🍓 Celeste and Struggle

Hey friend,

Today's Listening: First Steps

A great youtuber once said, "Celeste is the single greatest video game ever created, 0 out of 5"

Do you wanna climb a mountain?

There have been many great platformer games throughout the years. Some of them were more serious than others (lookin at you super meat boy), but Celeste feels like the final form of "precision platformer".

Your move set is tight and snappy. The controls, while difficult, allow a high level of maneuverability. The environment design is just unique enough to be interesting, and the music is (of course), totally on point.

However, I'd like to take this moment to praise Celeste not on its sublime gameplay, but rather its messaging.

The story of our protagonist is a subtly simple one. She wants to climb the mountain.

Why? Because she feels like it.

Simple as that.

Climbing the mountain is difficult; downright demanding at times. The game knows it, and the story surrounds it. Every character will tell you to give up at some point, and gives you ample reason why you should. But this is a video game and we aren't gonna let some dumb NPC tell us what to do.

Right?

The game has its ups and downs. Sections where the platforming feels cramped and prone to small mistakes. Other times you feel like you are soaring straight to the top. But the vibe is resilient and determined despite the challenge. Every time you get knocked down, you can immediately get back up and do it again.

Learn from your mistake and try again.

Sometimes your fingers slip up and you die, sometimes you think you've got it figured out but die because you missed the ledge. Sometimes your cat comes up and walks on your keyboard.

But the game makes it easy to start again.

You and the MC go through crazy trials together, of which I will not spoil because this game should definitely be experienced by everyone. (And can be beaten by anyone, with its very robust and generous Assist Mode)

And as with all great pieces of art, it imitates life.

The mountain is any project or long term goal you may have and you are the MC. The other characters are the people/emotions you may deal with along the way. (And Assist Mode is if you have a rich person in your life that pays to have it done for you.)

What the game is trying to tell you, is that yes it will be hard. But you can always get back up. Even when you've reached rock bottom. Maybe you realize the goal was not the top of the mountain, but the climb itself. Maybe it is the sense of control you have, venturing out on your own. Or maybe it is the reminder there are people in your life that will support you, if only you let them. Whatever mountain you are trying to climb, you can always get up if you fall.

So, do you wanna climb a mountain? 🎵

it doesn't have to be a mountain 🎵