Celeste Review

With so many 2D throwback 8-bit platformers these days, it’s a wonder that Celeste wasn’t buried in the shuffle of constant Steam releases and “retro games of the week.” What Celeste had in its back pocket the whole time was enough heart and charm to fill this reviewer to the brim with existential joy. It’s another 8-bit throwback, sure, but narratively it serves as an allegory for depression, technically it adopts waves of modernity for which it has been celebrated, and creatively it’s like nothing else I’ve played in the genres it so lovingly borrows from.

Upon booting up, chill vibes from an award-winning soundtrack greet you and you immediately ascend to a brand new adventure. The remains of a pre-apocalyptic society emerge as you double-jump through screens of imaginative level design. Celeste is a masterpiece for all of these reasons and more.

Story

You play as Madeline, a young girl choosing to climb the great mountain Celeste for what turns out to be no real reason. That is to say, she has no other reason than to just do it, which is reason enough when you are as “low to the ground” as Madeline. This young lady is trying to prove to herself that she simply can, an incredibly well-realized execution of a very relatable concept.

Madeline is depressed. Depressed people climb mountains, hike canyons, and Eat, Pray, Love their way around foreign continents. Maybe we aren’t all running out in droves to climb mountains, but metaphorically we might as well be.

You will meet friendly faces and challenges along the way, as well as come face-to-face with a dark version of your own self — a formidable foe indeed.

Theo is one of the first people you meet, and he is probably the most important. The sheer amount of dialogue prepared for multiple interactions with Theo, so long as you continue to press him, impressed me. He’s always sweet, and always very gentle with Madeline. This first encounter illustrates a careful dichotomy within the game’s DNA.