Getting Over It | An Exercise in Compassion

It's coffee, it's grapefruit, it's licorice.
Disclaimer, this video was released before Maddy Thorson came out as trans, so fair warning.
MUSIC USED:
Young Fathers - Lord
Lena Raine - First Steps
Lena Raine - Reflection
Aphex Twin - Stone in Focus
Pausal - Lapsing
Follow me on Twitter: / patriciataxxon
Support me on Patreon: / patriciataxxon
Listen to my Music: patriciataxxon.bandcamp.com
VIDEOS REFERENCED: (in order of appearance)
• Nerd³ Plays... QWOP
• JUMPSCARE - (03) Getti...
• Getting Over It With B...
• Getting Over It with B...
• THIS GAME IS GONNA' SU...
• Get Over It
• Getting Over It - THIS...
• THE MOST DEVASTATING F...
• I MADE IT TO THE TOP! ...
• Getting Over It with B...
• Celeste - Gameplay Wal...
• Celeste Chapter 5
• Celeste Chapter 2
• Celeste Chapter 6
• Celeste Chapter 4
• Celeste Chapter 3
• Celeste Reaching the S...
• Celeste Chapter 4 "Gol...
• Celeste Chapter 5 "Mir...
• The Witness - Trailer
• Celeste - All C Sides
• Getting Over It - Full...

[@silversp1973]

“matt makes games, if that is your real name” aged incredibly well

[@nodrance]

unlike "I wish the hardest parts of the game were incorporated into the story" and "I wish there were longer rooms that you could fail in" _comb room flashbacks_

[@otherlego]

@@nodrancechapter 9

[@larhyperhair]

Celeste has often been described as, "the hardest game anyone can beat" I'm not going to argue with you about your opinions on the story or the difficulty, I just think it's that element of patience and accessibility that makes it so loved in the first place. The game isn't trying to frustrate the player, it's trying to show you that the obstacles you face aren't impossible as long as you just do a little bit more each day. A perfect ludonarrative for actually working through mental illness.

[@liz5100]

I completely agree, I think forcing the player to complete any of the bonus content after the credits would have tanked the game. Mostly to the fact that playing a game that is just upsetting you, frustrating you, isn't something most people will do or consider fun. I'm one of those people, even if I have ran through most of the post game content. I don't know about you, but that moment at the end of a challenge you've been banging your head against for hours where it was all worth it and you're excited and pumped up? Yeah I have never felt that way one time in my life when it comes to games that are specifically setting out to be as hard as humanly possible just so the player gets that. If something is hard just to be hard, what's the point? It's not a challenge, it's not even a game anymore, it's just another git gud rant on reddit.

[@Dastankbeets9486]

Yeah, it’s definitely designed with the moral of ‘take your time and be kind to yourself, what you have to do is difficult but the world won’t end if you fail’ which gives the same reassuring emotions that Madeleine gets throughout her journey.

[@ThePsychicTrainer]

I think faulting Celeste for attempting to be accessible is pretty short sighted, especially given it's a game that's first and foremost about mental illness. The fact that progress is mostly concrete and you can pick up or put down the game and come right back to where you were is a deliberate and clear message to the player that being overwhelmed (especially in the context of mental illness) and needing a break isn't weakness or something that should be chastised, it's something that is necessary to not burn out. When you live with mental illness it can often feel like you need to constantly push yourself and live up to a certain standard otherwise you're not whole or a realized person, and when your mental illness becomes debilitating it can feel like you're falling behind rapidly and life is going to leave you behind permanently. Celeste sends a clear message that in life, especially when you're living with mental illness, needing a break from the world when things become overwhelming is okay, and the world isn't going to suddenly rush by you, when you're ready to face it again it will take you back and you can work on your troubles again. It seems like a pretty essential part of Celeste's message and complaining that the game doesn't punish you enough is trivial (difficulty is relative, and i'm sure there are plenty of people who struggled with finishing even the main story) and misses the entire point of the choice. Celeste is also a subversal of many of the common traits of difficult platformers, while most of them have this "fuck you" mentality that can feel elitist at times (although it's not necessarily a straight up bad thing, as overcoming a game that's deliberately trying to fuck you over can feel very fulfilling) Celeste presents you with difficulties but gives you all the tools to succeed and tells you that if you fail sometimes it's okay, and I think the game would actually be a lot worse off thematically without this message. Ultimately it's not about the mountain, it's about overcoming your own personal internal struggles, and like the difficulties we face in real life, this is going to be easier for some than others. I would ask anyone with this complaint to consider how others may struggle with things we find easy, because I think that this realization and an empathetic rather than cynical line of thought are exactly what Celeste is trying to promote.

[@____uncompetative]

ThePsychicTrainer I was stuck on the tutorial for _Cuphead_ for a very long time because it was badly designed. Eventually, someone explained to me what the game wanted me to do to get over the obstacle and I did it first time. Then I was stuck on some pink blobs. Once past them I could barely beat the first boss. I love the Max Fleischer inspired aesthetics, but alas have to watch other people’s streams to see it all

[@viz9478]

@ThePsychicTrainer I dont think they are faulting the gameplay in comparison to the story at all, and the mechanics make sense in terms of the story. From an outside view, of someone looking at the game, the quick checkpoint system is what contrasts so heavily with getting over it, and what makes it the perfect foil for getting over it. I think that is why it was chosen for comparison.

[@pissguzzler9604]

@@____uncompetative the tutorial isn't badly designed, it's whole point is showing that the game is hard, but you get better. It assumes you have played a game that has even a small bit of platforming. You gave up on it and that's why you didn't like the rest of it. It's not made to be accessible but if you put effort in it becomes doable. You need motivation for it

[@carl8527]

No

[@demetergrasseater]

I'm not awful at video games but it usually takes me a lot more attempts than average to clear any given level in a game, even games I personally find to be easy. It's just the nature of my autism, where I know exactly what to do and I have above average coordination so I know I can do it but I have lots of little misfires where I make the exact opposite input I mean to put in, or my fingers slip on the buttons bc my hands get sore really fast when I tense up. The accessibility of games like these isn't exactly made for people like me (I beat almost every game I set out to beat) but I'm definitely glad it's there. It's good for everyone. Punishing difficulty is great, but different people have different abilities, and while I get the idea of having a game be universally punishing, there are ways to integrate accessibility for people who want that difficulty but cannot win if the expectation is performance on the same level as everyone else.

[@RealReki]

(11:50) "The developers want you to believe that Madeline is surpassing a great and terrible mountain, but what's really happening is the player's slowly making baby steps up a hill" I find this complaint pretty funny as this is the base of quite a lot of proverbs about climbing a mountain. Like, you do it small step by small step, which is also very on message for Celeste.

[@IIITrunks]

Even though you could argue making the player go all the way back still holds this message, I felt the repetitive Try Again gameplay of Celeste is similar to having to try again when you lose grip of your mental stability from a day to day. Also I found myself entering a new level and going "I'm never getting past this" and then remember "hey I thought that all these other times and I got past it" which again is similar to mental health struggles in real life. I don't think - by making the player suffer a total restart - you could have the scope to fully appreciate this.

[@ezra55595]

It also fits the message of overcoming/learning to cope with mental health difficulties as well.

[@ch1pzip]

the game says this very thing in the game over and over again. it takes small steps to get up the mountain

[@xXxzAAa0aAAzxXx]

It's a bit dishonest to simply omit the "with a safety net behind them" that is the real end of the sentence you're referring to.

[@key37raminus]

"Baby steps with a safety net" said the video. And that is ABSOLUTELY how you should go about climbing a mountain. =l The idea that you DON'T lose your progress has some metaphorical implications as well.

[@Phoenixlord2000]

The thing is, the ending of Celeste isn't for the hardcore crowd. As shown by the (fantastic) Assist Mode, the game is meant to be beaten by everyone. In a game where struggling with mental illness is symbolized by the mountain, how awful would it feel to lose? For Madeline to not climb the mountain is for her to give up on improving. I think you make strong points, but these two games have very different philosophies. I personally found the post game content to continue the theme. I set my own summit at beating the c sides, and it hit me just as hard as the first ending. Sorry it's kinda rambly, I'll prob edit this comment

[@ItsAllNunya]

"I set my own summit". I know this is going to stick with me. I'm struggling with some important things right now and this. This is going to stick with me throughout the career im trying to build.

[@KennyKowalski]

Watching your work is always a surreal experience for me, because there's so much I disagree with... but at the same time I'm just so enamored with your videos and how you present your viewpoints that I can't stop watching. I think one of the best things your work does is it makes me question my own opinions and what exactly defines them. Ordinarily I'd just ignore content I disagree with, because getting too deep into it could be considered self-torture. But your videos are, again, legitimately positive experiences that make me question myself in a "safe" way, I guess? I'm probably not making a lot of sense, but suffice to say you're a very talented person and I wish you all the best.

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

Disagreeing can be fun, especially when it's about art.

[@anastasiaparker9451]

While I'm glad that you can enjoy these kinds of games, it feels rather surreal to hear Celeste described as "non-frustrating." Frankly, I bounced off of Celeste because of how difficult and frustrating it was. It doesn't matter to me that the game checkpoints at each screen, because even if I'm not actively being pushed backwards, the inability to achieve forward progression is still frustrating. And honestly, I don't enjoy the feeling. Again, I can respect that there exists an audience for these games, but it just strikes me as odd to hear someone wish an experience had been more frustrating.

[@goldenhog]

the maker of this weird video is obviously an extreme masochist.

[@veganmeatball6780]

I also find it strange, even if im one of those people. But, to be fair, why do people like spicy food? Even though some might find it unpleasant, many love it for the burning sensation.

[@YouForgotTheCarrots]

Re: Celeste’s refusal to frustrate- couldn’t you say that Celeste’s relatively forgiving main narrative difficulty is a way to avoid gatekeeping the ‘good-ending’ of mental health to only players with mechanical skill? Perhaps the gameplay would better reflect the narrative if it were more ruthless in terms of structure, but it would also have clear consequences in terms of which players would ever get to see Madeline, who’s essentially a gameplay-based extension of the player, find resolution. I understand and appreciate your critique but I very much disagree with how you position these two approaches as black and white, either entirely good or basically weak, when I feel that the benefits and failings of each approach is far more nuanced than frustrating good, forgiving bad.

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

There's already an assist mode, which I definitely approve of. Makes it seem a lot more strange that the base game is almost as forgiving.

[@YouForgotTheCarrots]

to clarify- I see why you love Getting Over It’s frustration, I very much agree with the way you position it’s frustration in terms of its narrative. Also, I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m not great at platformer video games, but I personally found the later stages of Celeste frustrating enough that I almost turned on the assists-but when I chose not to, and triumphed all the same, I reached a kind of nirvana that I think you’re describing with getting over it. Maybe my point is that frustration and triumph is relative, and no less valid based on the simple level of mechanical skill that the player has to achieve.

[@newgenderplus]

I think the safety net and assist mode is for story mode but I think the idea that "Celeste is about defeating a really hard thing" is a lil wrong Maybe more personally Celeste is about how the issues you have aren't that big of a deal. They seem like these incredible mountains that you can't control and are daunting but really it is not that bad. Madeline doesn't solve any of her issues, she resolves some issues within herself but she doesn't wholly confront the issues in her life outside the mountain Instead its just about realizing that it's okay to mess up and it really isn't that big of a deal Even this mountain isn't that big of a deal

[@excs4619]

mental health is hard to conquer though so should the game

[@hatantheclam]

This is a really interesting question: is competency a privelage? Obviously there are accessibility issues with video games in general in that hand eye co ordination and full mobility are thresholds that must be exceeded to play these games (there may be more thresholds that I am overlooking, too). But if you are able to play the game, lets say arbitrarily, to the half way point, can we reasonably expect that player to be able to complete any challenge they are confronted with, as long as they use that same basic skillset? Obviously with time and practice, and that time may vary, but if able to play, then able to master? If so then the assist mode is indeed a satisfactory answer. The ludonarrative becomes ‘mental health is a big mountain that is tough to climb but you can get out if you persevere, and it might just be easier if you accept help’. I’d say make Celeste harder, and add a feature that periodically asks you if you want to turn on assist mode. The pop up gives people an opt out of frustration.

[@KuruSeed]

i dunno i can't really appreciate the comparison because one is more interested in telling a story with cool gameplay mechanics, the other is more interested in frustrating the player for an artistic direction. the core ideas of their gameplay is same but their shells and presentations are different. one is offering a clementine, a juicy sweet experience that is easy to access and enjoy while also offering an orange that could considerably be harder to get into and the other is handing you a grapefruit with no tools but your hands to get into.

[@GhostBombGames]

I'm not really sure if you got the message of Celeste completely. Reaching the peak isn't meant to represent some sort of ultimate goal, it's meant to be the start of madeline's growth. The first challenge of many. So all of the extra post game content doesn't really clash with the message at all. "You've climbed a mountain, you can overcome your challenges. Btw here's a bunch of other challenges to beat if you're up for it." Once you climb one mountain do you never climb again?

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

Wouldn't there have been some dialogue about that? The B/C sides aren't canon, as was implied by theo.

[@benbjamin1234]

@@Patricia_Taxxon Personally, I found that the b and c sides didn't really need any narrative justification, because by the time I had beaten the main story, madeline's narrative of growth felt like my own. It may have just been the time in my life when I played the game, but I got really emotionally invested in climbing the mountain, so in reaching the summit I surprised myself - I hardly expected myself to be able to finish it. I saw the optional content as an opportunity to see how far I could push myself, now that I'd already surpassed my own expectations. It definitely isn't a satisfying textual explanation, but it fully supported my experience as a player.

[@berunkasuteru]

@@Patricia_Taxxon Things can have meaning without fitting into the canon of the story. Oshiro being mad as hell in the B-Sides doesn't need to make sense, because the B-Sides are allowed to simply exist; they're both an extra challenge and a metaphor for continuing to overcome challenges.

[@thedogshop7561]

This video genuinely inspired me to finish my garbage castlevania rom hack

[@Dorian_sapiens]

That sounds glorious! Please do!

[@Joy_ffa1bd]

have you finished it since posting this comment? i would like to play it

[@pinkcloudsnightlightbell]

💞 Oohhh. Hope it went well op!

[@ni.ko3869]

we've got your back, op

[@alisonpurgatory85]

still keen to know how this went/is going!

[@GameScoreFanfare]

Really interesting video, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts. Especially on how Celeste undermines its story by including difficult post-game content. I think Getting Over It and Celeste might not be as comparable as you make them out to be, particularly that one is a better version of the other. Considering Celeste's themes of mental health, it would be cruel to include the hardest parts of the game as part of the story and alienate a vast majority of players who can't beat it. It would be telling the player that their anxieties ARE actually impenetrable. I don't think Celeste is meant to be frustrating and obtuse like Getting Over It, it's meant to be encouraging and accessible. And while the B- & C-sides can create a bit of a disconnect, I don't think it's a bad thing that they included the extra content for those who are able to take on the additional challenge.

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

Eh, I think they should have picked an audience. Celeste's story path as it is without any extra content would be worth $20 easily. Although there are definitely parts in Celeste that use unpleasant gameplay to further the story, you said as much in your video. The mirror temple is very obtuse, because if Madeline is lost, why should the player know the way? It's the only place in the entire game that doesn't feel like it's just letting me complete it, don't you think there should have been more of this?

[@GameScoreFanfare]

Eric Taxxon yeah, you're probably right. There was a definite difficult spike on the summit level too for me but that's probably about it. Definitely still achievable. Perhaps the Reflection level is the biggest missed opportunity of the game. Madeline is at her lowest and basically lost all hope. But it doesn't feel like you're back at the beginning or that you've even stumbled, and it takes little to no effort to retrace those steps. It just feels like the next level of the game and story-wise may as well be higher on the mountain than the mirror temple.

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

Hey, what if chapter 6 used the limited dashes mechanic from the core? That would make it feel really sluggish and tedious, and then you could get it back after you become resolved to find the part of you.

[@GameScoreFanfare]

Eric Taxxon Legit a fantastic idea. Just get rid of chapter six's mechanics all together, they were by far the least interesting. And just replace it with the core. Ties into the story much better than "oh it's close to the mountain's heart so you lose your power" or whatever. Keep the ch6 artstyle though, it was definitely the prettiest. And I really liked the chase sequence at the end too though.

[@GameScoreFanfare]

Wait, it would mean you'd have to have the double dash the entire game though.

[@katteycat]

I've never played this game but I could listen to you talk about litterally anything for half an hour so I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@ChloeAriT]

Celeste is a game about overcoming anxiety. Every part of it reinforces that the game is not meant to be stressful despite being difficult. Critizising it for not being frustrating is like criticising a horror game for being scary, or criticising Journey for not having dialogue. I don't... understand how you missed this.

[@merchantarthurn]

So... it seems as though "Getting Over It" as a title is not just a description of the gameplay but also the emotional journey of both the player and the narrator

[@PlanetGoddess]

After your closing thoughts and my recent attempt to create an educational video series about transgender people in a manner only predicated on its ability to be pumped out before pride month ends, I noticed something. However, I'll trail on for a bit before getting to what that is. I have, for the longest time, been an animator on KZbin. I have made my audience by animating. I have fans, which is still crazy to me, *fans* of my animations. I hate animating. I do, however, adore animation. I still love the charm of my unskilled little films and the members of my little community's rise above what I'd ever have been able to force myself to do. No, I only hate the long hours to get a minute of progress and the weeks of editing or waiting for voice actors. After about two years without animating a dedicated series on my channel, I've realized my true passion is the writing behind those series. I didn't slack off my schoolwork to write storyboards because I couldn't wait to sweat all night in the lamp heat with a broken AC. I did it because I wanted my stories told - my mental vigor displayed for the world. However, while animating I needed to sacrifice scenes like the fight between brothers in my sequel to my most successful video because I needed to have a fight scene. I stopped writing the massive wars so big that the theme of facelessness and objectification came about because I couldn't afford nor will myself to animate it. I have, for years, even up until now, a time when I've already moved into pursuing my passions, considered myself an entertainer. However, you made me realize that I'm not. In my deepest self, I've never been. I'm an artist, of course, but not an entertainer. I don't seek to make people entertained. I write to expose humanity, to expose faults, to challenge as many status quos as much as possible, yet keeping a straight face down so. I seek to put spins on things I know will be controversial if a wide audience had their whims but treat them like they're benign. I write so nerd discussions of my sci fi will cause heated debates. *I write because I care.* I write because I want every person that experiences something I write to care about at the very least an aspect of it. I once heard someone say that if you don't make art for money or popularity, it must be made because you care. My animation hasn't made me money, though I get it from avenues, so I don't much mind. I am already popular, yet I still don't find much fulfillment. And I've neglected it for nearly two years, so that speaks for itself. On the other hand. I have spent all of June researching and writing a series meant to semi-jokingly inform people about trans issues. I cried after looking up tens of studies with dire statistics. I got angry at misrepresentations upon researching truths. I stammered trying to get over my anxiety about my voice to record a video and then four more. I stitched it together despite literal hundreds of bloopers and unlike the animations, I did it with a happy demeanor. I noticed my thumbnail wasn't to my liking and spent 3 hours trying to find the assets for and creating one from scratch as it uploaded. The first comment was "red hood and the outlaws 3" (a long abandoned, but very popular series* I made). The second comment, a tongue in cheek reference to my joke in the description about how the video was so very different from my old content, was a dry: "RIP your old content indeed." The dislike bar was the highest percentage of anything I've ever made. I admit things were wrong. The quality was about as good as anything I've done before, in some ways, better. The audio was a bit loud. I'm not exactly a good speaker. However, the directed *lack of care* about *ANYTHING* I had done or the art itself was what hurt. I'm not going to commodify myself, working for nothing more than a peaceful audience. I'm going to stop shoving the stuff I care about through an easy-to-capitalize simple video format. I'll value my art for what it is, uncomfortability, unwavering truthfulness, and most importantly, something *worth* my care. When I am happy with what I've written, after revision and re-editing, I'm gonna release it again. I'm gonna bring my love for writing, my skills developed in the time away from my channel, and the mindset your channel, my experiences, and this video inspired and make something great. If and when I feel like I can impart my care, message, and mindset into a non-traditional video, I'm moving past comfortability and complacency. Nay! I'm *getting ove-*

[@PlanetGoddess]

Also, I love the video. I can't compliment or thank you enough for putting out stuff like what you do.

[@emmakersten4916]

I always find it interesting how easily people separate content they enjoy from the human beings who make that content and slave over it for weeks on end. And how easy it is to fall into the mindset that art exists to entertain the people that consume it, when really that is not (or at least should not) be the case. It seems like this is the case with a lot of youtube content, but especially with animation, that the creator views what they’re making as art, something that contains something that’s very important to them individually, while the people watching it view at as entertainment, just something to pass the time when they’re bored on their phone. And I’m definitely going to check out your work after reading this, you seem like a very thoughtful person. I hope your audience comes to support you as an artist rather than just demanding whatever they want to see.

[@cedricwublin9306]

GO YOU!

[@cedricwublin9306]

Also, an educational trans video series sounds great! Definitely checking that out when you rerelease!

[@sweetwheatsy]

Very thought-provoking. Definitely realise the struggle of how to perceive your own content and what to put out; once you become "known" for creating certain things, it will become very difficult to proceed to other venues without some viewer repercussions, no matter how good the new/other content is. A good example is "Jordan Underneath", who's always made weird, absurdist game analysis/reviews, mostly horror-indie games, and now does even more absurdist claymation content, and sticks to it. I personally miss his other stuff, but I can definitely appreciate him doing this, since it's what he finds meaning in. I'm also personally slightly conflicted; I feel like I have the "potential" to create a lot of different stuff, right now I'm mostly doing Lets Plays (also for the sake of having footage to use when doing certain analysis), but I have made some random bits along the way. I'd also like to create some more informative content, as I'd mention, but I don't know whether to keep it bundled up and just use the same channel, or create multiple for different purposes. It would definitely be more consumer-friendly and perhaps better in the long run, but I'd want to have the possibility open to create whatever on just this channel. Haven't entirely come to terms with it. Also, leave a link once you revise the video you just mentioned.

[@regirockplays]

I was gonna write a deep and really emotional piece about how this video made me feel and what it made me think about while watching it...then I heard you like black licorice and everything disappeared.

[@aerendyll]

This was definitely an interesting video, though I'm not sure if I agree entirely with making games that are supposed to be challenging inaccessible. Celeste seems like it isn't meant to be a "rage game" or one that has most people eager to give up due to its difficulty, but rather aims to have as many players as possible see it through to the ending. I personally think that that's a good thing; not because it caters to a wide audience theme-wise, but because it makes itself accessible to people with poor reflexes and other disabilities that make playing games harder on them than the average person. I appreciate that. I do think there's a place for games like Getting Over It. Hell, I'd argue that not having games like it would make games feel a lot more homogenous. But I also would never want games like Celeste to stop trying to make playing them easier for people who have been shut out from enjoying games for the longest time.

[@jbrem]

^^^ this. Celeste was a pioneer of the "assist mode" feature for exactly this reason. Honestly, as far as metaphor for dealing with mental illness, I think Celeste's difficult-but-not maddening incremental progress rings more true than Bennet foddy's frustrating loss of progress would. It's not about making up lost progress, it's about, as all the characters in the game will tell you over and over, the need to "keep going". When you're climbing a mountain, you don't fall and try again over and over. It's just... work. Hard, incremental work, that builds towards something greater. That's how we improve ourselves, that's how we get better, that's how we climb a mountain.

[@mesastreatexit]

oh re Celeste's frustration. i actually did get super frustrated and discouraged by that game, it was difficult for me even to the point of being in physical pain from gripping the controller so hard for hours on end. i was in an overwhelming period of depression myself so i related really strongly to the mental illness narrative stuff. and because of my vulnerable mental/emotional state, all the steps the game took to be encouraging and considerate of the player were crucial for me personally to get through it and absorb the story without my spirit breaking.

[@Ellotus13]

I'm a big fan of the concept of cultural trash. I have been working on a self imposed challenge to release ten album in 2018 and it's been the most fulfilling year of my artistic life. I've had one person ask my why would you ever do that, wouldn't it be better to focus all that time and effort to make one grandiose album, that's the best you can do and I really don't like that thought. I see the experimentation and earnestness of just releasing something as soon as your happy with it to be really compelling in a very different way than "perfected artworks." It's like a diary, doing something that interests and reflexts you on that specific moment in time. It also makes it easier to do. When you haven't spent four years on doing one thing, you won't have the pressure to make it accessible to anyone. Okay, maybe like ten people will ever listen a minimal drone album about the lives of rabbits, but it's not a failure. It's just something you did, released and maybe it will resonate in it's smallness in a deeper way than something that's universal. Specificity is something we all do, we all have that one thing we just feel absurdly much about and the expression of that - to me at least - is incredibly compelling.

[@LukieLuke5]

15:50 woah there. The soundtrack to celeste is amazing I honestly don’t know what he’s talking about.

[@wackbyte]

yeah what is she talking about???

[@thrownstair]

Patricia was prejudiced towards chiptune until fairly recently when she made Nexus Pelican

[@jartoonsuwu]

@@thrownstair are there any specific videos where she mentions this?

[@sporky9861]

@@jartoonsuwu one of which is her undertale video essay but it’s kinda briefly mentioned near the end.

[@benzyl350]

I just beat this game a couple days ago, and when I told my girlfriend (who is an art school graduate and a very talented artist herself) that the guy who made this game also made 'qwop' and she said something along the lines of 'im really happy he's still doing his thing' I guess she saw the same sort of connection to an authentic piece of work that you did that would have otherwise be missed by people like me.

[@tacokitten]

Not to be like literally every single comment on this video (and I know it’s 4 fucking years old and I’m still deciding to comment but oh well), when I hear your Celeste comments I immediately get defensive as it is my favorite game of all time, but I don’t think any of my reasons for loving it conflict with your statements here. I love Celeste because of its immaculate controls and level design. In my eyes, those two things make it the perfect playground for an exploration of movement possibilities/speedrunning. This might be the best speedrunning game ever made, and it is certainly my favorite game to speedrun. Perhaps the things you say about the story would make it more enjoyable narratively (I still love the story in the big and but you make fair points in that regard), but if that were the case, it would not increase my enjoyment of the game. The insanely perfect movement is what makes it so perfect to me. On a more light-hearted note: I absolutely love that you made the “if that is your real name joke” before Maddy came out as trans! Even after she came out, it still completely works, and is hilarious with context!

[@cosmicyoutubeoof]

Exactly! I agree with this entirely! The choice to be non frustrating isn't a misstep, Celeste's isn't trying to say the exact same thing as Getting Over It, they both make deliberate choices to get to their own goals. In Celeste, it's more about the skill ceiling, not the skill floor. Honestly the black-and-white way in which this is framed in the video is genuinely frustrating, more than Getting Over It could ever be.

[@mr-maffey]

In the nicest way possible, I don't think you're the intended audience for Celeste. Of course, this doesn't mean you can't enjoy it (I get the impression that your frustrations come from a love of the game), but I think a lot of your critiques on it are what makes it so good for the intended audience. The message of Celeste is one of constant forward movement, of overcoming frustrating barriers but still making progress. If Celeste could genuinely set you back and make you so frustrated you aren't enjoying it, what message is the story trying to send? Celeste is a game about overcoming the seemingly impossible by taking it one step at a time, and that's why I love it so much. I can always take a break, I can always come back later, and every room I complete means I'm one step closer to the end. Those who want a challenge that requires a complete mastery of the game may not find what they're looking for in Celeste, but those who struggle more with reaction times or understanding platforming levels are still able to make it through, one step at a time. I can't play Getting Over It: I wouldn't enjoy the experience. And that's because I'm not the intended audience. I want to have fun, I want to make constant progress, I don't want gaming to feel like work. That doesn't make Getting Over It a bad game, it just means it's not for me. I'm glad you found what you were looking for in Getting Over It, but I don't think the mechanics you enjoy about it should be pushed as "this is good and what Celeste did is bad". They're different flavors. Getting Over It is coffee, grapefruit, licorice. Celeste is dark chocolate, mochas, oranges. It's the bitterness for people who still want some sweetness, too. If Celeste punished me for taking breaks or made me redo the whole level for dying too much, I wouldn't play it. That's not the kind of experience I find fun and enjoyable.

[@monikathornton8790]

I think this is a perfect example of fascist "compassion"; compassion for those who are "good enough". One of the core differences between Celeste and Getting Over It is the precision of control allowed. Celeste only requires the grossest of movements, where Getting Over It requires "speed and precision" as you say. There's an idea of some invisible "average" person that you assume, some person that represents the minimum of what is considered a typical person. I beat Celeste without much issue, but the medication I took made my hands shake a little, not much, but just enough to never be part of the chosen few that could beat Getting Over It. Nothing I could do could make the game work for me. I'm quite good at games I think, so I felt terrible for not being able to complete this "exercise in patience," but I wrote it off. Eventually, I didn't need the medication anymore and I tried Getting Over It again, and suddenly it was quite easy. The controls felt much more responsive than I remembered and I realized that for all the condescending remarks about how "anyone can do it" "it's easy if you try" "keep at it and you'll get to the top," I couldn't do it. Once I felt what everyone else felt, it was suddenly easy. I could see the meaning you got, but I could remember the hopeless rebuff of my own disability. I get that it's not a game that's "for me" but if it is truly a "refutation of disregard to consumers", I'm either stuck in some "acceptable loss" or some otherwise malicious view of the disabled.

[@Artist-Lover]

Stories are worth telling even if not everyone can enjoy them.

[@alecatnight1540]

Next you'll tell me Coda from the _Beginners Guide_ wasn't a real person!

[@nichtschwert3307]

I really need to figure out how you manage to make me feel this melancholy about a video that features some of the friendliest, most good-natured narration ever. Really great work. This'll give me something to think about for a long time.

[@lucca_who]

I found your channel a little of a month ago, and it's hard to put in words what it means to me, I guess It could be said that it meant to me what getting over it you said meant to you at the end, you inspired me to get into vaporwave beyond the memes, to see art beyond the normal view. I stop trying to get to the top of the mountain like two weeks ago, and then you upload this video and i just needed to complete the game before watch it, and after doing it, and after seeing the vid, I just want to say thank you. You inspire me.

[@mesastreatexit]

thank you so much for this, i loved this video! so glad you brought in Celeste to contrast and compare, that was illuminating and a good reference point for me. i laughed out loud when you said "you've already heard all this on Errant Signal" cause i wondered before watching if you would cover it in a very different way from Chris. your ending sentiment was beautiful and really hit home for me, thanks again for sharing. ps i love the visual style of your editing, how it kinda decays and becomes more colorful and abstract over the course of the video. and you're wrong, Celeste's soundtrack slaps (;

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

I have to say your taste in great works is unique amongst all other video makers I've watched. Your enjoyment of frustration is very enjoyable and watchable

[@josephs.3372]

"it's a gift to whoever has the taste for [Bennett's] special brand of art" This is exactly what compelled me to make music. In memory of the unknown artists of SoundCloud's underground landscape, I join them among the pile for the curious to enjoy. Thanks for the video, didn't think I'd relate as heavily to it as I do.

[@TheAngryLibrarian]

I genuinely spent a lot of time coming up with theories for what point you were ultimately trying to make or why you were so invested in this topic, and I mean this out of genuine curiosity because I already trust that you would have a good one, and somehow, despite everything leading up to it, I did not expect that final statement and I did not expect it to make me SO HAPPY. Thank you

[@Hepyrian]

YES MY BOY!!!! I loved your take on the game, and it reminded me of why do we even analyze art in the first place anyway. This video is super inspirational. Thank you.

[@noriringtail7428]

This analysis is correct if the developer intends Celeste as a game for Neurotypical people to understand Mental Illness. However, if Celeste is, instead, a game FOR people with Mental Illness, then making it like GoIwBF would be a HUGE mistake. Consider it. Most people simply cannot mechanically finish something like that, and therefore all the people who suffer under this would be under the impression that yeah, for them, it's literally impossible. They can't make it to the end, because it's herculean. You'd have to be lucky, or get some magical easy mode, and in neither case is it doable- it's just someone taking pity on you. That would be a *terrible* message to send.

[@sholem_bond]

but everything must be for consumption by neurotypicals! they are feel uncomfortable when we are not about them! (And yes, I know Patricia Taxxon is not neurotypical herself.)

[@diamorales8511]

Bless that Young Father's song. That album was amazing.

[@captaincook4706]

Anyone get the narrative of why they chose Diogenes was chosen as the avatar it could have something to do with the fable where while one of the cities he lived in was under attack all he was doing was rolling his barrel up a hill and back down. And when someone asked why he said something to the tune of “it’s about as pointless as you” I butchered the story and shit but just a thought. I love your videos man keep up the good work

[@ruliak]

This was a fantastic video and what I've been looking for from video game analysis. I loved how personal this game clearly was for you instead of "it got good ratings, so it's good" y'know?

[@k8g8s8]

I want to thank you for talking about inaccessible art. I often try to make my art accessible to others and take the charm out of my art. My paintings are messy ugly gross eye straining sometimes but I love them, and some people see that and they also love them for different reasons or the same reasons. And sometimes I just need to be reminded of that so thank you.

[@ToadaBrava]

I get the problem with celeste and its forgivingness x storytelling, but if you want to send across a positive message wouldnt you want to make it more accessible to people, since we live in an age that mental illnesses are so prominent? I agree with the last point you make that no game is for everybody, trying achieve that can really hurt the design, but shouldnt we also have in mind the player's determination?

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

I think the assist mode does this very well, and that's all it needed. don't need to make the base game more forgiving.

[@IIITrunks]

Genuine question: You argue (or imply) the game would benefit from being more punishing and not giving you a safety net, but you said "fuck that" to the golden strawberries which actually do this. Would you think the game would need re-balancing if it was more like Getting Over It?

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

@Hugh, It can always be taken too far. Celeste could use a bit more punishment, but the sheer amount of punishment that comes from the golden strawberries would break pacing and be detrimental to the story. The video didn't get into this for length reasons, but there are a few minute points where Celeste manages to be unpleasant for the sake of narrative. The BEST example is in the mirror temple, where the darkness and mazelike structure of the levels mirrors the main character's own confusion and anxiety. No other part of the game really does this though, so it's still a widespread issue.

[@pinkcloudsnightlightbell]

"Take yourself seriously. "Dont 'make something for every1' because no 1 can do that...." Needed this. Thanks for this gift ^-^

[@audiblysticky]

Watching this again, I remembered the game the other week and then this essay; love your commentary and channel

[@Roxas09202]

I personally think it's real cool to not isolate your audience by way of an almost roguelike approach to platforming unless it's integral to the story. Celeste's main story didn't have to be almost unbearably unforgivable in dealing with your slip-ups because that's not what the story warranted. Neither game is perfect, but both approach difficulty and challenge in a way that I think effectively conveys the intent of the creators. You might have a slightly skewed perception of how these games come across to players because you're experienced with difficulty - a game like Getting Over It will always have a smaller fanbase with more fanatic appeal while Celeste is more approachable to a wider, more diverse fanbase. This adds up with how both games were marketed. They both did a good job at what they were trying and I like them equally.

[@jakitron890]

Ah hell this video made me feel super emotional, that is the exact nessage I got from the game, it is inspirational, it is art for the artist, and a gift for those who care

[@gaynebula6439]

Part of why I love this channel: you make me think about things in ways I'd never considered before, even if they're things I've already encountered. I disagree quite intensely with your criticisms of Celeste, but those feelings are overshadowed by the subject of this very video. I legitimately thought this game was effectively just clickbait, designed for Twitch streamers and KZbinrs to performatively scream at. This video taught me to look deeper at things before dismissing them in future, and I deeply appreciate that. Keep up the wonderful work.

[@ripbooboo8563]

I love so much that you used stone in focus for the very self reflective part of this video, so appropriate.

[@CecilyRenns]

thank you for this video. i dont think i wouldve found the such resonating message within the few glimpses of playthroughs ive seen of this game over the last few months. it really is beautiful, i think, that not only does this game exist as an anthem for amateurism, for "inaccessibility," but also that you were able to make this video to help further its point. like, the fact that you guys make these kinda art to say these kinda stuff so it can reach people like me. it cannot be put to words how liberating and uplifting that is. it makes me think that creation really is a cycle. solipsism, or whatever this hits me especially hard, cause just a month ago i put out this 88 minutes mess of an album, called "Rain," this synthpop opera, an ode to fandom culture on the internet, an homage to Homestuck and fan music projects and all those cool and new web comics all around the internet, and a thank you to all the people ive known through the experience of getting to be part of such communities. to me, this album was like a cryptic letter. i wanted it to be relatable, but i didnt want you to just "get" it. its there for you, but you have to decipher it, you earn my message. which is why i made it as it is; 88 minutes of me screaming and singing off key, off beat over these synthy (un)pop music and the reception have been really strange. there have been certain people who told me it really resonated with them, that they thank me for making it; and i can only thank them back, for being able to "get" it, "get" me. then there were people who thought it was an egotistical, selfish diatribe, some sort of attempt to prove a point, and scoffed at it for being incomprehensible and inaccessible on purpose. when i told these people, for a lack of a better words, that being "good" was never my intention, they mostly made fun of me. cause for those people, thats just an inconceivable goal for their art. what is music suppose to be, if not "good"? some people even thought it was offensive that i would even try to write such an album. that me trying to speak for them was disrespectful. it was all really strange to me. and i dont really know how to think about it all anyways. idk what the point of that was. but its REALLY REALLY weird that all of that happened like a month ago, then you put this video out that really explains the feelings ive been having. i think its why i also resonate with the message of your albums like Gallery and The Art State, which ive also found recently. this work had always been here; we were given it for free ive kinda spent my entire life being an auteur, and ive been happy about it; but recently ive had people, like, actual people, tell me how my shit affected them and their shit, and thats just weird to me. surreal, unreal. im not even sure if its ideal. and i dont really get it. but i think youre helping me get it. so thank you. you quickly became one of my favorite artists, period. so never stop dude, and stay happy

[@sweetwheatsy]

That's very interessting. Currently listening to your album-piece, and it is... quite intriguing, heh. While I don't agree with them, I can somewhat see where the criticism comes from, since there seems to be a somewhat stark contrast between the sombre synth-pieces and the more messy, off-key punk-pop that ensues. Kind of an uncanny valley. I haven't really thought about it like this before, but I think there's sort of a hidden expectation for conventionally created music spread to the world by conventional means; it should "sound good" (by whatever metrics that is defined by) and/or bring forth some specific mood/sentiment/association. It can't as easily be perceived as something that was made just to be art, without proper regards to these other metrics. Music is also very delicate in that regard, since it can affect people so much. I'm not entirely sure on the actual science/statistics, but I'm fairly certain it's the art form that the quickest and most precisely can have an impact on a person and trigger an emotional response. The chill-response is triggered by a dopamine and serotonine-output that facilitates a galvanizing effect on the skin (I believe?), and it is VERY prevalent when specifically listening to music. It has alot to do with the brain trying to recognize patterns, and when it hears something that's not too easy to groove alongside with, nor too hard, it feels a sense of accomplishment. There's also something with negative/positive valence in regards to harmony, but that's a whole other story. Anywhoo, this was just to say music means a lot to people, and when it isn't explicitly exhibited in a museum as a piece of art (for being art), people can be disappointed when they hear something that triggers a reaction, and then something uncanny happens and that reaction is gone.

[@CecilyRenns]

wow thanks for listening to the album, i really appreciate it. i think above all, the emotional response that i was seeking were tears, but "strange," "intriguing" and "unconventional" are all descriptors that i am proud to wear on my chest i also think about this a lot. music is inherently based on temporal patterns - rhythms and motifs, and harmony is literally mathematics. everyone know what good music is. its in our CODE. we are the glitch. i believe that some day, one way or another, a guy in his basement will invent a robot that can compose the perfect music: not just rhythmically interesting or harmonically solid, but it will literally figure out the exact kinds of compositions and exact kinds of arrangements needed to trigger the exact emotions it wishes to achieve, and function as the perfect brainwashing machine and it will take over the whole world and reign supreme. i think that is really going to happen. and im not scared, i just hope it happens while im alive. it is already on our way soundcloud.com/ai-emily_howell

[@sweetwheatsy]

Oh dear, that's almost a bit... dystopian, heh. And no problem! I agree with the sentiment that there exist some musical patterns that are somewhat hardwired to garner a more elicit response from us (what I also just talked about in the other comment), however the point of nostalgia (and to a certain extent preference, though what comes first is a difficult subject) is not to be underestimated either. That is to say, people (especially coming of age) are going to get a good response from the music of old - pretty much why so many of the older generation likes classical and jazz, which is bound to change (I think we'll begin to see a good amount of old folks enjoying ambient music too, since it works in some of the same ways as classical does, heh). If said brainwashing machine would make sure to indoctrinate all the people into growing up with it's perfectly tailored music, now that's a different story.

[@Bramhallthefifth]

7:03 clearly designed for let's players. only someone mugging for a camera would have that sort of reaction with their hands.

[@simonamorim1405]

Smack Bramhall there is a lot of easily scared people in the world just watch this video not knowing of the scare I flinched pretty hard

[@Bramhallthefifth]

Hmm true. I’ve also seen several videos from Jericho and have every reason to believe that he really is just that loud and animated in real life. Still, I haven’t played getting over it but I have to imagine I’d be gripping my mouse for dear life even through the bat swarm, given all that’s at stake.

[@simonamorim1405]

Smack Bramhall yeah lol but it's right at the top just the kinda place you would start to relax as the sense of relief of making it to a ledge

[@somniad]

I played Getting Over It some years ago and found a completely different message within it, something that reflects my life experience beautifully: Falling to the bottom doesn't mean you're back where you started. I mean, it does, but you're back with all the knowledge and experience you gained on the way up. You'll get back where you were faster and you'll be less likely to fall next time. But if you do, that's okay. You'll be even better prepared next time. I needed that when I played Getting Over It.

[@mackerelphones]

And Eric Taxxon makes another aesthetically pleasing yet thought-provoking video essay. Although I think I would disagree on some of the points about Celeste, I never played it, so I can't really give a fair opinion.

[@anonymouskitten4715]

I don’t want to have to go through pain to play a game. I would rather my hobby I do for fun not incite *suicidal thoughts and anxiety attacks*

[@yPGzRicardo]

I was about to make a comment on how The Witness was my favorite game when you mentioned it. I absolutely love the idea behind it, giving complete freedom for the player to decide where he wants to go, and forcing him to realise that sometimes the best thing to do is to walk away for some time. It is also meant to be frustrating, as you'll not get any help from anyone, having to figure everything out by yourself. Like Getting Over It, it gives you no reward for progressing forward. It is a meditative experience that places you completely alone in an island with no other animal life, just to test you. The joy of the game is discovering things that were always in front of you, but you were unable to see. It does not lie and it does not trick you, but the only way to actually get good at the game is by learning to see things in a different way every time. It did originally have a full story behind it, with a lot of info being revealed to you in the mountain, but Blow decided it would make the rest of the game secondary in the experience, and that was not what he was going for. It does go overboard sometimes (in the movie room specifically), but it is different from everything else I have ever played, and has stayed with me ever since I finished it.

[@FrozenOctupus]

You know I watched this and thought "That's an interesting way to look at it, but I wouldn't want to go through that". But today, I talked with a friend about Darkest Dungeon, and how much they dislike the RNG, whereas I love the unpredictability and uncertainty present in the game. I realised that I *too* can like that feeling of frustration or difficulty, albeit less on the tone of frustration specifically. It's also games like Dead Rising or that evoke a similar satisfaction of completing challenges within certain arbitrary constraints, like time or hunger systems, that really make me feel like I haven't just done a direct and straight forward task, but that you're completing everything under that time crunch, or frustrating inventory management, etc. So yeah, thank you, I hadn't thought about this quite so much.

[@zenithquasar9623]

I love your analysis of the game. I didn't care for the comparisons to Celesete though, I think they are pretty different types of games with different goals.

[@Patricia_Taxxon]

Yes, but some of the design sensibilities highlighted in getting over it could have aided in celeste's goals.

[@zenithquasar9623]

@@Patricia_Taxxon It doesn't matter. Play the two games, they don't have to be one and the same. You are allowed to dislike or less like Celeste, but I don't know what the value is trying to make both games the same. If they were, then one or the other would be redundant imo.

[@hydrolythe]

Wow, this reminds me of my favorite game and also coincidentally what is my favorite book. My favorite game is "DNA: Dark Native Apostle". The reason why is because it is the only game where the story and the gameplay blends together. You play as a cyborg thrown into the bin trying to reclaim your freedom and the gameplay reflects this by giving you access to chips that, when put in a certain combination, allow you to unlock powers. My favorite book is "Being and time". Compared to the previous one it is a cliché choice, but it profoundly changed my life in a way other books didn't. I used to search for a philosophy to cling on to and this book brought to my attention the question of being. The prose of this one is definitely complex, but you could say that that's what makes it intellectually appealing. What you just showed me is just the next step on the ladder. Thank you so much.

[@Nisom630]

I think how the themes of Celeste's story interact with the gameplay is perfectly fine. When living with mental health issues the best way to deal with them, is to tackle things one small step at a time to avoid catastrophizing and getting overwhelmed, As trying to tackle everything all at once is counterintuitive, and only keeps you stuck or sends you backwards. With cognitive behavioral therapy, you are exposed to small bits of the issue you are facing and are given tools to tackle them until they become easier and no longer a associated with being a threat. Each level represents a new demon of Madeline's that she is confronting with each new game mechanic feeling unfamiliar and difficult at first, but by the end of the level, you are breezing through things and the new mechanics your were introduced to feel as natural as walking. This is a perfect representation of what it feels like to tackle your own issues in therapy.

[@scottthomson1827]

The rhyming is really cool when he's talking about Facebook. The same way that the game's landscape is made of reused 'garbage' assets, the garbage unweildy movement is transformed into something graceful, and the garbage frustrating experience is transfigured through catharsis into a positive one, he uses the poetic form to transform 'garbage' internet content into a meaningful work. The game's theme is repeatedly layered on top of itself in this way, reinforcing the message that even if life feels like it consists of mostly negative experiences, the experience of living can still have meaning. Beautiful serene game.

[@the_sky_is_blue_and_so_am_I]

Your final point about how people make art Just For Art's Sake is really important to me cuz I was crocheting a blanket and it looks genuinely shoddy at the moment but it doesn't matter. It's for me. I track my mood everyday and then crochet a line of fabric to symbolize getting through, it's art for my sake. I felt really ashamed of it for awhile but it's I think that's important to realize that it's the Odyssey of attempting a new art form and learning with it not necessarily the results of labor.

[@sunburntsatan6475]

I have a lot of words, because this video led to a lot of personal epiphanies. Firstly, thank you. You helped to bring words to something that is so quintessentially hard to describe with words. One of the things I suffered from was nostalgia. And, truly, nostalgia is suffering--it's right there in the name. "Algia" is derived from the Greek word for pain, with "nost" meaning home. It means, essentially, homesickness. It's one of the most complex, common emotions and experiences; it's the happiness of mentally revisiting meaningful experiences, bundled with the pain of knowing you can never relive them. And, I think most people know this: There is no solution to it. You don't "overcome" nostalgia--you let it wash over you like a tidal wave. It crushes you and carries you, all at the same time. Looking at words throughout different languages, you find so many bizarre words that have such oddly specific meanings. And even though they can be used, they're just a word; to the inventors of the word, the word represents a complex experience. I think there's a lot of beauty in accepting the pain, inviting the misery, and letting it mix with happiness, instead of keeping them separate and bottled up. Like red and blue, each their individual thing, but together a whole new color to experience, that is both and neither at the same time. I know at the surface level this sounds pretentious. But, eventually, you'll feel something like it. I think the typical idea that pain helps to elevate joy is reductionist, and doesn't tell the whole story. To feel extraordinary pain, and to move on nonetheless, is a joy of its own, not just by contrast but by creation. I hope some of my words hit their target, and that somebody can discover their own words, and their own experience. Embrace the complexity of life. Sweetness and bitterness together, bittersweet--with a meaning greater than the sum of its parts.

[@amyallen6863]

Holy crap thank you for this message. That was beautiful.

[@user-tc5qc4ql8m]

Eric this video was so beautiful and just what I needed, thank you.

[@RaindropEyewash]

Everything you say about this game makes it clear both that it was an incredibly moving piece of art and that, even if I eventually made it through, I would hate every minute of it and regret the time I’d spent doing it. I love your message about Getting Over It and the interest of making something for you rather than for everyone, and I am not a person who would enjoy this game. I disagree with every single thing you said about Celeste, but I think that was the point in a way. Sitting through you dismissing Celeste for being too forgiving (when I found the game punishing to the point of genuinely negatively impacting my mental well-being while playing) and choosing to keep watching because I thought you might have something valuable to say afterwards… for me, this video was an exercise in frustration and pushing through hurt and discomfort and anger for the sake of understanding a deeper point buried in there. (I wish you hadn’t been so dismissive of Celeste’s difficulty and forgiveness though, that hurt. It’s by far the hardest game I’ve ever experienced, and to have someone dismiss it as so easy that “the average player” wouldn’t find the main story too challenging really felt like an insult.)

[@RaindropEyewash]

But I also think you and I look for very different things in a game. If a game frustrates me, I want it to be because of something I can change or improve, or a mistake I made that I’m capable of not making. The level of precision Celeste requires (particularly the B and C sides) is just fully outside my capabilities, no matter how many hundreds of hours I’ve flung at it and similar games.

[@RaindropEyewash]

The idea of seeking out a game designed to make you as angry as possible, designed to make you hate yourself and make you sick with anger, is foreign to me in the same way that the appeal of horror movies is, I guess. Horror movies don’t appeal to me in any way either, they clearly have value and meaning to a lot of people but I profoundly don’t get the appeal of making yourself nauseous and scared and uncomfortable. Maybe there’s something wrong with me, maybe I just have enough discomfort and frustration in my life already, I don’t know.

[@drawnoutrandom5953]

Personally, I really like the Ice Wall as a final challenge to the game. I loved how it encourages precision and practically forces you to get intimate with the walls to gain the knowledge of exactly where to swing to get past, in contrast with a couple jumps that feel mostly random and require copious trial and error, without any fear of falling. Despite falling and losing progress whilst both climbing the radio tower, and having made it over the tower, the ice wall is the final place where falling sets you back a few challenges, it's easy if you flail around or aren't careful to accidentally send yourself back down to the bucket, whilst also having safe spots for you if you know how to catch yourself. The bucket also wasn't too troublesome for me, I like how once you finally get used to the controls and understand the games movement, bennet throws in a physics object you have to learn to use to get further, instead of it just being in the environment like the cup, orange and hat you bump into earlier in your climb.

[@jessehunter362]

thank you for creating this. it conveys a conclusion that I do not think I would otherwise have come to extremely well.

[@AzureLlama]

As a bonus tidbit: Diogenes is named after a Greek Philosopher who would sleep in a bit pot and supposedly also had a lot to say about the culture of their time. I say supposedly because his writing has been lost to time but accounts from others did survive.

[@ToxPhy]

I’ve watched (well rather listened to) this video several times now and I’m just leaving my feedback now. I love games like this. The ones that get strong reactions from people, whether they be joy, rage, disgust, surprise, or whatever else. I just love games that make people have funny reactions because every person who plays it has a different response and it’s really enjoyable to see how everyone reacts. When it comes to games that I personally play I prefer non-linear ones but not always when it comes to watching other people. I don’t know why but the one game that comes to mind to me is Sonic Dreams Collection. The game itself isn’t really anything special but seeing everyone have such differing reactions to it just cracks me up. It very much comes to me as a game that was meant to be observed second hand. I don’t know if anything I’ve said makes any sense but I always like it when there’s one big game that just dozens of people play all at once because even if they all have the same experience the reactions can differ greatly and the result is almost always hilarity.

[@Martianorbit]

What a pleasant coincidence, a video on Getting Over It mere days after I reach the summit.

[@high_intelligence_specimen]

If i make something like getting over it, something which is not for everyone, it's going to get forgotten. A great example of this is my favorite game of all time called Rain World. Rain World is an amazing game with a great story, world, AI, platforming, movement, graphics, soundtrack and a lot of other unique stuff but the main problem of Rain World is that it's extremely hard and hard games are not for everyone, that's why it's not popular enough. Getting over it got popular because it's a rage game and streamers love rage games but if i make something which is not for everyone, it's going to get forgotten.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

I think you just inspired me to self-publish some poetry. Thanks, Eric!

[@discordant8543]

"licorice is the best candy" ^ these words should not exist in this order, this is a word crime

[@k8g8s8]

The candy I like best is licorice.

[@hq4287]

candy best the is licorice

[@compoflask6262]

@Eric_Taxxon

[@Violetcas97]

But I like liquorice...

[@discordant8543]

Esesmuroberts You're going on my list

[@Violetcas97]

This was... wow... as usual I'm thoroughly impressed by the quality of your videos.. Perhaps it's time I give this intimidating game a play.

[@johnsmith-qc3zl]

I love you. Like genuinely. This made my day.

[@slipperynickels]

i just happened to come back to this video at the right time. the direction of reddit and twitter has convinced me to not search for alternatives, but to instead take the third choice. so instead of any of that, i'm just going to make a regular old personal website filled with bespoke weird nonsense that i create. no limits on what, just create things because i want to, and put them there. the ending thesis of this video speaks to the exact thing i'm trying to capture again, my ability to just make things because i want to make them. and if someone finds it and they connect with it, even better. maybe that latter goal will become more concrete as my body of work grows but right now, i only have the one goal.

[@TinyPirate]

Omg. Is it driver error which causes crackles like you had? I get those now and then and I haven’t been able to prevent them yet. Arg.

[@SJNaka101]

I'm not crying! You're crying! Edit: in the book Smarter Better Faster by Charles Duhigg, the author elaborates on a concept called "disfluency". What it basically is, is some type of encumberment or awkwardness in engaging with some material. An example would be taking notes in class by hand or on a laptop. Studies find that laptop users write about double the notes in class that handwriters do, yet retain less information. This is because the handwriter takes longer to write notes, so they have to take less notes, so they have to manipulate the information in their brains to create short statements that act as a bookmark for a bunch of other information associated with the note. Meanwhile, laptop users merely dictate many sentences word for word without actually engaging with the material in their minds. I can't help but imagine that the frustrating controls introduce a level of disfluency that essentially sears this game in a person's mind. I think this is a worthwhile thing for developers to consider if they want to create highly memorable games. Come to think of it, Halo is one game that really sticks out in my memory from childhood. One of the things I remember about it was learning to control a first person character with two joysticks. It was so awkward, I constantly found myself staring at the sky or at the ground. Consequently, it was laborious to try to take in the environment AND shoot at enemies AND navigate the levels to find objectives. I still remember so much of that game today. Multiplayer map layouts were memorized in just a few short games. These days, I'm pretty decent at shooters and I have to WORK at memorizing levels in shooters even though my mind can easily take in all the details much more quickly. I've got a lot to think about! And I gotta play this game! Edit 2: I am upset that you got me to play this game.

[@minch333]

So here's my Getting Over It story! I played it for a couple of hours and really really enjoyed it. Far from frustrating, I found the audacity the game had to rip from me all my progress absolutely hilarious and whenever I fell I burst out laughing. However, devils chimney did start weighing me down. I started to find how cramped it was just not 'feel' nice, and it was a real faff having to position myself on the rock at the bottom over and over. Despite this, I did reach the top of the chimney three times, and each time was immensely stressful. The first two times I threw myself off to the left and back down to the beginning again. They were devastating, but again in a way that was ultimately really funny to me! The third time I made it over to the right, finally making it to the next section of the game. It felt so great! I quit the game to go make myself a quick cup of tea to calm my nerves and congratulate myself. Had the tea, booted the game back up aaaaaaaaaaaaand I was right back at the beginning! My save file had been corrupted, it no longer existed, no continue button in the menu, just "new game". I haven't been able to play it since. I know the game's supposed to be frustrating, I was loving that about it, and know that you can lose all your progress, I think that's great. But to have it happen right after besting the first true challenge of the game? Literally just after? When it was 100% the games fault and not my own? Not due to me needing to master the mechanics, but because of a fucking bug? I felt so cheated. I can't bring myself to play it again, which is a real shame because I think it's a special experience, but I simply don't trust the game anymore.

[@pinkcloudsnightlightbell]

Love that last sentence so much. ♡ TY.

[@IOxyrinchus]

I like the idea of the game (Getting Over It). Attempting to overcome such an insurmountable obstacle with the constant threat of losing all of your progress is a true test of patience and perseverance. It’s a very pure definition of difficulty and I really appreciate that, a true Greek-Myth-like challenge. Such a brilliant metaphor. I love games like Celeste as well for similar reasons. Super Meat Boy is my personal favourite; every mistake is your fault.

[@babelfish9948]

Really good video about getting over it, you made me get emotional at the end, thanks for that. Also we really need more video games that make the player feel uncomfortable.

[@cabbagejuice8067]

Loving this video! I picked this game up after seeing you rave about it on twitter. Im 4 hours in and have only got past the chimney once. :( I showed the game to my brother and he spoiled the ending too. I love the message, and the idea of culture trash thats not trash at all. Ill have to start playing again once Im feeling up to it

[@smiegrin665]

I finally came back to watch this video essay; I didn't find your art until well after your 4-chord loop essay, so there's stuff in the backlog here that I just haven't taken the time to enjoy. In a parasocial sort of way, though, it seems like this essay has sort of haunted the idea that a significant number of online people have of you? Scrolling just two inches into the comments seems to kind of confirm that. As someone who loves the internet-approved wholesome indie platformer with a story about mental illness, I want to say that I love this essay. Maybe still in a way that's... orthogonal to the video's intent? In that my love for this essay is less about its primary subject (Getting Over It), but about the game I've actually played that it mentions as a reference comparison. I still feel like I should add my voice, though, because of how your words here have clarified why it is that I love Celeste. Its all probably too personal to get into detail in a KZbin Comment, so I'll just say this essay's rightful criticisms of Celeste combined with its familiar praises highlight how, when I stepped into Madeline's shoes for the first time, I was in a place where I desperately needed "sweetness." My life was really quite "bitter" already at the time, but all in ways that I was bringing on myself. I got to the end of chapter 5/the start of chapter 6 and was _ready_ to watch Madeline teach me how to magically remove the things I hated and feared about myself. Instead, the game (and its mechanics) induced a sense of patience with myself and love for little victories. It gave me space to feel like I could do hard things, but mostly _because_ it gives so many mechanical tools to encourage me forward. To feel safe failing. Looking back several years now, I totally agree with the sentiment that Celeste has a lot of dissonance between the danger of climbing a mystical mountain and the gameplay of crawling a small hill with a safety net. In life's real mountains, I experience the start of chapter 6 often, and mental illness doesn't give coyote time for intrusive thoughts or buffered inputs to stop panic attacks. Celeste is dear to me despite this, though, because even if it's narratively dissonant in how it minimizes opportunities for loss, frustration, and failure, it was the first bunny slope that I ever climbed that sparked my confidence enough to start me on so many other climbs in my life. Challenges with fewer safety nets or in much more poorly mapped (and checkpointed) territory. tl;dnr: You're right to have said what you have in this essay. Even as someone who holds Celeste near and dear to my heart, your criticisms succeed in making me better understand what I love about Celeste, and have given me a better understanding of things I haven't experienced, including Getting Over It.

[@Thetheproto]

12:00 on one hand low stakes. On the other hand no i wont do the golden strawberries. I know its a story thing but this seemed funny

[@nateharris5012]

Portal 2 is my favorite game of all time, thank you for the mention of it

[@lucyalvey2770]

The video (with the addition of the amazing comment section) is extremely therapeutic and I'm really happy to see that something like this is a possibility. Really gives me a needed shimmer of hope in these dire times. Not entirely related, I'm aware, but wanted to share my thoughts anyway

[@z.l.burington1183]

This is very interesting, thank you. I like how you talk about outsider art, because yes, it feels very similar.

[@decepticonne]

"Why did you want to climb Mount Everest?" "Because it's there" I never heard about this game before today, but the first thing that came to mind while watching this video was this infamous George Mallory quote. And where I first read it, The Summit Of The Gods. I don't know how much it inspired the maker of this game, but it's a brillant manga that takes on similar themes (as many japanese stories about mountain-climbing do, but it's a prime example).

[@Stonehawk]

even though you turn off like totals, i'm grateful that you left comments on so i can tell you: thank you for your insightful and fascinating commentary

[@Sunny_Haven]

When I played Celeste, despite it being very difficult for me personally, I was always aware of the safety net that was behind me, from the bigger stuff like the constant checkpoints to the smaller things like coyote time and the fact that the room doesn't ever "start" until you move so you can have a small break upon failing. And I personally really enjoyed that aspect of Celeste, it's something I've always praised whenever I talk about the game to people. It gives me a feeling that the game wants me to finish it. In the beginning of the game when it says "You can do this", that felt directed to me as much as it was to Madeline, and it was something I frequently thought about when I was getting frustrated with the game. I felt this even stronger when looking at the accessibility options: being able to slow down the game or give yourself extra dashes or making yourself invincible, it all felt like the intention was to provide an experience that is difficult but not frustratingly so. And I really enjoy that about Celeste.

[@calvinstaropoli4448]

*0:50** seconds in, hears young fathers song, immediately subscribes* you sir, are a man of taste

[@jragonlearnhowtomakeminecr7886]

I'm addicted to your videos.

[@MisterSpeedStacking]

have you tried salty licorice? it's a nordic specialty and it makes licorice taste even better, it's my favourite candy

[@Zeph101theoriginal]

Ahhhhh that makes so much sense. I don't like licorice or grapefruit, and I only ever drink my coffee with milk and sugar. Back to my full fat Dark Souls latte with 1 sugar for me.

[@lunarlunar9405]

tbh this kinda moviates me to keep on going with my fanfic writing, its hard to do it since i have adhd and most of the audience in the fandom im in is focused on the shipping of two characters when i want to do more than that but reminding myself that just someone will like and appreicate my attempted rewrites of something as silly as gotham the tv show makes me happy, sure not many in this fandom will see the point in rewriting a small arc that lasted for around five episodes but some will enjoy it, i want to make art for those people since i couldnt find them myself

[@sycastells1212]

I am playing this game right now, because of your suggestion. I am not good at games (I suspect my autism might have come with some fine motor control problems), but I have faith from what you've said that this is going to be worth it. Just a few minutes ago I got through the Devil's Chimney and then fell all the way back to the house. I smiled as I fell, because I had gotten through the Chimney. Now I get to try again knowing that I've already gotten that far before. Thank you for this video. I keep referring back to it as I play.

[@dirtybaggage1782]

- Watches this video - - Looks at my sad, niche webcomic that not a whole lot of people like or want to give a chance - - Cries -

[@alisonpurgatory85]

Still, keep at it. It's important to you, or you wouldn't have started it. There will be someone, somewhere that will like it, and even if there isn't, the fact that it exists justifies itself

[@Doc_Gilgamesh]

Holy crap this video actually got to me a little.

[@benb995]

Fantastic video.

[@alanritchie7850]

Eric, while I disagree with you on quite a few things, it’s always a joy to hear your thoughts on art

[@hunkenbunken7578]

goddamn thank you for making it so much easier for me to make my very own trash. thank you so much for putting that into words out there

[@demonetizedspeech7011]

Excellent video thanks for making it.

[@CallMeHeatMiser]

Jericho’s Getting Over It play through is incredible