Celeste is a precision platforming game. While difficult, the game encourages you to progress unlike many difficult platformers that insult or punish you when you die. If the game ends up being too difficult, there is an assist mode that lets you customize the difficulty, up to near complete invincibility. If you do end up using assist mode, it's good to try a non-assist mode playthrough after completing the game now that you know what to expect.

Movement is an absolute joy. There are only three buttons besides directional input, a climb, a jump, and a dash. All movement is based off of some applications or one or more of these. There are a number of advanced movement techniques (specific combinations of directional input with jump, dash, and/or climb), most of which are intended by the developers. Some of these are even taught to the player in bonus/post-game stages. When you learn these advanced movement techniques, you can see many places they can be applied in earlier stages that makes a screen easier or faster to get through.

The story revolves around anxiety and depression, which impact a lot of people. The story cutscenes can be skipped in subsequent playthroughs for speedrunning.

Music is excellent, sound effects are well done, and the sprite art is great. Madeline has hundreds of sprites making her movement look very fluid. The levels and background design is very pretty, and in most cases the background does not interfere with the foreground.

Level design is also very enjoyable, there are often multiple ways through by using advanced movement. In most cases, the game is not too punishing even though it is difficult. Each room transition is a checkpoint, and some long rooms have a checkpoint part way through. The game rarely wastes too much of your time by losing a lot of progress on death.

Celeste is very speedrun friendly, even me at 41 with nerve damage enjoy speedrunning the game. I'll never be anywhere close to the leaderboards, but as long as I consistently improve I am getting value out of it.

There are a number of collectibles in the levels to provide additional challlenges. Each main game chapter except for 6 (for story reasons) have strawberries which are used to "impress your friends" (you'll see what this means when you beat the game). Each chapter has a cassette tape which unlocks a "B-side", a more difficult remix of a level's mechanics (with remixed music). Each chapter also has a crystal heart hidden in the level, which is used to unlock some bonus content (chapter 8 and 9 have gates that require certain amounts of hearts). Some of the hearts have pretty obscure solutions, one of which requires outside knowledge of Super Mario Brothers 3 for the NES to solve. This is one of my few complaints about the game.

Overall, strongly recommended for any platformer lover, those who like speedrunning, and those who like a challenge and the satisfaction of getting through a difficult segment. Worth it at full price, definitely pick it up on sale if it would appeal to you.

Celeste is a precision platforming game. While difficult, the game encourages you to progress unlike many difficult platformers that insult or punish you when you die. If the game ends up being too difficult, there is an assist mode that lets you customize the difficulty, up to near complete invincibility. If you do end up using assist mode, it's good to try a non-assist mode playthrough after completing the game now that you know what to expect. Movement is an absolute joy. There are only three buttons besides directional input, a climb, a jump, and a dash. All movement is based off of some applications or one or more of these. There are a number of advanced movement techniques (specific combinations of directional input with jump, dash, and/or climb), most of which are intended by the developers. Some of these are even taught to the player in bonus/post-game stages. When you learn these advanced movement techniques, you can see many places they can be applied in earlier stages that makes a screen easier or faster to get through. The story revolves around anxiety and depression, which impact a lot of people. The story cutscenes can be skipped in subsequent playthroughs for speedrunning. Music is excellent, sound effects are well done, and the sprite art is great. Madeline has hundreds of sprites making her movement look very fluid. The levels and background design is very pretty, and in most cases the background does not interfere with the foreground. Level design is also very enjoyable, there are often multiple ways through by using advanced movement. In most cases, the game is not too punishing even though it is difficult. Each room transition is a checkpoint, and some long rooms have a checkpoint part way through. The game rarely wastes too much of your time by losing a lot of progress on death. Celeste is very speedrun friendly, even me at 41 with nerve damage enjoy speedrunning the game. I'll never be anywhere close to the leaderboards, but as long as I consistently improve I am getting value out of it. There are a number of collectibles in the levels to provide additional challlenges. Each main game chapter except for 6 (for story reasons) have strawberries which are used to "impress your friends" (you'll see what this means when you beat the game). Each chapter has a cassette tape which unlocks a "B-side", a more difficult remix of a level's mechanics (with remixed music). Each chapter also has [spoiler]a crystal heart hidden in the level, which is used to unlock some bonus content (chapter 8 and 9 have gates that require certain amounts of hearts)[/spoiler]. Some of the [spoiler]hearts[/spoiler] have pretty obscure solutions, one of which requires outside knowledge of Super Mario Brothers 3 for the NES to solve. This is one of my few complaints about the game. Overall, strongly recommended for any platformer lover, those who like speedrunning, and those who like a challenge and the satisfaction of getting through a difficult segment. Worth it at full price, definitely pick it up on sale if it would appeal to you.