indie developers composed more than two hours of music for a relatively short game (around 10hrs max to complete all of the main bits, 20 if you're a completionist that is going to collect all the strawberries and complete all the "B side" challenges), and it pays off, because the soundtrack is just beautiful.
   
   Overall: 10/10
   While I think the story is good, even though I wasn't as deeply impressed with it as many other reviewers were, the controls, gameplay, and design are every bit as good as you've heard and Celeste is a game that deserves to be experienced by anybody who can spare twenty bucks to try it out.… Expand

   • 48 of 59 users found this helpful
2. yertre

   Feb 15, 2021

   10

   What a great game.
   
   The player controls a girl called Madeline. Madeline's moveset is very simple: She has a jump, a climb move to grab onWhat a great game.
   
   The player controls a girl called Madeline. Madeline's moveset is very simple: She has a jump, a climb move to grab on and climb onto vertical surfaces, and a 8 way dash. The entire game is built around just those 3 mechanics. It's easy to learn, but mastering it is one of the most satisfying things I've ever done in a game.
   
   The game's difficulty curve is PERFECT. After beating the main game, you unlock B-side levels of the main levels, and they are INCREDIBLY hard. I never thought I would be able to beat them, but I got better. And that's what makes Celeste such a fantastic game. It's genuinely great at getting you to overcome obstacles that seem impossible, which fits greatly with the game's themes.
   
   Celeste is about the difficulty of The End is Nigh, but is far less frustrating than that game. I attribute this to the game's music, which is INCREDIBLE. It's funny how much of a difference such a small thing makes. When you keep hearing the same track over and over again, it had better be a good track.
   
   I'd recommend playing with a D-Pad for an ideal experience. The sticks work, but they can be a bit annoying with the 8-way dashing.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. themacmeister

   Mar 13, 2018

   10

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I must admit up-front that I really enjoy difficult platformers, such as Super Meat Boy and Dustforce DX.
   
   The first thing you will notice is the music, which is superb, and does not get too much as you retry the more difficult rooms over and over. The remixes are also great, and the music is clearly one of the highlights of the experience.
   
   Stage design is superbly weighted, becoming progressively harder... to the point where hundreds (and even thousands) of deaths in a stage is not unheard of. Some of the more advanced movement tech is not clearly explained... but that is what online forums are for (wall dash-jumps are a prime example).
   
   Graphics are eye-wateringly beautiful... and only a few times did I accidentally walk into death because the background was too busy/colourful.
   
   Movement is fluid and exact... perfect for a puzzle platformer. Puzzles are clearly laid out, and with correct planning should be achievable by any casual gamer.
   
   Finding hidden objects (exploration) is the key to finding the (way) more difficult B-sides (and eventually C-sides) cassettes, which are harder remixes of previous levels, with remixed music to go with them. Strawberries are an added bonus for completionists, and those looking to enhance the "easier" main game.
   
   If you ever doubted the platforming pedigree of this game, check out the 33 minute (YES, 33 MINUTE) speedrun of this game on Youtube. It may even be lower at this point. I have been speedrunning this game for 3 days, and have gone from 3hr20min down to 1hr22min... in three days. To play the game casually, there are 40 hours PLUS of challenge... my main save has 33hrs already, with the same amount left to go.
   
   My original game is about 50% complete, with 3 B-sides completed and some blue hearts too... but I have 11,900 deaths so far... admittedly 2000 of those were in a single room, where I was using an incorrect strategy with a feather (which allows for limited flying) and trying to navigate through a tight opening (which you were meant to dash through) - sigh - live and learn!
   
   This game transcends Super Meat Boy and Dustforce with its story, which keeps you interested and motivated to finish. The movement tech is deep and satisfying, and the difficulty curve is perfect for the casual up to the hardcore platformer. If you are easily frustrated, you may wish to skip this game... but for those with the desire and skill, you will be rewarded handsomely.
   
   The only real issue I have with this game is the joycons, they are not designed for this level of game. My hands are an aching mess after even 30min play, and longer sessions are a recipe for carpal tunnel damage. The controllers are simply not ergonomically designed. I thoroughly recommend a Pro Controller for the D-Pad, and for the comfort. I have the PC/Mac version as well, from itch.io, and my wireless XBOX 360 controller is a pleasure to use.
   
   If the game was still crashing on saves (end of levels) I would take off a few points from my rating, but this has been fixed with the latest patches (along with some softlocks), so I give this highly addictive platformer a 10 out of 10.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. Flyinryan

   Feb 13, 2018

   10

   Loved this game so much it gave me sore thumbs! The story is amazing and the game-play is the best combination of challenge and reward.

   • 1 of 3 users found this helpful
6. EdgarEM

   Feb 18, 2018

   9

   Los creadores de Celeste tienen un par de cosas que mostrarles a algunos desarrolladores de juegos Triple A, sin duda la respuesta de controlLos creadores de Celeste tienen un par de cosas que mostrarles a algunos desarrolladores de juegos Triple A, sin duda la respuesta de control es perfecta, una banda sonora acorde a lo que sucede en el juego.
   Cada movimiento tiene que suceder en un momento justo, jamas deberas pasar por alto nada y bien debes observar cada pieza en el entorno ya que juegan un papel importante para poder terminar el nivel y donde si fallas sabes que no es por que el juego este mal diseñado, si no, por que te has equivocado tu y al momento en el que logras pasar un nivel que te tomo tiempo obtienes enseguida esa satisfaccion que muy pocos juegos te dan hoy en dia.
   Tiene esa extraña y fantastica mezcla en sus dialogos entre lo hilarante sin serlo demasiado y lo serio para mantener la trama del juego como debe ser, eso mismo le da una identidad especial al juego en si.
   Creo que el punto debil más marcado es que puede sentirse un tanto corto pero si eres de aquellos que le gusta superar su marca momento a momento lo disfrutaras cientos de veces y sera una joya en el speedrun.
   Si eres un jugador de plataformas de antaño sin duda te gustara este juego y esta debera ser un "must have", pero. si no sueles tocar o nunca jugste este genero te recomiendo que bajo tu propio riesgo lo compres ya que puede llegar a ser frustrante si no estas acostumbrado a morir de forma continua y empezar denuevo .
   Mi calificacion real es un 8.5… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. awagam34

   Jun 23, 2021

   9

   SYSTEM PORUSZANIA
   Gra jest pod tym względem dość wymagająca, aczkolwiek bardzo precyzyjna co minimalizuje frustrację. Posiadamy możliwośćSYSTEM PORUSZANIA
   Gra jest pod tym względem dość wymagająca, aczkolwiek bardzo precyzyjna co minimalizuje frustrację. Posiadamy możliwość skakania, przyczepiania się ścian, z kolejnymi etapami dostajemy coraz więcej ruchów bądź interakcji z przedmiotami, podłogami, ścianami których możemy użyć na własną korzyść. Sama gra wprowadza mechaniki w bardzo przyjemny i przystępny sposób, nigdy nie czujemy się zagubieni lub zdezorientowani.
   MUYZKA ORAZ GRAFIKA
   Jak w przypadku wielu indie gierek Celeste stawia na minimalistyczną pixel-artową grafikę, oraz bardzo prostą 8bitową muzykę. Całość daje bardzo arcadowe wrażenie i idealnie pasuje do tego typu platformera.
   HISTORIA
   Historia jest tak bardzo infantylna jak tylko może być, prosta z miłym przesłaniem, nie ma się tutaj nad czym zastanawiać, wystarczy podziwiać oprawę audiowizualną oraz skupić się na skakaniu… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. Nintendist

   Jun 30, 2022

   0

   boring gameplay with no good story. the gameplay is so boring that made me sleep.

   • 1 of 12 users found this helpful

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