Do we like them?

Do we like Madeline?

A character from Celeste (2018)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back her. She's stubborn, kind and honest about her fears, and she keeps climbing anyway.

Madeline is a young woman who decides to climb Celeste Mountain. The game is a tough platformer, and it's also a story about anxiety and depression. On the way up she meets a handful of odd characters, including a cheerful fellow climber, a grumpy old woman and a hotel manager who is a little too pushy.

Her main struggle is with her own self-doubt. It takes the form of a darker double who tries to talk her out of the climb. Madeline is stubborn, funny and awkward, and she never pretends to be fearless. That's why she's easy to root for.

She scores a 9 because she is decent to everyone and works hard at getting better. Her flaws are very human ones: panic, avoidance and a stubborn streak. In the end she learns to accept the part of herself she'd been trying to push away, rather than beat it.