Best Boss Fights of 2018
8. Badeline (Celeste)
Celeste is more than a game about climbing a mountain. It’s a game about overcoming one’s demons, which in the case of protagonist Madeline is made tangible by one of the mountain’s relics.
Deemed Badeline, this negative representation embodies everything that has plagued Madeline for years. She doubts Madeline at every turn, and tells her repeatedly that she can’t overcome the mountain’s trials.
This all comes to a head when Madeline tries to abandon Badeline for good, only to be dragged down to the mountain’s core in retaliation. To escape, she’ll have to find Badeline, overcome the obstacles she creates and discover the specter’s true purpose.
On top of being excellent narratively, the gameplay around this fight requires split-second decisions and perfectly timed platforming. A single mistake can set players back again and again, and each section cleared makes way for an even harder one.
Reaching the end takes time, patience and understanding. Once players have reached it though, it becomes clear this was the message all along and that Madeline and her dark side may finally be ready to make amends.
