This is one of those games that I really want to like. I’ve tried nearly a dozen times to get it to “click” and it never does.

I always bounce off of it and I’ve never entirely understand why.

Sure, the platforming is precision machined but maybe the fact that the game is too forgiving with its checkpoints leads to a lack of stakes or tension for someone like me that isn’t going to go for every strawberry.

I also think the levels might be too long and that the game forces you to spend too much time in individual biomes.

The story’s presentation, at least early on, may also be a bit too sappy and not engaging.

Idk. I know people really love this game and what I’ve played of it is fine. But it’s lacking something crucial.

Good OST, though.

Sat thinking for a minute like "what could i say about Celeste that hasnt been done already" "what would i say that's New to the site thatd offer some perspective" and then I stopped thinking like that, because why should *i give up just because other people were able to do some shit? why should i* go without a word?
Yea in 2018 I played half the areas of the 1st site of the mountain and iiiiiiiiiiii.. couldnt do it, i thought to myself "oh wow another meatboy inspired game, yeah nah i cant go through that bullshit again"
I wasnt ready for all that, not ready for a whole nother mountain in my life

But fastfoward to NOW, and ive scaled so many in my life now that this point I feel nostalgic
I feel this fond tinge of pain and sadness but also happiness because I know where im headed in life. I love the music, the pico8 version of this game, I like the cast and I like pretty much every level theming bracket thats thrown at you

My favorite in particular was DEFFF when feather stuff was being introduced, so fun. The final stretch of this game is some of the most uplifting shit you could ever take in too, and i STILL have content after the fact to indulge in with 64 and etc
TO DOOO

which is good because i love the gameplay so much, to the point where i even had assist mode at the ready for if i felt like id need it.. but something happened! id die so many times on the same part and not even toggle assist mode, i think because i wanted to prove it to myself that i could do it
but also with a couple things id be easier on myself if i needed a little help along the way with making a jump on something I didnt understand

And then that led to somethin FUNNY happening where I cheesed through 1 section and then i felt insane guilt, and looked up how someone did it on youtube, then i saw how it was simple and i was overcomplicating it! and then i went to see if the game would let me organically head backwards AND IT SO DID!! so then I beat it, not to get to a marker or a strawberry but just For Me

and I picked this game back up For Me, and I think its a beautiful and everlasting testament to personal growth for me and been an unsung favorite that I didn't even realize clicked with me in a way I wasn't ready to stare in the face yet 6 years ago. Seeing that flag was one of the most cathartic things ive felt this year because it felt like I just recapped the emotional run-around ive been having all that time ago. To everyone that may suck at platformers, or maybe you just genuinely cant stare down the mountains in your own life, or to those that died on the climb that cant even continue if they wanted to.. i feel for all of yall, much love <3