clarity for those lucky enough to do so
IRL, and Celeste mirrors that perfectly.
And it is just so good to play; the
controls are perfectly tight, and that
dash – as simple as it is – is one of
the finest moves in videogames.
The experience was painstakingly
optimised by the development team
(which amounts to just a handful of
people), to feel as crunchy as
possible – a brilliant Rock
Paper Shotgun article with
programmer Noel Berry
recently outlined the
Lilliputian tweaks made
to the game to get the
whole thing feeling just
right, miniscule changes
of just a few frames that
make all the difference. It’s
those little things that really add
to the flow and weight of the whole
thing, like the way the screen not only
shakes in time with your dash, but
does so in the direction of that scoot
for added punch.
Topping out
Celeste’s best moments come through
in a late-game stage, where your
direction becomes more focused
than ever. Previous chapters having
you darting in every which direction,
a design that mimics the winding,
haphazard path of a mountain trail.
But this episode sees you heading
only higher and higher as you
approach the summit. You know
the end is in sight, with flagged
checkpoints that let you know
just how many challenges
lie between you and the
summit, and this sets up
a countdown of sorts to
the mountain’s zenith.
It’s not too much of
a spoiler to say that you
make it to the peak’s top,
but it is not quite as simple
as that: the journey there is
the real story. Celeste couldn’t have
come at a better time. As somebody
struggling with their own inner
demons, feelings of low self-worth
and the need to achieve something,
to have a pixellated world to turn to
when things got tough was priceless.
There’s even a calm-inducing
minigame where you must keep an
imagined feather floating by pressing
the A button to mimic a breathing
exercise, and in that moment, I found
myself breathing along. Now if things
get intense, I visualise the game’s
feather in my mind and return toCeleste’s advice: “Just breathe slow
and steady.”
Now I’m working my way through the
game’s post-credits ‘B-side’ levels,
and the story here is slightly different.
These ultra-tough variations of stages
are even harder, asking you to utilise
techniques that might come naturally
to the speedrunners out there, but for
mere mortals like you and me, baffle
the fingers and thumbs.
Things here are a touch more
frustrating; these techniques aren’t
divulged by the game itself (again,
Celeste doesn’t like to give too
much away), and there are no subtle
tutorials teaching you the pros and
cons of ‘hyper dashes’ and ‘dash
cancels’. Your only chance is seeking
out a YouTube primer.
At the time of writing, there’s talk
of more levels coming as free DLC.
Whether these will somehow be
narratively driven - an epilogue beyond
Celeste’s already succinct postscript
perhaps - remains to be seen, but any
excuse to check in with Madeline and
share our experiences through button
presses is a welcome one. Q“The controls are perfectly tight,
and that dash is one of the finest
moves in videogames”
PLAYED ANYTHING GOOD RECENTLY? COME SHARE IT AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OXMUK
ABOVE You are
warned not to
continue your
quest, but
something inside
Madeline drives
her forward.
FAR LEFT
Celeste’s dash
mechanic is a
marvel of design
and programming,
and is one of
the best-feeling
WHAT IS IT? moves of 2018.
2018’s indie hit is a pixel
art platforming triumph
that beseeches you to
overcome any obstacle,
virtual or otherwise.
It all began as a free
game on itch.io.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 097