Shadowplay

Chapter 2 of Celeste takes the game in a direction I did not expect. While exploring some ruins, Madeline encounters a darker version of herself trapped behind a mirror. Once the player releases this darker form from its prison, the shade introduces itself as “a part of [Madeline].” It specifically uses words like “pragmatic” to describe her negative, dismissive perspective of Madeline’s mission to climb the mountain. This shade-like entity tells Madeline that they should return together and the player spends the rest of the second chapter running from their Shadow.

First Encounter

In Jungian psychology, “the ‘shadow’ [may refer to an] unconscious aspect of the personality which the conscious ego does not identify with. […] In short, the shadow is the ‘dark side’”.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the people behind Celeste are students of Jung because Madeline’s Shadow is a perfect, fun-sized interpretation of what Jung’s “shadow” is supposed to be: the “dark side,” or antagonizing force, to Madeline’s perseverance. Madeline’s Shadow does not come off as hokey, or cheesy, or trite, because her motives don’t seem entirely “evil.” They merely conflict with Madeline’s intrepid persona — the persona that we, as players, control. As a mechanical obstacle, the Shadow’s goal is to end our play by replaying the character’s movements and paths and “killing” the player if the player goes backward, or makes a poor decision, and touches it. As a narrative tool, it’s goal is to present a relatable fear that’s more human: it’s the manifestation of doubt, of low self-esteem, and of quitting.

After the Shadow’s introduction, I knew this game was going to present a very intimate experience. But I was not ready for the scene that would affect me the most at the end of the chapter.

The player walks up to an information booth, and we — I, the player, and Madeline — answer a payphone. A character, which I assume is a young man, answers, and after a brief, confusing exchange, I read this:

“Madeline, you only call me when you’re panicking in the middle of the night. You don’t have to make up some ridiculous story to get my attention.”

It hurt.

It hurt because it took me back to February 2015. It hurt because it took me back to those long, late-night conversations, where all I wanted to do was sleep. It hurt because I was in Madeline’s shoes, and after having survived the strange and scary ruins, when I could finally talk to someone familiar, they were selfish and cold, and that wall of a person was me.

At the end of the phone call, the player quickly discovers that the whole ordeal was just a dream, and Madeline begins to open up to the other characters she encounters. We are left to reflect on the chapter’s events and why it is titled, “Archaeology.”

End of Chapter 2

Usually, after I go through a colossal life-change, I take some time to lick my wounds, find some guidance, and then I challenge myself to grow in new and different ways. Sometimes it’s trying out new hobbies, reading a few books, or committing myself to something big. After having completed Chapter 2 of Celeste, I think I know what the game is trying to do because it’s all too human, all too familiar, all too relatable. The mountain, and whatever it means to Madeline, is that big, new challenge that serves to remind her that life exists beyond the shadows of our past and that we should always be striving to reach greater heights.

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://selfscroll.com/shadowplay/

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