Expedition Log #2: Celeste - Night at the Overlook

October 21st, 2025 - So, here we are again. Last time, we conquered the Old Site and continued our climb up the mountain. Now, we find ourselves entering an eerie, unsettling place.

Our next stop is the Celestial Resort Hotel, where ringing the bell introduces us to the owner and caretaker, Mr. Oshiro. Nice guy. Possibly a ghost. He insists on taking me to the presidential suite, so I go along. Here’s where things open up: the resort is a maze of floating books and towels, with walls coated in cobwebs and strange,red, and sometimes flying, gunk. The place is a wreck, especially with the hair-like structures on the walls. Despite this, it’s my favorite level in the game. Dashing through the resort evokes memories of the ghost house levels in Super Mario Land, or maybe it’s just that exploring a gloomy hotel with a spectral caretaker fits the October mood.

One thing I’ve noticed so far is the heightened difficulty compared to the Old Site. The previous level cost me hardly any lives, but now I’m dying repeatedly. Some strawberries are maddeningly tough to collect, yet my competitive streak refuses to give up.

Eventually, we meet up with Mr. Oshiro again and it feels like walking into an episode of Hoarders. Navigating the maze of towels, books, and other items, I offer to help clean up. Do I get any thanks? No, but I digress. While cleaning, I run into Theo, who advises me to leave Mr. Oshiro be, as he seems a bit sus. Against my better judgment, I decide to help Mr. Oshiro anyway. So, we soldier on.

SIDE NOTE: I discovered something that caught my interest—a console called PICO-8. On it, I played a simplified version of Celeste. I wasn’t familiar with PICO-8 and what I found led me down a fascinating rabbit hole. According to the website, it’s “a fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games and other computer programs.” I won’t go into depth here (this is about Celeste, after all), but you can check it out if you’re curious.

We finish cleaning, grab the key at the center, and go talk to Mr. Oshiro. Do we get any thanks? No. On to gameplay: this is where deaths start ramping up, and I admit it made me a bit angry, but not enough to ruin the fun. That challenge kept me going, and when I finally grab a strawberry or pass a tough room, it feels great. It reinforces the game’s theme of persistence against adversity—one of the reasons I love Celeste.

Eventually, we meet Theo again, who again tries to persuade us to leave, but we stay to help Mr. Oshiro. Not the choice I’d make, but maybe that makes Madeline a better person than me. As we go, we get our first taste of the B-Side, collectible cassette tapes that unlock harder versions of each level. Love to see that.

Soon, we reach the Presidential Suite. In short, the “Part of Me” reappears, delivers harsh comments about our spectral host, then gives us a way out. All this sparks a straightforward chase: escape Mr. Oshiro as he tries to trap us in the resort. We get away, and, sadly, he tells us to go. The chapter ends there.

This was a fantastic level and, currently, my favorite in the game. The atmosphere is eerie and intriguing. Hints of lore suggest Mr. Oshiro’s fate. The challenge sits perfectly between rewarding and punishing. I’m thoroughly enjoying myself and can’t wait to tackle Golden Ridge next time!