Celeste

celeste has a certain magic to it that i really havent seen in any other game. each chapter truly feels like overcoming a true challenge, especially on 8 and 9. every death feels like a step forward and nothing ever feels like it isnt your fault. you can always pinpoint what went wrong, which even some of the best games fail to capture. it truly lets you experience celeste mountain through the pain and reward of pushing through each screen and the pressure and strain on madeline. the story is fairly straightforward and basic, but it works in the games favour by focusing on feeling. celeste is never just climbing a mountain. its about overcoming yourself. the main issue i have is with the collectibles. some of the strawberries are incredibly easy, and some are just not fun. this would maybe be okay if the difficulty coincided with the chapters, but its inconsistent. additionally, the gens are so far out of the way that you'll almost never find them on your own. also, some screens aren't enjoyable, but thats probably just me being bad. these are only minor gripes i have though: the storytelling and emotion is perfected, the gameplay is almost always fun and rewarding, and celeste is overall a masterclass of simple 2d platforming. and radeline is awesome.