Ah, you beast of mountain, Celeste, how easy you are to love!

Like our redheaded protagonist Madeline, I too attempted this climb at a bad moment in my life. Why? Truth be told, after last year's The End Is Nigh I didn't see myself falling for another precision platformer, but a let's play series changed my mind: This was, without a doubt, cutest game of the year and I needed that. I needed a run-of-the-mill success story in my life. This doesn't mean the story is bad, far from it, but one can find it a little on the nose. Which is perfectly fine. Again, I needed the game telling me that "i can do this."

So, what's the deal with story? Very briefly, Celeste is a supernatural mountain and Madeline's inner demons don't want her there. But she made her mind, she will make it to the summit. If conquering the mountain requires conquering inner fears, so be it! Friends you make along the way is just the cherry on top (or is it? Can one truly conquer demons without a little help from one's friends?)

Okay, so story is what brought me to foot of this mountain, but that alone can't compel me to make it to summit. No, dear reader, this game offers possibly the best platforming of the year. What's delightful is that developers are extremely generous with player expression. You can make the game as easy or as hard as you like. No, I'm not just talking of assist mode (but it's there) but also: There are 7+1 levels, with +1 being optional. There are pickups you may or may not choose to collect, some (casette tapes) offering hard-mode levels and some (strawberries) offering nothing at all.
So if you're here just for the story, make yourself invulnerable and walk through the levels. If you want the base game alone, climb the mountain (which, according to speedrunners, can be done in 29 minutes). For a casual playthrough, pick some strawberies along the way. Further challenge? Get all of them. Further-er challenge? +1 optional level. Furthest challenge? Hard-mode levels. Furthest-er challenge? Completing hard-mode levels unlock hardest-mode levels. Furthest-est challenge? Do them... without dying a single time this time. (Disclaimer: I'm currently on last hard-mode level, not daring to put myself through that ordeal just yet. I don't think I have it in me to attempt hardest-mode.)(Addendum: Okay nevermind, I have beaten last hard-mode level, and also, 5 out of 8 hardest-mode levels. Turns out I had it in me.)
And yet, despite all these sadistically brutal levels of difficulty, developer doesn't mind if you don't play them. Quite the contrary, loading screens remind you that dying in the game is natural and expected and further, celebrated. They tell you to take regular breaks. You, as a player, feel loved, just as you come to love Madeline.

And the gameplay? One of the most active speedrunning communities today give their seal of approval: tight as a stubborn bottle cap. Is it perfect? For most players (that is, if you don't attempt to push the game to its limits) you won't see any flaws in it. (Note: this doesn't mean flawless, but for allmost intents and purposes it is. Of course, not everyone has to love precision platformers but if you do like precision platformers DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.
And the visuals? One word: Delightful. Art style is brilliant, and cute, and weirdly experimental at times. Main game is pixel-art, but character portraits and level completion screens are hand-drawn cartoon-like, but level-select screen is 3D. And all meshes beautifully together. Uniquely coherent.
And the audio? First, characters' gibberish speech straight up doubles their lovable natures. Music? Very successful, especially considering dying dozens of time on a screen can send you to a blind rage. Music doesn't get on your nerves at any point. At each level there are enough of variation, but they are composed thematically together. The only way I can see players bored of music is if they start challenge-runs and their time spent on levels reach 10 hour a piece. Then yes, it may get repetitive but come on now, "remember to take regular breaks." (I may be selling the soundtrack a bit short, let me be clearer: I like it so that I occassionally listen to it by itself.)

And thus I too stood atop a mountain, watching the sunrise/set at the horizon below. I didn't know it at the time but the game was right: I could do it. And I'm ever grateful for the game believing in me, and giving me a cute surrogate that I could believe in, in turn. Madeline, Theo, Maddy and Noel; thanks for all.