5/5 ★ – joefish's review of Celeste.

Too often, modern 2D platformers focus so much on capturing a retro feel that they end up unpolished and frustrating. Rather than feeling like a game from the 80s or 90s, Celeste stands on its own as a modern classic. The game features sprite based visuals that are satisfyingly simple, yet never look crude. The art is gorgeous, and theming of the world lends itself the the beauty. Gameplay is really fluid. The jumps feel perfectly weighted and the movement is perfectly paces and satisfying to perform. The level design is creative and precise, proving incredibly difficult the entire way through. While a lesser game may provide you a limited number of lives or make checkpoints sparse, Celeste allows you to instantly respawn at the beginning of the room you’re in. While you might think this makes the game forgiving, the ultra-precise platforming balances the difficulty perfectly. Celeste is one of the hardest games I’ve ever played, but not once did I feel frustrated or like the game was unfair. There are no combat mechanics in the game, but it just doesn’t need it. The few enemies are there simply to be avoided, and they’re integrated super well into the level design. Interspersed with and thematically tied to the gameplay is the story. We play as Madeline as she attempts to climb to the summit of a mountain and overcome her anxiety. Along the way she will battle a physical manifestation of her self doubt, overcome obstacles, and deal with panic attacks. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I can say that Celeste’s portrayal is some of the best representation I’ve seen in gaming or even in media as a whole. If only overcoming your mental illness was as fun as they make it in the game.