Indie Celeste

[Hendo]

Super hard indie platformer? Count me in and watch as I never complete it.

 

This is made by the people who made Towerfall and although it is 2D and retro styled, it’s a completely different thing as it’s a single player game, more like Super Meat Boy.

 

There’s optional collectibles (strawberries) but the thing I find concerning is part of it is gated by other collectibles. Featured in this video by Dunkey:

 

 

I’m on the third chapter and it hasn’t been too difficult so far but I can see where it’s headed.

[retroed]

Just finished chapter 3.

 

Playing handheld on Switch, had to turn the rumble off as it was getting a bit much. Dying lots,  and loving it. 

[Hendo]

I think I was actually on chapter 2 when I posted, got confused about where the prologue fitted in.

I’m somewhere near the end of chapter 3 now.

 

You picked up any of the tapes, Ed? I’ve found two - tried them and they are monsters.

 

I think I’ll be happy if I can just finish the main game, the idea of finding everything just fills me with dread. Some of those strawberries are just bastards.

[regemond]

I read about the assist features of this game and it immediately impressed me:

 

Celeste is hard, but its creators are smart about difficulty - Polygon

 

Quote

There’s a handful of options available to cycle through at will, like becoming invincible, extending the all-important air dash ability and slowing the whole game down in 10 percent intervals. Assist Mode allows for any combination of these to work at any time; if my redhead hiker hit one of the mountain’s spikes more than I could stand in one area, I could just turn her invincible for a hot second to alleviate the pain.

 

Just seems really good for anyone with less ability in this kind of game, without reducing the enjoyability for anyone who can boss it! 

[Hendo]

I didn’t know about any of that! I saw there was an assist mode and left it turned off.

Seeing as there’s no trophies or cheevs to work for on the Switch I might use it if it gets a bit too much.

[ThreeFour]

Nice @Hendo I like the look of this. Think it'll be a Switch purchase when I do get round to it.

[retroed]

2 hours ago, Hendo said:

You picked up any of the tapes, Ed? I’ve found two - tried them and they are monsters.

 

Not yet!

 

I started going for all the strawberries i could find, but soon stopped. I think I'll play through the main game and go back again and try for the extras. Some are well tricky. 

 

I did find a secret room, which adds something to the main menu once found. 

 

 

a Pico-8 machine that has a retro version of Celeste. It's good!

 

[Hendo]

Yeah I found that, a nice touch.

[retroed]

Chapter 4 done, with 182 deaths. 

[Hendo]

Nearly caved and turned on assist mode when I was stuck on this bit - no spoilers:

 

 

Instead I searched the chapter on YouTube and found that what I was attempting really was impossible and the solution was far easier and more elegant. I love stuff like that.

 

I’m pretty much ignoring most of the strawberries at this point, save for ones I think I can get.

[retroed]

Just finished chapter 5, with 210 deaths. Probably my favourite so far. I was not expecting the story to be as good as it is. 

[retroed]

And finished. 2276 deaths in total!

 

Very tough towards the end, especially a few bits in the final chapter, but I managed it without resorting to any assists or YouTube videos. The ending is great. Loved it. 

[retroed]

Stick. You need the analogue movement. 

 

@mr lakitu

[illdog]

I’ve just finished the first Chapter, now I’m used to the controls I’m jumping around like a good’un. This is gonna be a game I play in bed before sleepy time.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention how much I liked the music so far, has this ominous undertone, reminded me of Stranger Things theme a tiny bit.

[retroed]

1 hour ago, illdog said:

 This is gonna be a game I play in bed before sleepy time

 

I had to have half an hour's wind down before I could go to bed last night after I'd finally managed to do a part I'd died a hundred times on. 

[retroed]

Yeah I did listen to that, and I'm in agreement with Mat. I don't understand how Farley could have played through the entire game using only the PS4 D-pad. 

[illdog]

On 30/01/2018 at 1:45 PM, retroed said:

 

I did find a secret room, which adds something to the main menu once found. 

 

 

Did you finish it?

 

 

 

 

That was a tough half hour. You get a third jump at 2000m.

[Hendo]

Wow, I guessed it would be never ending.

[retroed]

Same. I'll have to go back to it at some point. 

[illdog]

I finished Chapter 3 yesterday. 

 

I had had some real issues with the analog stick, especially at the end

when you’re being chased by the guy who runs the hotel

. I was doing diagonal ups right instead of horizontal right a lot. Put the fast paced nature of that section on top of these control problems and you had me dying quite a few times. Ive never experienced that problem before but then again I’ve not yet played a game that demanded quick response in a 2D setting on the Switch. Is there a recalibrate option? Just thought of that whilst typing. Also, I’m thirsty.

 

The above aside I’m really enjoying the game. You get certain rooms that tax you but so far I’ve never been stuck for long so it feels like continual progress which is good for the mind state. The soundtrack has been cool so far too.