Three Sheep and a Wood

I replayed Celeste for about an hour and a half. I am struck, every time I play the game, by how much story is told through actual gameplay. Playing the game tells the story of the work. The game simultaneously uses core engagements through the same mechanics. The game uses challenge and narrative, just by jumping. Of course, it must venture into other modes of engagement. I think the primary purpose of this game is to tell a story about overcoming anxiety, to do that it is an extremely hard platformer. A hard platformer makes the player anxious and the end is often like climbing a mountain. The visual style also starts dark and dim–then by the end you reach the top there is light. Along with this, as you make peace with yourself you are able to gain an extra jump. Everything in this game is telling one story.

However, I would like to note that the game has an easy mode. The game maker wanted the game to be accessible to all, so they invented a mode which makes the gameplay not important. Instead, the creators have said they wanted everyone to experience the story. So even if it breaks the core gameplay–making the game basically impossible to lose–even the most nascent gamer can finish the game. So is the core aspect of jumping even necessary or is it the narrative. The game acknowledges this breaks the game but still provides it–this is curious to me