[Posted on May 7, 2022]
after years of playing stuff like mega man and castlevania I was VERY happy to play a game that actually explored its mechanics and gimmicks extensively instead of using them a few times then throwing em away
celeste gets the basics right for sure- it's a fairly simple game but movement feels quite good, and apparently there's a lot of tech, too (I really appreciate the super metroid-styled hidden techniques!)
I do have a few nitpicks, like some of the later levels getting annoying at times (6B, or the long ass rooms in 7C and 8C), the... several obnoxiously hidden strawberries (finding some of those fake walls just made me groan instead of giving me positive feelings), some of the mechanics being a bit underwhelming (an analog-based 360° mechanic on a dpad-recommended game? bumpers where getting the jump you want can require pixel perfect precision? ehh...), or the camera not always following you as you're falling, but celeste gets a lot right and it can't be underestimated how strong the core movement and the exploration of the mechanics are
the spritework could be... a lot better, but the visuals are never distracting, and it's fairly easy to understand the situation at a glance (the color coded hair indicating remaining dashes is great!). also it's impossible not to love the s quish usuqish suqsusuqs shqsuqsuuqsuqsus effect
after years of playing stuff like mega man and castlevania I was VERY happy to play a game that actually explored its mechanics and gimmicks extensively instead of using them a few times then throwing em away
celeste gets the basics right for sure- it's a fairly simple game but movement feels quite good, and apparently there's a lot of tech, too (I really appreciate the super metroid-styled hidden techniques!)
I do have a few nitpicks, like some of the later levels getting annoying at times (6B, or the long ass rooms in 7C and 8C), the... several obnoxiously hidden strawberries (finding some of those fake walls just made me groan instead of giving me positive feelings), some of the mechanics being a bit underwhelming (an analog-based 360° mechanic on a dpad-recommended game? bumpers where getting the jump you want can require pixel perfect precision? ehh...), or the camera not always following you as you're falling, but celeste gets a lot right and it can't be underestimated how strong the core movement and the exploration of the mechanics are
the spritework could be... a lot better, but the visuals are never distracting, and it's fairly easy to understand the situation at a glance (the color coded hair indicating remaining dashes is great!). also it's impossible not to love the s quish usuqish suqsusuqs shqsuqsuuqsuqsus effect