Recent reviews by lofe

Wow, Stardew Valley is really a game that breaks the mold of most games, how?

Let's take a Final Fantasy game or a God of War game. In this game there's a story and in each story there's a threat. So, there are monsters, bosses and more to overcome as you progress. When you think about all games, more than 95% of them follow this pattern, so how can Stardew Valley be so successful by not following this pattern at all?

The game starts with the reading of a letter from our grandfather. Our character, bored with his work life, escapes from the metropolis and settles in a village house inherited from our grandfather. What you can do from this point on is almost limitless. You can plant crops and earn big money. You can collect resources in the mines and develop your own farm. You can buy poultry houses and barns and take care of the animals. You can even do nothing and just hang out with the villagers. The game is completely in your hands.

The game is a life simulation. Apart from the character you control, there is a living world. Each individual has their likes, dislikes, daily activities, family ties, everything. Getting to know those characters, giving them gifts and building good relationships with them, doing activities with special cinematics is perhaps the most enjoyable part of this game. And it's not one-sided.

How do they make it not one-sided? Let's say you've reached level 8 hearts after a long struggle with a character. At 2 hearts you have access to that person's room, which means they will say more and different things. At 4 hearts (or 3) you get a special cinematic and learn important information about a character you've never met. From 6 hearts onwards, they keep sending you gifts, which shows how our relationship is not one-sided. At 8 hearts, if it's a marriageable character, it means that you will become lovers. When you give a bouquet and become lovers, all their conversations change again. At the last level of 10 hearts, you can get married. This leads to a lot of cool things like her moving into your house, cooking for you, watering some crops for you.

The graphics of the game are amazing. You can have a unique humor with these graphics and you can see very tragic stories. It's hard not to be happy to think that only one person made this game and that it's been getting constant updates over the years.

If you're tired of seeing and playing the same kind of games over and over again, OneShot might be a nice short-term adventure for you, a completely different flavor. The story is actually quite simple upon a cursory examination. There is an item that will save the world, a main character who has to deliver it to the right place, and a few side characters who help him on his journey. But I can guarantee that nothing is as you think. OneShot is a game that will make you question right and wrong, fake and real. With every minute you spend, you'll get a better grasp of the story, get more attached to the NPCs and start thinking “So, what do I do now?”.

I can't help but say that there are little details in the game that you will find very sweet. Even after the game ends, Niko will always be your friend because of these little details. You will see her as more than a coded character and you will believe that she thinks about you and loves you. Well, if you've read this far, I think you've slowly added it to the cart. Good games in advance!

Now everyone has the same question, is it worth the money for a skiing game. First of all, if we look at the gameplay, we have a very smooth and powerful game, the gameplay is really comfortable and the sound of the wind hitting you in the face while jumping off a ramp creates the effect of hitting you in the face. As for the story, first of all this game is a sports game, so don't expect too much from the story, but it's not like it doesn't exist. There are 8 sports in the game right now, but one of them is sledding, I don't know if it counts as a sport and it gives you the feeling of being extreme in all sports. There is a lot of music in the game, so the producers have chosen a very good list. For creators, you can turn off copyrighted music in the settings section, and I think it's a small detail, but it's a well-thought-out delicacy. If we talk about the atmosphere, it is a very cold environment, after all, the game is set in the Alps, the game has a really twisted map and there are drop zones on this map that you need to open by going to certain places. Obviously it's hard to open these places on foot. But the pleasure of the job is to walk around the map and find those places yourself. Anyway, if we come to the main subject, I think it deserves the desired price with its game structure and big map that does not make you faint. I recommend everyone who loves winter sports to take a look.

Without spoiling too much about the story, I'd like to tell you about Undertale. Undertale is a small but heartfelt game with JRPG elements, humor, characters and morality-questioning situations. A game with so many positive reviews inevitably deserves a try. So what makes Undertale different from other games?

First of all, the game begins when a human falls in with the creatures that live underground. After a battle between humans and creatures, you soon realize that the creatures are imprisoned here and you set out to return home. On this road you will encounter friendly and hostile creatures. You can either fight and kill them or donate them. Whichever way you go, there are surprises, big and small, depending on your decisions during or at the end of the game. In short, there are several different endings. This is one of the factors that affect replayability. Also, even in these replays, the game can change. It can offer you different situations during the game.

You may think that you are in control of the game by making your own choices, but let me tell you this much; the game knows that you are playing the game and what you are doing. It's as if a rogue program has been written and you're presented with very strange situations. You know, like in Metal Gear Solid where Psycho Mantis can read the saved games on your memory card. It's absolutely awe-inspiring.

There is not much difficulty in the game mechanics. Leveling up, gaining experience, item exchanges, encountering invisible monsters while walking on the road and going into battle, etc., which we know from every JRPG. But don't expect a very deep infrastructure, of course. The battle mechanics are not only designed as attack/defense. When you attack, a small mini-game appears. You try to avoid the enemy's interventions on that small screen. Apart from the normal attack where you can defeat enemies, there are special situations for each of them. For example, you can talk to them, love them, insult them, and many more. Each enemy has a weak point, and sometimes you have to use various combinations to get around it. It's up to you to find that out.

Apart from these, there are also puzzles. However, they are not challenging at all, but rather entertaining. The game even makes fun of itself in this respect. There are references to other games and competitions. It is very mischievous in this respect.

As you can see from the graphics, it's a retro game. The music is the same way and I can say that it has the sweetest and most atmospheric music I've listened to in a long time. It's listenable even outside of the game. The dialogs are not voiced, but fonts suitable for each character are used and sound effects are used accordingly. Sometimes you can even think he is talking.

As a final word, I can say that it is a game that deserves its current price. It is a game that contains less than a JRPG and at the same time much more. You really get caught up in thinking about what's going to happen. In my opinion, as an indie game, it is a quality production that competes with the games of the year.

The first plus was that it pushed me to learn about history. And to read books and do research to learn about history. And it laid the groundwork for me to learn from the successes and mistakes of people in the past. This game is a strategy game set during World War II. It has tons of modes. Unfortunately, it's starting to suffer from Paradox Interactive's DLC policy. Unlike Europa Universalis, you give your military units to a general and give orders to the general. Also, you don't have to lay siege everywhere. The place you pass through is yours. But it becomes occupied and the people revolt and destroy factories. You can try to kill them, you can be compassionate and in the long run you have a chance to put down the rebellions. In the game, diplomacy and governance are usually done through focal points. Internal affairs in particular are almost entirely based on foci and events (known as Events). Although diplomacy can be done from the menu to some extent, many things are provided by foci. Apart from that, you also have the chance to do research. You need to research weapons, tanks, even doctrines. You can get political advisors. You can also get military advisors. Also, you can assign companies to production jobs and you can get the power-ups of those companies. There are many companies like Ferrari and so on. So what's wrong with these consultants? They also have special empowerment, some of them have additional decisions, 'decisions'. For example, if you take Heinrich Himmler as an advisor, one advisor will be closed because he will not work with him. However, you have the chance to print 'SS' divisions. To learn about SS, you just need to write on the internet. They have the most powerful 'default' division draft in the game. But none of them are free. You can make these moves in exchange for political points. Political points come with time and some focuses. Decisions are also usually made with political points. Then there is production and resources. Your resources change according to the mines in your lands. You can import your missing resources. A tip, if you do not dominate all the seas during the war, do not buy resources by sea. If the resource is insufficient, production slows down. In the Production tab, you can choose what to produce and how many military factories will produce it. This is also where we use to build ships. If you look a little bit, you will understand. By the way, when I said factories, I didn't mean the construction part. The construction part allows you to use your civilian factories to build new structures, roads, oil extraction equipment, shipyards and reactors. How do you get a civilian factory? You build them! At first, each state has some factories. Print civilian factories with them at the beginning of the game. Towards the end of 1937, start building military ones. Remember, they are built one by one. Don't build 10 in one area. If the area is bombed, you will be destroyed. I know from my own experience.

Unfortunately, explaining what Terraria is is not an easy task, because there are very few, if any, similar games. One is tempted to call it a two-dimensional Minecraft, but this shallow description is perhaps the biggest insult that can be done to the game. However, forcing myself a little bit and simplifying the game unintentionally, I can say the following: “Terraria is a character development game that blends survival and RPG elements”. Since I am not a person who is very familiar with game genres and the industry, there is a high chance that I may have used the wrong terms, so I would like to explain the content of my description in headings.

What is the purpose of Terraria?
The aim of Terraria is to kill the creatures, which are defined as “Bosses” and are quite numerous, by gradually developing your character with the activities you will do throughout the game. In this respect, the game progresses in a kind of loop. You develop your character, slay the boss, continue to improve yourself with the items you get from the boss or the new tools you gain access to thanks to the boss, and so on. It may sound boring, but the development of your character in the game is handled in such a sweet, smooth way that you become insatiable and almost addicted to the game, saying, “We've done this, let's slay the next boss”.

What does Terraria promise to its players?
As I mentioned above, Terraria is a game based on character development. In this context, in order to make character development as bumpy as possible, the content needs to be quite abundant; and “abundant” would be an inadequate adjective for the content this game contains. I don't have the numbers memorized, but there are thousands of items available to you, hundreds of enemies, weapons, equipment and armor, and dozens of bosses. You reach these items step by step during your gameplay. For example, a boss that you kill either drops an item or through a different mechanic in the game gives you access to a mine or region that already exists in the game world but cannot be accessed. In this way, you can access hundreds of new in-game content with every step you take.

What makes Terraria different from other games, especially Minecraf? Why is this game, with its two-dimensional and, for many, ugly visuals, so highly praised?
As I mentioned in the introduction, there is no game I know of that is similar to Terraria. First of all, it has such a serious amount of content that you need to spend a lot of time on the wiki pages, find various builds, and follow guides on how to use the game mechanics to your advantage for each boss. In this context, I would like to point out that if you don't like reading the wiki, this game is unfortunately not for you. But don't get discouraged, unlike classic RPG wikis, in this game you only read the wiki to find out which item comes from which enemy and what you need to craft an item - which is somewhat alleviated by the latest encyclopedia mechanic. The point I'm trying to make is that browsing a wiki for hours doesn't mean sitting down and reading a book page by page; it's simply browsing. Of course, there is a high probability of getting lost in the pages by saying “Oh, there is something like this, what is this?”.

In this sense, Terraria connects you to the wiki and the game at the same time, you can't do much in one without the other. Of course, this is not a feature that makes the game special, but a small warning I want to give to those who want to play it.

What makes the game special is the excess of content I've mentioned many times, the inexhaustibility, the constant character development and the sense of discovery. At first it's hard enough to cut a little slime, but as you progress, you start to grow wings, fly, ride UFOs, and fight giant aliens with magical blades you throw. And fear not, this progression doesn't happen in long bursts. It's constant, every time you craft a new item or equip a new suit of armor, which makes for a very satisfying game to play.

In addition to development, you are surprised with every new discovery and can't stop yourself from wanting more. “What the hell is this, let me put this on,” your game hours go on and on. Every new cave you find, every new biome, every new chest you open, every new item you wear, every new weapon you use, every new creature you see almost hypnotizes you and you don't want to leave the game to discover more.

What can you do in Terraria?
The game consists of two stages; Pre-hardmode, which is not much different from a normal survival game and lasts for a couple of hours, and hardmode, which you will pass after cutting the boss called Wall of Flesh, which will keep you nailed to your seat for dozens of hours.

Although Pre-hardmode is rich in content compared to other survival games, it does not fully show what Terraria is, it is like a tasting. In this mode, there are 4-5 bosses you can slay, 4-5 mines you can dig, 10-20 “cool” items you can acquire and a limited weapon scale. What you really need to do in this mode is to build a “base” for yourself and prepare for the hardmode with the NPCs you will collect from various parts of the game world. That's why this stage doesn't take long, in a couple of hours you'll have done everything you can do and you'll be ready to move on to hardmode.

Hardmode is when the game really starts to pull you in, when it finally agrees to give you everything. Not only do you get a new biome, but you gain access to hundreds and thousands of new in-game content. Just when you were starting to feel like a god in pre-hardmode, in hardmode, old enemies get stronger and you're faced with new enemies that are far more powerful. For this reason, you are likely to decorate your map with tombstones in the first few hours of hardmode. In this phase, you'll encounter the most absurd weapons, the coolest features, the most diverse enemies, the cutest creatures, the strangest events, and various random “events” in the game world will be the icing on the cake.

NPCs also take on a different meaning in this mode, at first they seem boring and pointless, but gradually you start to realize their function, you start to apply a lot to the nurse you thought you had no use for before, and you become more and more friendly with various NPCs that you used to insult as “what's your purpose”.

Does the game have an ending?
Unfortunately, as with all good things, you reach an ending in this game. I won't mention what it is to avoid spoilers, but as you can see from the hours I've spent on the game, you don't reach this ending right away (I also want to mention that I've played this much on my old account), and even after you reach it, you have the opportunity to double or triple your game hours with hundreds of mods prepared by the game's friendly community, some of which have more content than the main game (and now that workshop support is available, accessing these mods has become incredibly easy) or more difficult mods offered by the game.

As a result, Terraria promises you much more serious and more fun than a 300 liras AAA game, especially if you have friends to play with. I believe that no one should miss such a masterpiece. With this article, I am happy if I have removed the question marks in the minds of those who want to play but are undecided. I wish good fun to those who will buy it in advance!

Portal 2 is a game that every human being should play at least once in their lifetime. In today's monotonous and materialistic gaming world, it is one of the most beautiful works that shows that games are not just consumer products with a few mechanics and beautiful graphics; they can actually be used as an art form. While most games, if we exclude the effect of nostalgia, fail to keep up with the rapid changes in today's technology and become obsolete within a few years due to the new mechanics and graphics developed, Portal 2 does not become obsolete even after years because it is not just about these. Even though it came out exactly 10 years ago, it is a masterpiece that even a person who has never played it before can pick it up, play it and be impressed by it.

I finish Portal 2 at least once every year. As I said, Portal 2 is not a consumer product. Just like how a poem doesn't die by being read, just like a song doesn't lose its old taste by being listened to - on the contrary, it gains meaning day by day, just like theater plays written centuries ago are still staged today, Portal 2 doesn't die because it is a product of art in itself, instead of competing with the years and inevitably being defeated, it adds value to its existence with the years in accordance with its nature, and continues to add value to its position in the game culture rather than trying to protect it. Who knows, maybe the biggest reason why Valve didn't develop a Portal 3 is that the number at the end of Portal 2 was put at the end of the first Portal game in order not to break the integrity of the subject and not to cause confusion, rather than to turn the first Portal game into a series. Because serialized and non-artistic materials are usually produced in order to exploit today's consumer society a little more, they are meaningless when examined on their own; because their purpose of existence is to fill the whole. Portal 2, on the other hand, makes you feel during every second you spend in it that it is not designed as a bridge between the first Portal game and the upcoming Portal game. Instead of being a part of a whole and therefore losing its integrity, it comes across as a real work that is consistent and satisfying in itself.

For this reason, it seems absurd to talk about the game's mechanics, graphics and music separately. Portal 2 is not a material that can be analyzed in segments. Portal 2 is an inseparable whole that is the result of many parts such as graphics and mechanics that are simple on their own and will succumb to the years, combined with a story that would not be that effective when analyzed alone, and music that is of high quality but does not contain a unity on its own. It becomes clearer with every hour you spend in the game that the producers did not make this game to make money, but with passion and love. Portal 2 is one of the most important productions that shows that games don't have to be monotonous products that are released annually to generate revenue, and that games can be meaningful works of art - again, if we exclude the feeling of nostalgia.

I'll say it again, this game is a work of art, a work of art that allows everyone who plays it to make their own meaning, a work of art that anyone who is bored of the boring and repetitive industry will appreciate. Play it, make them play it, sir.

Singleplayer mode is fantastic! The story, the characters, and the map are all top-notch. Even after multiple playthroughs, it remains engaging, and I definitely prefer it to the story in GTA 4.

However, I have some reservations about the online aspect of the game, which is why I hesitate to recommend it. I feel like many players are drawn to it primarily for the online multiplayer. Don’t misunderstand me; I used to really enjoy it, racking up over 250 hours of online gameplay. It seemed like the perfect multiplayer experience, especially with the constant updates and variety of content available. But here’s the issue: a year and a half ago, the balance was much better, and prices were fair.

Then came the Import/Export updates that changed everything dramatically. It felt like this:

"Hey there! Want to dive into the new content? Just get our shiny new garage for a cool 2 million."

Next up was Gunrunning, and my thoughts were:

"Check out this exciting update! You can grab a bunker for only 1.5 million. Oh, but you’ll also need to upgrade your equipment for another million. And don’t forget—bringing in extra staff will set you back half a million! But wait, be prepared for raids that will wipe your progress unless you invest 400K into cameras to keep them at bay. Want to modify your weapons in a workshop? You’ll need a trailer for that, too, priced between 1 to 2.5 million. Looking to improve your shooting skills? That’ll be 700K! Prefer a different color for your gear? Better budget 105K for that paint job. And hey, if you want to rest a bit, the key for the nap room is 265K. A gun locker that you might not even use? That’s 175K. Interested in some caddies? They’re 85K or 120K for a bigger version. And don't forget about the jaw-dropping new cars! You can snag one that launches missiles for a neat 4 to 5 million!"

Then there was Smuggler's Run:

"Welcome! This update focuses on planes. Want a hangar? That’ll run you between 1 to 5 million, depending on the choice you make. Interested in style? You can pick one for 100K or go with the fancier one for 320K. Fancy special lights? Sure thing—just remember, the fancier your hangar, the pricier the lights! Do you want some fancy artwork on the floor? We can paint that for you for up to 200K, much like the apartment you bought last year for heists! If you’re looking for furniture, expect to pay another 280K for a simple wall. Need access to your bed? That’ll be between 235K and 375K. Want to customize your 500K glider? You guessed it—WORKSHOP! And that figure you see, 1,150,000? You got it—it’s the price!"

The prices for new content have become outrageous. To really enjoy the game, you've either got to grind hard for in-game currency – if you're sticking to the fair side without hacking, which is another significant issue plaguing this game – or fork over a hefty amount for overpriced cards. Personally, I don’t have the luxury of playing all day, I'm not interested in cheating, and I definitely don't want to pay twice the game’s price just to access some cards, so I decided to step away. Ever since then, I’ve tuned out of the game, stopped watching videos, and ignored all the updates. Occasionally, I’ll notice there’s a new update and pop in for a moment, only to see that a vehicle with a few missiles is going for over 4 million.

Then, a new heist update rolls around, and my first thought is, "Great, another heist—maybe things will go back to when you could buy a house for 200k and still unlock all the content."

But the truth is a bit different: "Welcome back! Check out this shiny new heist room—it’s just 2 million! Same concept as before, but now it costs a fortune."

With my limited playtime, it’s hard to enjoy any of the new content. Plus, there’s the ongoing issue of hackers. I finally get into a lobby after waiting 10 minutes, and then I find myself instantly teleported to an airport with a few other players, engaging in bizarre animations. I always report the hacker when I figure out who they are, but it hardly seems to make a difference. I've heard some tragic stories of players getting banned for no reason, but thankfully that hasn’t happened to me—yet.

Forza Horizon 4 is a paradise for car enthusiasts, boasting a stunning lineup of over 700 vehicles (thanks to the Ultimate edition). It also serves as an exhilarating playground for racing fans, offering a considerable map filled with a diverse array of racing events. Personally, I've dabbled in numerous racing games on Steam, but none have captivated me quite like Forza Horizon 4. Although it’s unfortunate that it arrived on Steam later than hoped, I’ve certainly made the most of it, racking up over 300 hours of gameplay as I write this.

Is Forza Horizon 4 flawless? Unfortunately, it has its flaws. The Steam version comes with some pesky bugs. While the frequency of random crashes has decreased after recent updates, they still occur sporadically, especially since this version lags behind the one available on the Microsoft Store. Whether these issues will ever be fully resolved remains uncertain. Additionally, online racing can be a bit of a gamble—wait times can be frustrating for those eager to compete with others. Fortunately, the game offers so much content that many players can easily stay entertained without diving into online races.

Despite these downsides, I wholeheartedly recommend the game, as it generally runs smoothly for extended play sessions.

If you opt for the standard version, you’ll have access to the main map, a whimsical rendition of Great Britain. Here, you can partake in an assortment of events like classic street races, dirt tracks, and even intense off-road competitions. There are also exciting challenges, such as speed traps, drifting contests, spectacular jumps, and unique promotional events—think racing the Halo Warthog or competing against trains. Not to mention, there are neat story-driven events like racing for Top Gear or launching your own businesses. There’s certainly no shortage of content.

And if you go for the expansions, you’ll uncover new maps, starting with Fortune Island, which is, as the name suggests, an island featuring various altitudes, plenty of off-roading, and breathtaking nighttime visuals (looking at you, Aurora Borealis). The Lego Speed Champions map offers a delightful, creatively designed experience inspired by Lego toys, complete with its own quirky settings, like a pirate ship beach, a haunted lighthouse, and a stunt arena—all accompanied by a radio station that plays "Everything is Awesome" on a continuous loop. Both expansions introduce unique progression systems and new vehicles to add to your collection. Fortune Island guides you through a series of treasure hunts, each rewarding you with a cool million credits, while the Lego expansion tasks you with collecting studs to help build your dream house and gain access to even more cars. Plus, they bring their own fresh take on the types of events you enjoy in the base game.

With 700 cars at your disposal, there's truly something for everyone. If you want to take it a step further, each vehicle can be custom tuned to match your preferences with a wide range of parts and modifications, including complete engine swaps. And if you're not the hands-on type, no worries—the community has plenty of options, letting you download custom tunes created by others. Forza Horizon 4 stands out as one of the most generous racing games I’ve encountered, showering you with cars. You can earn them through events, wheelspins, leveling up, completing specific tasks, or finding them in barn finds that feel like little treasure hunts. Plus, you can purchase cars from an auto show or try your luck at the in-game auction house, which is also a fantastic way to earn money for expanding your collection. In short, Horizon delivers when it comes to automotive variety—it’s like Pokémon, but for car enthusiasts.

Once you've snagged that dream car, don’t forget to give it a unique flair. Many vehicles allow for visual customization, from spoilers to bumpers, and you can even personalize the paint jobs with custom designs. Fancy cruising in a Jurassic Park Jeep or the Bandit 1 from Smokey and the Bandit? Forza has you covered. If you prefer to admire the cars up close, the Forzavista feature lets you interact with your vehicle—open and close doors, check out the trunk, or peek under the hood to see the engine. And if you grab the James Bond pack, you'll even get to explore some of those cool gadgets, like machine guns on certain Bond cars. It’s all pretty exciting.

So, is Forza Horizon 4 worth it? Absolutely, yes.

In light of the many glowing reviews, I found myself eager to dive into Celeste. Without spoiling anything, I braced for what is often described as an extraordinary experience. Initially, I felt somewhat underwhelmed, as I hadn’t yet grasped the adventure that lay ahead. However, as I delved deeper into the story, my appreciation for the game grew, and I eventually felt a great sense of accomplishment upon reaching the peak of Mount Celeste. The saying, “the journey is more important than the destination,” perfectly encapsulates this game.

A heads-up for those considering picking it up: Celeste is a precision platformer and can be quite unforgiving, so be ready to face plenty of failures (I recorded 1221 deaths on my first playthrough!).

[+] Challenging is an apt way to describe Celeste. Much like Super Meat Boy, this 2D platformer leaves little room for error—one hit from an enemy, and you’re instantly sent back to the start of the screen. The silver lining is the impressively short respawn times, making those frequent deaths less frustrating. While dying is almost a guarantee, the straightforward and responsive controls keep things fair; it’s tough, not unfair. As you progress through the levels, each new challenge introduces additional platforming mechanics, gradually ramping up the difficulty. These elements add a fresh twist to your gameplay, making advancement feel like an achievement. It's a prime example of a game that’s easy to pick up but tough to truly master.


[+] Each level shines with its own distinct theme and is paired with an outstanding soundtrack, making the experience even more engaging. I won’t dive too deep into this, as you can easily catch a glimpse of it in the trailer.

[+] What truly sets Celeste apart is its story. While the gameplay is solid, the narrative elevates the experience to a new level (pun intended!). The game intricately weaves themes of mental health and personal growth into its plot. The main character, Madeline, grapples with various negative emotions like fear, anger, anxiety, and depression, which even take shape in the form of Badeline—a clever twist, don’t you think?

The evolution of their relationship is truly inspiring. What begins as a hostile dynamic transforms into one of support and growth. Through her climb, Madeline showcases unwavering determination to improve herself. The challenging gameplay mirrors the daunting nature of facing one’s personal struggles, perfectly embodying the metaphor of the mountain. I found the journey so moving that it inspired me to pay more attention to my own mental health.

[+] I really enjoyed the final level, Summit, as it perfectly blends the narrative and gameplay elements. From a gameplay perspective, it’s a challenging recap of your climb, showcasing various platforming mechanics in a fresh environment. Story-wise, it signifies a significant turning point in self-improvement, symbolized by reaching the summit, and kickstarts a wonderful partnership between M(B)adeline. Overall, it’s just a fantastic level.

[+] Finishing the main storyline is just the beginning. While the game doesn’t take long to complete (around 5 hours, depending on your skills), it offers a good challenge and enough time for meaningful plot development. The real excitement begins with the additional levels. You can find hidden collectibles like crystal hearts and B-side cassettes that unlock much tougher levels, designed for those who love precision platforming. I gave them a fair shot but eventually had to stop, as I wasn’t enjoying the experience. Still, it’s great to have those tougher challenges available, especially for players who thrive on difficulty!

[-] Celeste delivers a precision platforming experience like no other. It's evident that the game's inherent difficulty plays a crucial role in conveying its story and messages. However, I can't help but think that even the core mechanics might deter casual gamers. While the captivating narrative appeals to many, the gameplay seems tailored for a specific audience. For those who aren't prepared, this could lead to frustration instead of the rewarding challenge it intends to be.

That said, Celeste is an incredible journey, but it truly resonates with those who appreciate precision platforming. I, too, admire platformers but found moments where my patience was tested (a quick break usually did the trick). It's important to highlight that Celeste transcends mere platforming; it masterfully weaves together tough gameplay with outstanding storytelling. Embracing failure is crucial to experiencing this heartfelt adventure fully.

While I truly love this game, I can only suggest it if you're prepared to endure some challenges. Trust me, it's definitely worth it!