Learning your limits – platforming as a metaphor in Celeste and Gris

Visually, Celeste and Gris couldn’t look further apart. Celeste is set in the harsh, icy tundra of the Canadian wilderness, a million miles away from the surreal and soft watercolour world of Gris. Beyond one’s colourful pixels and the other’s inky dreamscape, however, both games have a similar core. They both feature female platforming protagonists vaulting over obstacles, jumping from wall to wall, and dashing through levels but in a way that takes platforming ideas and themes in a different direction. Celeste and Gris use the mechanics of platforming to create two character portraits of women dealing with sadness, anxiety, and pain. Through their closely knit story and gameplay, both games express the vulnerabilities of these characters and teach us important lessons of self-care and self-patience. Celeste tells the story of Madeline, a young woman who will do anything it takes to climb to the summit of a terrifying mountain. You’ll be navigating some incredibly tricky stages, through blizzards, over rocky crags, and into the depths of the mountain. The struggle pushes both Madeline, and the player, to the brink. As you traverse the mountain she suffers from several panic attacks, and it's slowly established that she struggles with anxiety, self-loathing, and depression.

from PCGamesN http://bit.ly/2QPRoPP