This game deserves I think a retrospective and review on youtube that I am just currently unable to fully write and produce, mostly because I don't have a good microphone and I can't edit for the life of me. Still, I feels words can't put into perspective how amazing this game really is.
Firstly for those that want to try it (and you should), here are the few negatives. This game has recieced update after update and addition after addition, and although some of them I can see are nice, like the extra strawberries for completing levels without dying and the special strawberry for completing level 1 dashless, along with the B and C-sides really giving the bulk of what makes this game special, chapters 8 and 9, though incredibly difficult and if you like that then it's great, but they don't add anything that FEELS as substancial, at least to the story which is my opinion is this games core positive, enhanced by the gameplay. This game in case you didn't already know is really REALLY hard, and I understand that it's not for everyone. hell, I usually hate games like this where you just die over and over and spend hours attempting something, and since I have not completed the game, theres plenty chance of that happening to a more-so degree, however I cannot state it's positives that In my opinion overshadow it's negatives, even if not for everyone.
This game has a story that, on paper, is really small and not quite as long or complex as some may like, but I think that it's perfect FOR that reason. the primary reason this story exists is to be there for people that need to hear this games message about mental health, anxiety especially, and how you can not only learn to live with it, but also use it as a positive impact in your life, without completely shunning yourself, avoiding doing things just because they're hard or risky. Although told in a very imaginative way, this story really hits for me on many levels, and through the other characters besides Madeline, we learn so much of the extra sub contexts and the world outside of the single setting of Mount Celeste for those conspiricists and deeper meaning or meaty needing story enjoyers. there's also just things specifically that Theo and Madeline bring up together that's really interesting and add something that wasn't even needed for this story, for example explaining the past behind the Forsaken City in chapter 1, without it just feeling like complete exposition. it's unneeded, and that's WHY it works here, as opposed to other stories, where talking about stuff that doesn't matter well.. doesn't matter.
And the gameplay. I believe the best way to experience this game is to play the game level for level, not difficulty for difficulty. play chapter 1 A-side as that's the only thing you can do at the beggining, collect all the collectables including all the strawberries (except maybe the no dying and no dashing immediately), the crystal heart and the B-side cassette. then before doing level 2, complete the B-side that you unlocked. in this way, it compliments the story greatly as the B-sides really help you feel like Madeline. you feel confident when she feels confident about the climb in chapter 1. chapter 2 makes you think you'll be fine, but like Badeline being there, it gives you an eerie feeling that things are too easy, then we get some heart crushing B-sides that do get worse and worse from 3 to 6, before that last level of the main story, chapter 7, giving us the hardest B-side till chapter 7, but also giving you the biggest rewarding feeling upon completing it. you really did climb Mount Celeste, and the reward of completing such a hard task is I'm sure understated by most players or content creators. once you unlock C-sides, complete them if you want, but these ones are designed to really test your patience, so If you don't like rage games, maybe skip out on them, as they are the most difficult and long levels, besides chapter 9 Farewell, which is infamous for good reason.
To anyone that can relate to Madeline in any way, and to anyone who doesn't feel like they've accomplished as much as they feel they should have, and are feeling discouraged, from anything from not getting a job, not finding love, or just feeling inadequitte, please try this game. You'll probably end up hating it at times, but that's by design. Madeline wonders at points if she should've even tried climbing the mountain in the first place, so the developers do a more than good job of putting you in her headspace, before feeling honestly more rewarding that about everything I've done in my gaming career before this. Really challenge yourself, because just like Madeline, you can climb this mountain with enough motivation and determination, and you can do and accomplish a lot more than you think you can. We all can, and as painful as my journey into Celeste already has been at times, and how painful it defenitly will continue to be on my road to 100% (or in this case game there's more than 100%) Celeste for the first time, this may actually be my favourite game. Though it's a close one, this game absolutely deserves being called a potentially favourite game, from a hater of all platformers that aren't sonic games.
If you read this whole thing thank you. I thought I owed it to this game to write such a detailed review of it because I truely think everyone should at least try this game, even if it isn't their usual cup of tea. hell, like I said before, I'm not usually a platform gamer, let along a competitive one. I usually play only games I can relax or play casually almost always, and yet this one has sky rocketed high enough to be on my favourite games list but my 'must recommend to anyone who asks' list. I'm not done with this game, but I can't wait for the rest of my journey through this masterpiece.
