Why is the story so pretentious?

[Step Kick Kick Leap Kick Touch]

Pretends to be thought provoking or moving but can't prevent being drawn out, cliche, and boring.

[Bloom]

Originally posted by dn:

Pretends to be thought provoking or moving but can't prevent being drawn out, cliche, and boring.

Eh. Its surface level, sure. But its not really "pretentious". It gets more praise then it deserves, but its not bad or anything

[Momus!]

100% agree.

[❍peth]

I think your view is easier to come by if you avoid all the B/C-sides and secrets, or just take the written plot at flat face value rather than internalizing the challenges laid out for your character as an analog for personal growth.

For me the story really culminated in the endings of 7B/7C rather than when you first reach the summit and bake a pie.

Badeline coming to the conclusion that "Nothing can stop us"
and the Old Lady mentioning "Funny how we get attached to the struggle"

Those are great moments that emphasize, for me, the strength of self-confidence and the reward of choosing challenges towards the goal of steadily improving oneself, however gradually.

[❍peth]

also to keep myself in check, I wont deny the cliche-ness of the story or that I can be a little oversensitive during a movie/game/book and it feels easier to tug at my heartstrings than it probably does for most people..

[Landl0cked]

I did not get this game for the story. Whe you play a lot of games where you have to find the story and put effort into it, it just makes games like this boringn because you know what'll happen before it does. Environmental station alpha was an amazing game for the puzzle storyline aspect so other games just don't live up to that easy.
However this game is one of the best pplatformers ive played.

[Ava]

In my opinion, It's less of a plot and more of just a large metaphor for depression and anxiety. The story is pretty simple and cliche because it's a platformer and there isn't much room for a story in a 2D platformer, but it does leave room for some deep stuff if you actually take the time to analyse the story.

[ei balls]

It's less of a story and more of a character development, and they mix it with gameplay so well. Not really pretentious at all

[Hero Puddle]

Could you elaborate? I thought it was one of the best game stories I've seen and don't see how it could be pretentious.

[ei balls]

Lets notice that OP doesnt own the game, so there is a considerable chance he is talking out of his ass

[Arlyeon [Crit Hit]]

Or that he played less than two hours, and refuned it.

[ei balls]

Originally posted by CapriciousCancer - Arlyeon:

Or that he played less than two hours, and refuned it.

I think it'd still show up in his library if he refunded it

[ei balls]

Originally posted by Eiballs:

Originally posted by CapriciousCancer - Arlyeon:

Or that he played less than two hours, and refuned it.

I think it'd still show up in his library if he refunded it

Cuz I refunded Hollow Knight because it didn't run well and it was still in my library, just with a Buy button instead of a Play button, and my hours played still showed up.

[Unreliable Narrator]

A game that you refund but have installed will stay installed (just not playable). Once you uninstall it, you wont be able to download it again until you re-buy it. It also doesn't appear in your profile library even if you do keep it installed. It'll save your time played and achievements though. Probably to incentivize you to buy it again if you have second thoughts down the road.

Anyway, many people these days misuse the word "pretentious" and really don't know what it means. I'm getting the feeling that the OP did exactly this. Celeste has a very simplistic message and delivery (not a bad thing really) combined with cutesy charm. Those two factors alone pretty much disqualify it from being pretentious. It never treats the player like it's beneath him or her, or that it's smarter. Also, I wouldn't put it in the category of "doesn't take itself too seriously" because the creator obviously cared about the story and theme, but it certainly strays nowhere near "takes itself too seriously" territory. Not even close.

If you want a pretentious game, take a look at Braid. Particularly the whole 'atomic bomb metaphor' thing. A great game on its own but definitely pretentious. It constantly beats you over the head with "LOOK HOW SMART THIS GAME IS! LOOK! LOOOOOK!" Celeste is absolutely nothing like that whatsoever.

[bep]

galaxy brain: going on the forums for a 2d precision platformer that you didn't even finish and complaining that the story is too cliche in order to bait angry replies

[zachisbest]

universe brain: using the galaxy brain as an excuse to rant about a different 2d platformer that came out a decade ago to bait angrier replies