[GOTY 2018 #5] Best VGM 2260 - Celeste - Quiet and Falling

Views: 15947
Likes: 475
Dislikes: 5
Comments: 45
Published on February 19th 2019, 12:30 am

See also:
Best VGM 2192
Best VGM 2373

OST: https://radicaldreamland.bandcamp.com/album/celeste-original-soundtrack

A collection of my favorite videogame music. Note that most of them are from games I played so I might miss some great ones from games I never played.

PC / Switch / PS4 / XB1
Celeste (2018)
First Steps
Lena Raine

Art: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1335998021

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SupraDarky
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SupraDarky
Bandcamp: https://supradarky.bandcamp.com/
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/id/SupraDarky

Comments

Lightwatch on May 3rd 2020, 12:39 am
This makes me want to cry
Sephiko on March 18th 2020, 4:21 am
This place felt very Donkey Kong Country-ish. Like the temple levels from Returns.
Gregg Welcher on January 13th 2020, 6:00 pm
This beginning of this song feels like a really melancholy version of the first prelude from the Well Tempered Clavier....same arpeggiated pattern and everything. Must be intentional, because the effect is just so gorgeous.
Guillermo Sanchez on October 17th 2019, 4:36 am
I want to be your friend OP
Jason Carrington on September 23rd 2019, 11:20 am
This was on the suggested list for the bgm for LOZ Link's Awakening, and I just noticed this sounds a lot like the Face Shrine music from that game. Damn.

Replies

Ryan on September 24th 2019, 2:37 am
hey, that's how I got here!
Douglas Brisbois on March 26th 2019, 11:46 am
Easily the best game I played last year, with hollow knight in a close second. I went into the game not expecting an emotional and genuine story, and the music by Lena Raine perfectly complements the themes in the game. The soundtrack as a whole is outstanding, but "Quiet and Falling" has always been my favorite track.
Adversus haereses on February 20th 2019, 4:52 pm
<3
Awoken Phantom on February 20th 2019, 1:44 am
Cool secret *But can we just admire that fanart*
Bubbles, the monkey from DBZ on February 19th 2019, 6:27 pm
Wow, getting some childhood vibes from this song. Reminds me of Chrono Trigger in a weird way.
Todd Ramirez on February 19th 2019, 5:31 pm
Just completed another full runthrough of your list! Thanks for getting me through my workdays. I'm off to another list of VGMs. I'll be back in a few months!
ManuZero4 on February 19th 2019, 12:22 pm
GOTY 2018
Skyriad on February 19th 2019, 11:27 am
Bruh where are the Hat In Time osts?

Replies

dddmemaybe on June 19th 2019, 7:38 am
true
Doughboy123x on February 19th 2019, 10:56 am
I haven't played this game yet. Don't worry, I have it on my Switch. I just have so many other games to play first. But this is a very nice track. I always liked that rippling sound at 3:51 onwards.
Ahmed360 on February 19th 2019, 8:27 am
Oh wow... Thats all
Reavengence on February 19th 2019, 4:56 am
This artwork looks like some kinda Celeste/MHA crossover. Anyway, this is a really cool and atmospheric song from a soundtrack filled with lots of amazing tracks just like it. Though I like the sound of the B-Side remix better, the original does a great job of making some simple non-linear exploration suddenly feel much more tense and uncertain. Love hearing the synth choir hitting those high notes in spots like 3:00 and 3:38.
Korji on February 19th 2019, 3:17 am
Can’t believe I didn’t hear this the first time until now, but this sorta reminds me of the Song of Healing from Zelda: Majora’s mask.

Replies

dddmemaybe on June 19th 2019, 7:37 am
For me I was personally getting a slight Midna's Lament vibe lol. edit: some of the negative downer-tones(they only last like ~4 seconds) sound a lot like the gameover theme for IB, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ib_(video_game)

SeamusTheHunter on August 7th 2019, 5:07 pm
Yep, I was getting Majora's Mask vibes too.
Hawlo on February 19th 2019, 1:51 am
I'm still incredibly surprised at how much attention this game got. Perfect reviews, game of the year nominations, etc. and those NEVER happen for a 2D pixel indie game. I haven't played it yet, so I'm really curious as to what makes it THAT good.

Replies

SadFace on February 19th 2019, 8:10 am
To me, what makes Celeste a great game is the sum of its parts. It's open to both casual and hardcore gamers, has good gameplay/controls, good music, good art/animation, and a good story---it's overall a very polished game that hits a wide audience. Most people can play the game and come away with something they enjoy about it. Bonus points for me: 1) Story about depression is not a PSA, but has some realism to it 2) Strong female protagonist 3) I reaaally like the art/animations

xSayPleasex on April 2nd 2019, 9:10 pm
-It just might be a perfect game in terms of designing difficulty accessibility for ALL players. I can't think of another game that seamlessly supports the most casual with assist mode to the most hardcore with B and C sides. Even 90% of strawberries are on completely optional screens just for those that want more challenge. -The way the story seems to tie into the gameplay mechanics in deep ways is pretty awesome. -The gameplay is so tight on certain mechanics that really could've been hard to pull off like the green/red orbs, and the "dream" blocks (most fun ever!!).
Kinda Drake on February 19th 2019, 1:45 am
That's a big ass strawberry

Replies

Redmage1000 on February 19th 2019, 3:01 am
Well based on the in-game sprite they are really big.

Lucio Fernandes on February 19th 2019, 7:25 pm
The organic strawberries I saw were so small
Omnipotat0 on February 19th 2019, 1:43 am
Celeste is ok
Michael Cockrum on February 19th 2019, 12:58 am
When I first played Celeste, I didn’t expect its story to resonate with me the way it did. Madeline might just be one of the most relatable protagonists I’ve ever played and the game’s music gives you a better glimpse into her thoughts and feelings than any amount of dialogue. Celeste is a magnificent platformer and I’m glad that it sold well enough for the developer to continue the story with Chapter 9.
jb1980ist on February 19th 2019, 12:53 am
I don’t really care for the synths. Fortunately, we have the piano collections! https://youtu.be/2jbo3EcjFFA
Garo on February 19th 2019, 12:50 am
The intro sounds strangely similar to RE1's save room theme.

Replies

DavosHS on February 19th 2019, 10:44 am
thought the same thing at the start

Lucio Fernandes on February 19th 2019, 7:23 pm
I was about to write that

ElementShoota on February 21st 2019, 3:17 am
same here i thought id be the only one!

MarioSoundtrack on August 8th 2019, 6:03 pm
Thought the same XD

Shishizurui on October 25th 2019, 8:37 pm
I thought that too! or since my recomendations have been DKC music over the top Aquatic Ambience*

arsenic sore on March 11th 2020, 10:23 pm
I thought the same thing since the first time I heard this song <3
GaeaRage on February 19th 2019, 12:47 am
Celeste's gameplay is near-perfect
Karlos Katu on February 19th 2019, 12:45 am
So beautiful and yet, so lonely
SupraDarky on February 19th 2019, 12:31 am
I'll start by saying I've never been the biggest "challenging 2D platformers" fan like Super Meat Boy for example, but there is something about Celeste that makes it easily my favorite in that genre. It's the sum of its parts, but also the way it feels difficult without being unfair. A checkpoint at the start of each room, quick retries when you die, gameplay that gives you perfect control of Madeline and amazing level design that flows very well to create memorable stages. I do wish the levels felt a bit more naturally organic in terms of geometry since it is very easy to see it was made using square tiles. The meaningful story about Madeline dealing with her depression/anxiety was also a central part of the game and I know it resonated with a lot of people. It's made even more thought provoking when you learn that the developer himself had to face that battle during the game's development and decided to give what was to be simply a challenging platformer such a metaphor. The soundtrack by Lena Raine is also top notch and contributed in making the Mirror Temple what is probably my favorite game level in 2018, the piano kicking in at 2:33 hits all the right notes.

Replies

AzerFraze on February 19th 2019, 12:44 am
@TalesOfGod # Celeste is amazing, highly recommend it

totlyepic on February 19th 2019, 12:56 am
As someone who really loves tight, challenging platformers, I think simple geometry is a necessity. It's the simple, well-defined behaviors that make gameplay feel tight in the first place. Physics-based platformers absolutely never achieve that feeling.

SupraDarky on February 19th 2019, 1:18 am
@totlyepic That's a very fair point, but I do believe it is feasible to keep the simple geometry while visually hiding it organically. Of course, it has to be done in a way that doesn't impair the behavior which is why it's such a challenge to do in the first place. Games that do it well mostly use parts of the platforms (like the underside) that are not directly involved in player traversal, as well as the floors and ceilings.

Fellshard on February 19th 2019, 1:49 am
The game's developer had some old GameMaker titles - the 'Jumper' series, from whence came the 'Ogmo' skin for Super Meat Boy - and that showcased their skill in crafting these tight platformers. When I played Celeste, I realized almost immediately this was the same fellow. Some familiar mechanics, and the specific feel of it was just familiar. They're excellent at their craft, and I'm glad they're finally able to make money for their work.

Welcome to Valhalla on February 19th 2019, 7:04 pm
@SupraDarky Hollow Knight is probably the best game at hiding its use of square tiles. I didn't notice that there weren't slopes in the entire game until like my third playthrough.

totlyepic on February 21st 2019, 1:44 am
@SupraDarky Welcome to Valhalla I agree that Hollow Knight is actually probably the best example. I was super worried before playing it that scenes would be too noisy/not readable, but that proved to be untrue. They do a good job of using blurring/focus and subtle animations to make it clear what's just dressing and what's functional.