Celeste

This mini-review was originally published as part of Niche Games To Add To Your Collection this Christmas Part #3.

Developed by the small team at Matt Makes Games, Celeste was released on various platforms in 2018 and has since received many accolades. These were not only for its addictive action-adventure / puzzle gameplay which see’s you tackle a mountain using superhuman parkour, but its 8-bit visuals, brilliant soundtrack from Lena Raine (which I own the vinyl soundtrack of) and storyline which tackles the issues of mental health and battling one’s inner demons.

With a game of its age, it is possible to nab yourself a copy of Celeste very cheaply, especially during end-of-year sales. For that price, you get a tremendous amount of content, including a multi-hour story mode with more than 700 screens of 2D platforming challenges, B-Side chapter challenges to unlock and, to be frank, a downright addictive experience. Celese was also upgraded in 2019 with ‘Farewell’ downloadable content, offering even more challenges to players.

Trial and error is key to completing this game, and while the difficulty can ramp up on the challenge stages, Celeste finds that perfect balance between rewarding experimentation and planning but not seeing you trapped on a screen for half an hour. It is a well thought out experience, with a perfect learning curve, and should be in the collection of every gamer.