*This article contains major spoilers for Celeste! * 
Celeste is a beautiful game. It follows the story of the protagonist, Madeline, climbing Celeste Mountain, while also struggling to climb the mountain within herself. She meets an old woman, who warns her that the mountain isn’t a normal mountain. It has many secrets, and climbing it is a difficult adventure, both physically and emotionally. This is shown in many ways. 
Perhaps the most interesting is the character Part of You, known by many in the community as Badeline. She first appears in Chapter 2, and she represents Madeline’s self-doubt, anxiety, and depression. Badeline tells you that you will never be able to climb the mountain, and she chases you through many of the rooms in Chapter 2, making you avoid staying in one place for too long. Eventually, you wake up and realize Chapter 2 was a dream. This leads you to believe that Badeline was a figment of Madeline’s imagination, but as the game progresses, you learn that this isn’t true... 
In chapter 3, you meet Mr. Oshiro, a ghost who runs a hotel. The hotel is old and was closed a long time ago, but Mr. Oshiro believes it is still open for business. You make your way through the hotel, avoiding mysterious red obstacles that are later revealed to be the physical manifestation of Oshiro’s insecurities. Eventually, when you reach the presidential suite of the hotel, Badeline appears and starts insulting and belittling Mr. Oshiro. Oshiro believes that it was Madeline who said all those things, leading to a boss fight with Oshiro. This reveals that Badeline isn’t just a dream. She is real, and she will stop Madeline from climbing Celeste Mountain by any means necessary.  
Madeline continues to climb Celeste Mountain, with Badeline interfering at every turn. Eventually, it seems that Madeline is about to reach the Summit. She has a conversation with Badeline, saying that she has realized that Badeline represents everything she must leave behind. However, this angers Badeline. She uses her power to drag Madeline all the way down to a cave at the bottom of the Mountain. 
 In this cave, Madeline wants to give up, but the old woman from the beginning appears again. She suggests that Madeline needs to have a talk with Badeline. As you venture through the caves, you eventually find Badeline. Madeline attempts to talk to her, but she’s too angry, and a boss fight with Badeline starts.  After completing the boss fight, the two eventually make amends. 
 Madeline realizes that instead of just trying to ignore Badeline, they need to work together to reach the summit. This initiates the cinematic final chapter, where you climb all the way back up the mountain with Badeline’s help. When you reach the summit, you can really feel how much of an achievement it is. Celeste is a difficult game, so reaching the summit and beating the game is truly a magnificent accomplishment. 
 Celeste is also a metaphor for dealing with problems such as anxiety and depression. Madeline learning to live with Badeline is a metaphor for how you can learn to live with mental illnesses, instead of just ignoring them and hoping they will go away. It is an exceedingly difficult game, just like how recovering from mental illness isn’t easy. 
In conclusion, Celeste is an amazing game, but it’s also so much more than that. Celeste is the feeling you get when you finally make it through an area you’ve been stuck on for 30 minutes. It’s the relaxing atmosphere of the Golden Ridge, and the tense and uneasy feeling you get in the Mirror Temple. It’s the surprise you feel when Badeline appears suddenly out of nowhere. It’s frustration, and relief, and feeling everything Madeline does, and becoming invested in her story. Celeste is something everyone should experience for themselves.