![]() Celeste is in that category, and it is a brilliantly designed game. Artwork/Design: 8/10 I used to refer to this segment as "graphics," because graphical power used to be important when reviewing games, but we've reached an era of gaming when gamers and reviewers are less concerned about graphical horsepower and more interested in artwork, with absolutely beautiful looking games such as Cuphead and Journey, which are both stunning games due to their artwork, even though they're not going to max out the system you run them on by any means. I really hope the developers keep experimenting with this kind of subject matter, because Celeste has made me eager for whatever the dish up next. I like the characters a lot (and I love that they actually created an Instagram account for the character who is always taking selfies and writing posts throughout the game), but I don't think it's quite perfect yet. I think it's great to see more and more video games experiment in dealing with heavy thematic matter such as anxiety, panic, apathy, depression, emotional distance, etc, and I think Celeste does a good job of it, and I can imagine many people out there being touched by it, because it handles delicate topics with sensitivity, earnestness, and a touch of humor. Story: 7/10 I'm actually not as enamored with the story as many other people seem to be. The sheer amount of precision the game demands in and of itself would be enough to make it a 10, but the forgiving nature of the game makes the challenge much more manageable, so you can throw yourself at the same obstacle over and over and over and over again until you get it right, which is a godsend, because I would have honestly never bothered finishing the game if I had to deal with a lives system, or if it sent me back to the beginning of each level, or something like that. ![]() But this game doesn't kick you in the balls the way Cuphead does every time you die, you always re-spawn in the same frame that you died in, and it takes roughly half a second to re-spawn. I had more than 300 deaths in a single chapter once. Difficulty Level: 7/10 I know 7 seems fairly low considering how much time I've already spent re-emphasizing the demand for precision, and how often you're going to die, and I'm sure you've already seen many other reviews that describe it to be tough as nails, and it is, but (thankfully) the game doesn't punish you for dying over and over and over and over. But I don't want to scare off potential players who are not so keen on the sound of timing and precision based gameplay, since that doesn't sound particularly fun by description alone, but this is a joy to play and an innumerable amount of sequences had me smiling and feeling accomplished by their end. Every obstacle is laid out in front of you, clear for you to see, which makes the challenge more inviting than frustrating. It doesn't require you to memorize every obstacle coming next, because there's never anything popping up that you didn't expect. And none of your deaths feel out of your control. The challenge can be occasionally frustrating, and you may find yourself dying several hundred times in any given chapter (I'm not exaggerating, you will die a lot), but it's the good kind of frustration that invites you to persist, not the kind that will cause you to rage quit. gemstones that replenish your dash midair, bubbles that shoot you far off into certain directions, and the list goes on and on, each new mechanic requires you to use them with near perfect precision and timing. ![]() Whether they be platforms that disintegrate underneath you, platforms that move in sync with your dashing, walls you can dash through that have a unique effect. But the sheer amount of mileage these developers get out of such a simple base is staggering Gameplay: 10/10 While the controls are deceptively simple, every single chapter introduces a few new mechanics that you will have to master in order to progress. I'll break down my review into individual segments: Controls: 10/10 Very tight, extremely simple controls. I'll I don't like being a reactionist, or overpraising something too soon, but Celeste is one of the best 2D platformers I've ever played. I don't like being a reactionist, or overpraising something too soon, but Celeste is one of the best 2D platformers I've ever played.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |