Celeste is a one-of-a-kind project
It’s both a non-trivial platformer capable of giving the eager a challenge, and a story about overcoming oneself. And if that’s all clear enough, what is Celeste herself beyond the obvious… It’s a big mountain.
You could just say that this place is magical, endowed with various sorceries, but I’ll try to tell it my way.
Let’s start simple
The conditional zero chapter is the training of the most basic mechanics woven into the narrative, the foot of the mountain from which we will slowly but surely crawl to the top.
Although at first glance this short segment is actually nothing for the story, it sets the tone of the narrative and indicates what will be waiting for us next.
The main heroine – Madeline (you can imagine, I was watching materials to refresh my memory, and Madeline’s floor is parquet) is a person suffering psychologically. There is a real conflict inside her, which leads to depressive behavior and panic attacks. You can even say that she is torn in two… But no, Gora will arrange this joke a little later, for now we will omit this moment.
And if the beginning of this chapter marks the determination to fight and become better, then the end with the falling bridge adds another parameter to this determination – to finish what we started. And as strange as it may seem, Celeste herself helps with that (Although maybe everyone in this world can… You know… Dash in the air. Okay I was choking, but this is the first time we’re given the opportunity to do so at this point.).
I could also point to the old lady, but right now she’s not of vivid interest to the heroine, she’ll warn you and laugh. And who’s going to forbid her? She’s at home on this mountain.
Forgotten city
Perhaps in this alternate universe it’s Chelyabinsk, from which all those who suffer have escaped. But for the heroine this is the first full-fledged stage of climbing the mountain. And as a consequence, the very first difficulties.
The game introduces us to Theo. A bearded good-looking man and photographer. He will meet in several chapters and even has time to be our cargo.
Not much is known about the forgotten city, but I can confidently say that starting from this location Celeste will start to test the protagonist and her determination to move on.
Nightmares as an indicator of self-doubt, and the first serious challenge of Mt.
Actually the chapter starts at the same campfire, where we sweetly fell asleep (having resnuced all the killed monsters and pumped dexterity, ha ha), then we find ourselves as it seems in the same place, but greatly modified.
The way is prepared for us only downwards, actually there we will see and maybe even feel a beautiful face impassable stellar substance. Having wandered back and forth our attention will be attracted by a very unusual mirror, but our reflection….
Please love and pity Badline – like Madeline, but what is clear from the prefix is the bad side of us, although it would be more correct to say the opposite. She’s the one Celeste has pawned off on us as one of the most difficult challenges. And throughout the climb, we’ll be fighting ourselves.
It is worth saying that this idea is expressed both in the story part of the game, and in gameplay. After all, you will have to die and start again not one dozen times. You will pass this way together. Together with your other side.
In this chapter our struggle will be shown not only by debates on the level of climb or surrender. But also a very real catch-up with a deadly outcome (your nerve cells may suffer, neat).
But in the end, we run away from our evil version (for a while). We call someone we don’t know, loot from it minus morale and end up being eaten by a chubaka. The dream was lifted like a hand, or was it more like a nightmare? After waking up, the phone booth will greet us with a call to mom and a conversation.
I would say that this chapter literally marks the fear of overcoming, the insecurity and the thought of turning back. You didn’t get high, and you won’t lose much when you get back, and those are your words, aren’t they? You overcame yourself? Congratulations, keep going.
Eleon Hotel
I’m sure Celeste was climbed by a bachelor who hated cleaning to death, for this location will kill you with dust and lock you in scattered trash. That’s how the damn hotel came to be.
The main face of this chapter will be Mr. Oshiro. Briefly about him:
In the past, the living owner of the hotel, and now not a resting ghost that if necessary, the guest in the grave will be driven to the grave, only to settle in the Presidential Suite.
In general, the character causes pity, on the day of closing the hotel staff wanted to conquer the mountain, which Oshiro tactfully decided to avoid under the pretext of inspection of the hotel. He never made it to the top, and was left alone to live, and later to be a ghost at his workplace.
This location reflects another facet – to stop at what has been achieved, to procrastinate thinking that this is the best way out. Using the example of the unlucky hotel owner, it is not difficult to realize that this is a lousy idea.
After going through fire, water and cleanup we can get to the Presidential Suite and get some unexpected help from Badline with opening the hatch to the roof. You thought this was gonna end well? No, she manages to tell him what she thinks and Oshiro goes on a rampage, forcing us into another obstacle course, this time from a big-headed evil ghost.
As an aside, Badline’s thoughts and what she said to Oshiro are the thoughts of the main character. Yes she was trying to be tactful, but it’s this other side of her that’s literally writhing with anger. I just need to get through this fucking hotel, I’m not going to stay here, and it wasn’t my plan to clean the place up while the whining ghost sat there thinking about how miserable he was.
After running away from a very disgruntled we come to an agreement that we didn’t want to do anything wrong, the ghost calms down and leaves the scene. Another trial passed, time to move on.
Who said clouds are light?
The golden ridge will meet us with weighty resistance. Literally weighty (and a little bit weightless).
From the story part: We’ll meet Granny, have a heart-to-heart talk with her about the nature of the mountain’s sorcery, touching on our favorite Oshiro as well. Moving on.
This chapter will tell us about two sensations. How the ground literally goes out from under our feet (hello clouds, how I love you), and the breeze getting stronger as we move forward (run run run while the wind without stones (snowflakes)), reflecting the resistance, the difficulties to get through, which each time hit harder.
After we managed to overcome the unruly elements we reached the elevator, the transition stage between this chapter and the mirror temple. Naturally, this junk will refuse to work steadily (due to our schizophrenia) and the protagonist will have a panic attack. Using chakra breathing and feather control technique (no kidding breathing helps a lot, if you have a panic attack maybe this exercise will help you. Only if you were crooked when passing and this segment turned out to be difficult for you – it is better not to remember, you will make yourself worse). Eventually the elevator will start working again and we will get to the next destination….
Temple of Amana (Why?) (Who asks that?)
I will retell it in brief: Two adventurers (more behind) sneaked into some temple, one of them fell off somewhere. They found him walled up in a mirror, touched the mirror and found themselves in Narnia (the mirror). We run away from scary freaks, along with blaming ourselves (a certain part of ourselves, but not the point) and dragging a coffin without wheels outside.
According to our esteemed friend, she had no hand in the events of the temple (we believe), but Madeline herself is to blame (we don’t want to believe, but we have to). Apart from the fact that we pass this location in the mode – we created problems for ourselves and got others involved in it, we slowly come to the thought: What is the point of fighting with ourselves? The continuation of this thought we will get further. Let’s continue climbing higher.
Your best friend is yourself
And this chapter already marks the santa barbara between biba and boba, who together are a force, and separately are also a force, but less so. With your permission, I’ll just say the main idea:
On the road to perfection, to conquering the mountain top, you will not only have to test your willpower, but you will have to reconcile with yourself. To become the best version of yourself, and no matter how much you hate to realize your weaknesses.
It’s a part of you, and it will always be a part of you.
As a player we will get unforgettable quarrels in the course of which we will find out that nobody wants to harm each other, and through a real battle with the boss (and how else did you imagine the internal struggle) we will consolidate this result, getting peace, friendship and gum (Well, and a double jerk in addition).
Congratulations – all preparations are over, the internal conflict is resolved, the mountain is waiting for you to take the final step – conquer it by going through all the challenges one more time from the beginning.
From the beginning? Well, yes, you flew down… But don’t be afraid, having gained experience and finally reconciled with yourself you will quickly catch up with the previous result and finish what you planned to do
How beautiful would a sunset be from the top of… Let’s say a mountain?
Trust me – it’ll be beautiful, especially in the company of your schizophrenia (having solved all your internal difficulties).
Welcome to seven small segments, echoing the design of previous chapters and giving you a taste of the old mechanics in a new wrapper – the double-jerk. At the end of each segment, your part will drop you into the next segment.
And although it is the last chapter – it is perceived more as a reward for the whole journey, a reward sweet and more than deserved. For both Madeline and the player.
And perhaps the beautiful view and relaxed music reflect the whole journey. You overcame the challenges of the mountain, you overcame yourself, and that is worthy of respect.
Afterword
I may have been in a hurry to post the second post after the first, and somewhere along the way I realized that there was a lot to write and it was going to be hard. And man, considering what I was writing about, it became a kind of Celeste that I went through personally. I don’t regret the time spent and I hope that in the process of revision I will find most of the errors. Piss, everyone!
