Celeste

⭐ 9.5/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

So I played this game for 10 hours and 14 minutes. In that time I died 2076 times. This game is hard, and I am not one who likes a challenge during my leisure time. But in Celeste, it's all about the challenge. The opening cutscene tells you that this will be a challenge, and I love how they incorporated the difficultly right into the story. It's all about this incredibly endearing protagonist who wants to climb a mountain, which in turn symbolizes her overcoming her mental health struggles.

Everything about this game is awesome. The music, the cute pixel art, the touching storyline. It's also the type of challenge I am okay with as you never lose any progress when you die, and you have unlimited lives. Beating a level feels great and the game rewards you with a nice pat on the back when you do something impressive. There was a lot of cursing while playing, but also a lot of fist pumping. The pain makes the accomplishments feel that much better.