The Epic Games Store is known for its monthly free offerings. They give PC gamers the chance to pick up some great titles that they may have never experienced before. This time around, the beautiful platformer Celeste is being offered on the platform for no charge. It’s an amazing deal considering how good of a platformer Celeste is.
It has received so many awards and is highly rated on virtually every major review site. The premise is particularly unique, so much so that it will make you re-think how platformers should be made going forward. You get to help Madeline survive her inner demons as she ventures to the top of Celeste Mountain. The narrative-driven style wraps you in an emotional story, with characters that you’ll grow attached to pretty quickly.
The controls are extremely user-friendly, which is great if you don’t have much experience with these types of games. Like most platformers, you’ll be able to jump, climb, and even air dash. The difference here is the amazing depths you’ll venture through. You’ll run into difficult sessions that lead to death. After a while, though, you’ll learn from your mistakes and make it higher and higher up this amazing mountain of challenges.
If you’re looking to up the difficulty scale even more, you can unlock the B-side chapters. They’re not for novice platformers. They’re intended for the best of the best. There are over 700 screens you’ll get to enjoy along your journey to the top of Celeste Mountain. The visuals are so full of life and personality. Their 2D nature will bring on some nostalgia, especially if you grew up playing video games in the 80’s and 90’s.
Another unique design that works well is quick respawns. The moment you die, you’re back in the action ready to resume where you left off. It helps keep up the momentum and the action. The story is certainly one that will be tugging at your hearts strings. This is pretty rare for a game of this genre. Normally, these games have a whimsical feel where you’re just looking to have fun and beat some bosses.
In Celeste, you’re emotionally involved with the journey Madeline must go on, faced with societal pressures of modern living. The conversations you have and the overall themes on display make the story that much more impactful.
Overall, Celeste is the perfect pickup if you’re looking for a moving, challenging game for free.
