Celeste (2018)

Aside from some ass controls at times, there's nothing exactly wrong with this game but booooy is it overhyped.

Also when did platformers - such as this and They Bleed Pixels - go from being simply about traversing to progress plot to plot with impossible gameplay? That isn't a platformer. That's just a developer being an asshole.

Anyway, I'm gonna keep going and see if it gets any better but as of right now I stand at my assessment: wildly overhyped.

i started playing celeste finally. it's been in my backlog of "high priority" since it came out, and I've mostly avoided all information about it (as i do with most media i already plan to experience). and all i can say is, while i was a little weary in the first level that its tone didn't suit my current tastes, now 2 hours into it I'm already feeling like... why did it take me this long to play this...? this sorta feels made for me, lol. i haven't felt this pull to play a game (for when im not playing it) in a long time. it's weird how it's meeting my high expectations -- deep down i was expecting to be let down

i absolutely love the portrait art and voices btw

Playing Celeste is like learning a skill. It's something that can deteriorate over time. So I had to start back from square one because I couldn't even remember the controls and god knows I don't want to start right from Chapter 9

I still like how much control I have over Madeline, it's still my fav platformer in terms of "I have absolute minute control", and I like how there's some leeway in terms of both jumping off of platforms and the traffic light speed. That being said, don't be me and go straight to the B-sides right when you unlock them. The progression still feels like it's all A-Sides BEFORE all B-sides, otherwise it punches you in the throat. There was one slide in 1-B that you have to go super fast to then crouch, dash into a jumpy thingy, and then dash again, and I wasn't ready. Still got through because I REFUSE TO LET THIS GAME BEAT ME.

Music still rocks. GOD I love Lena Raine, everything she touches is gold.

All right, I think I have to throw in the towel. I was getting frustrated even playing through the ending. I kind of wish they had stopped introducing new mechanics a level or two from the end, and just let us really master the ones we had and use them in fun ways throughout different landscapes. What held this game back from a knockout banger, to me, is the constant need to learn new mechanics instead of being able to celebrate what I already have learned.

There's no way I could bring myself to complete the C-sides when I'm already feeling quite frustrated.

This was a solid single play through for me. Maybe I'll revisit one day, and maybe not.

I'm still playing now and then trying to get all the strawberries and, crucially, at least 4 hearts so I can play the 8th and 9th chapters.

That decision of locking content behind collectibles might be the one single thing I don't like about this game. The game is all like "chill, collecting berries is totally optional and just a challenge for yourself 😌" and "hey, each one is on their own climb, don't be shy on using assist mode if you need it 🤗" and then BLAM, "if you want to experience this part of the game, you better have located and solved all these obscure puzzles; git gut, you bitch😈".

There've been some difficulty spikes, but I'm surprised how balanced the game feels. Yes, it can be hard, but between the infinite lives, the bite-sized challenges, and instant respawn, it is also immensely forgiving.

Most importantly, the difficulty curve is smooth as slick. I can feel getting better at the game and quickly solving areas with the techniques I learn in previous levels.