Catherine
9.1
10
69
69
great game
great game. the story has you on the edge of your seat wanting to know whats going to happen next and after each stage the puzzles get harder. the game has 8 endings in total so you know it will keep you busy for a long time. the story is really good and it changes depending on your actions, another thing i like about the game is spending time at the stray sheep bar listening to the music and getting ur drink on lol overall i recommend you get this game
3/9/13
Great on Many Levels
This game is not meant for the casual gamer, even some hardcore gamers will find it the difficulty will be high. This game could be considered as divided into two parts. The nightmare stages which consist of the puzzle platforming and the daytime segments which involve more of the morality meter and cutscenes. The puzzle platforming starts out fairly easy but becomes increasingly hard as you scale up the levels. Of course one stage equals one night. The interesting thing is that the puzzles, while enthralling, were not the most interesting thing for me. The story really grabbed me, a story about a regular guy who has commitment issues and becomes torn as to whom he should decide. Catherine, a mysterious girl who somehow always ends up in your bed. Or Katherine, your girlfriend of 5 plus years. This is where your moral compass plays into the game, and your choosing Catherine or Katherine will ultimately determine one of the many endings at your disposal. To put the endings in perspective this game has twice as many endings as Mass Effect 3. So for my final thoughts this game can be frustrating because you will die alot, even on easy or normal. But if you can get over that the story really pays off, and goes in a direction that you really couldn't expect.
8/30/12
A good puzzle game.
Catherine is a fun and unique puzzle game. You play as Vincent, a man who cheated on his future wife Katherine with a girl he woke up next to Catherine. Because he is cheating on Katherine he is trapped in a nightmare that makes him climb to the top of a bunch of towers. If Vincent dies in his dream he dies in real life. Most of the game takes place in Vincent's nightmares. You have to move block around to get to the top of the towers. At the end of each nightmare, Vincent has to escape from boses. The game can be very frusturating at times. You may fall off the tower or run out of time. You should not stop playing this game until it is done. If you stop playing the game and go on to another one, when you do come back to it you will loose all of your skills. If you like hard puzzle games, then this is the game for you.
7/17/12
Catherine - A Unique Puzzle Game
One can definately not deny that this isn't a unique game. As the main character, you must try to dig yourself out of a love triangle. You are tested through many levels of puzzles to test your true feelings about relationships. The puzzle challenges do require thinking and planning, even on a normal difficulty setting. My main problem with this game was that the puzzles were all too similar. They continued to get more difficult, and include some weird twists, but I would have liked to see some totally different challenges included. The storyline and cut-scenes are slow-paced.
6/1/12
A game unique in its kind
It’s a strange combination to have a duality of part social simulator and part puzzle game, but at least it’s original and Catherine makes it work. The story, mainly followed in the daytime social cycle, stars a man named Vincent and his crisis with commitment issues. During the day, he juggles his love life and talks with his friends, hangs at the bar and sends texts; while of course drinking heavily. As protagonists go, Vincent seems some of the least likeable characters, with his questionable, pubescent behavior and low-level morals. But in the end it’s the player’s choice whether to steer the course of Freedom or Order in a choice-based meter. Answering questions and texts will affect how Vincent feels about things and this will in turn shape the story progression.
At night, Vincent’s troubles manifest themselves in nightmares that create the puzzle portion of the game. In his dream state, he must manipulate a set of different blocks in order overcome his adversity and climb towards freedom. This isn’t a leisurely stroll though, as the floor gives way underneath him and he might even be chased by actual demons that brandish a deadly arsenal. Throughout levels, there are ways to slow down and rest up on platforms where he can converse with sheep that seem to be in the same predicament. But at the end of levels, he’ll need to go into a confessional and the nightmare will start all over again. There is no rest for the wicked.
Catherine doesn’t deceive the audience; the game is primarily about the story and the simple block puzzles are a mere framing device for the allegories needed within. But that doesn’t mean that Vincent can simply push a few cubes around and call it a day; on the contrary. The challenge level, set in 3 degrees, is quite steep and will require both swift wit and a good perception in order to overcome the tricky combinations. Luckily, the resting platforms during each level offer some help to learn new techniques and a way to purchase some helpful items that can be used in the trials. Yet, even with the helping hand, the game will feel more frustrating than rewarding and can even feel needlessly unfair during select times. The reward will come from wanting to know what happens next in the life of Vincent, which once again separates the importance of gameplay and story.
This game is an atmosphere. Its unique social aspect and choice element gets offset by lengthy cutscenes and conversations in either full anime animation or design. The difference between heavy cel-shaded, 3D designs and painted stills creates a visual appeal that makes characters and interest points pop out from the screen. In addition, the smooth textures and animations further enhance the anime style that transitions throughout the game. Catherine also expertly spreads touches of music at key points, which vary from updated classical music or jazzy tunes where best applicable. Lastly, the voice cast is tremendous and doesn’t hold any punches in conversations. These energetic youths talk like youth does; curse words and all. Anything story-related in this story is nearly flawless, even if the order and freedom division might seem arbitrary at some points; it serves its purpose in the end. However, the non-playable parts can become a bit lengthy for those eager to progress with the game and even skipping chapters during replays, for additional endings, can take some time.
Gameplay also suffers from a few additional quirks, such as some control issues that will occasionally make Vincent slip up in his non-apologetic environment. Additionally, whenever he falls behind blocks, the view gets obscured, which can get truly aggravating in these already tense situations. Luckily, suspense, urgency and a clever use of space usually overtakes any indiscretion. The drive to overcome obstacles and progress in the story will serve as the main motivation, even after plentiful rage quitting. It’s that small voice in the back of the head, wondering what happened next, which will propel players to turn on the console once more and check out what Vincent is up to.
In the end, players will want to finish the game, because Catherine bogards additional content in the form of a very entertaining competitive feature. It’s a shame players are forced into this decision, because the two player mode does create many additional hours of gameplay competition with a friend, even in its limited state. In this mode, players go head to head in order to reach the top first or destroy the opponent sheep in best out of 3 matches. In a similar way, more content is taken hostage in the form of loose challenges that players can unlock, but only by getting the difficult golden ratings in the story. The game does thrive on the challenge, but showing at least an increment of leniency would’ve benefited it at this particular point.
Catherine isn’t a game for just anyone, as its gameplay is rough, limited and the story is the main focus. Still, a brilliant execution to an equally marvelous concept creates a game unique in its kind, with rousing puzzles and compelling interaction that urge players to go on. Determined players get rewarded in the end with a grand finale and additional gameplay content, but most of all, with the satisfaction of having persisted. This is an experience unlike anything else available at this time and the craftsmanship of Atlus makes it a satisfying venture worthy of any person wanting to play it through. Also, it’s pretty damned sexy.
2/26/12
Great game
I really love this game. It's completely different then anything I've ever played. I think that's why I loved it so much. I'm excited to play it over on a different mode and to see what ending I'll get next. It's pretty good on replay vaule and it's also really funny. I loved how it was so fast paced and chellenging and you get to choose which path Vincent Brooks follows. The best part was out running all the bosses. Although I found myself yelling at the TV and seeing "Love is over" 1 billion times. But all in all I would totally reccomend this to others. This was my first title from Atlus and I'm already in love with them. I'm excited to play the Persona series for the first time as well.
1/31/12
Atlus you have done it again!!
from the team that brought you shin megami persona 3 & 4 have done it again only this time with catherine. catherine is a very unique and different kind of game, its not your basic rpg game and ect, its more of a puzzle/action story driven game, that will make you either hate vince or feel sorry for him, i have beaten both story's and this game still makes me want to come back and try on a harder level, like i said before this a very different yet unique game and some of you might be turned off by the nature of this game and why do you ask that because it is indeed a mature game and you will see why? the point is if your looking for a game thats very different then your average shooter, or ect, then catherine is worthy of a rental or buy. but be warned this game is hard and you will get frusterated with it, but keep with it and you'll see why catherine is a remarkable game in its own way.
1/28/12
Excellent, Unique, Fun, and Challenging!
Catherine is a great game for fans of puzzles, horror, or anime. You basically move the blocks to create a path to climb up in time before the blocks below you fall or the monster chasing you kills you. It has a somewhat short, but great story with some beautifully animated anime cutscenes, and allows you to interact with other characters that you meet in the bar, which is where you spend time when you're not in the "nightmare" pushing around blocks. Also, this game has been considered by many to be fairly difficult. Even just normal mode has its challenges, as you have to think hard and fast before you're killed. The game may appeal to a fairly limited audience but all things considered, it's a great addition to your collection!
1/11/12
Unique, Fun, and a must Play!
Catherine is one of those games that will make a lasting impression on you for years to come. It is very unique as far as game play is concerned. Never seen any game like it! Its not your typical same old same old game where you do the same things all the time. The story is amazing and really sucks you in. Once I started playing I couldn't stop. One of Atlus Games very best!! Get ready for a wild ride...
1/6/12
A unique experience in its own category.
This game is a amazing experience that defines a new gaming experience. It may not look like it at first or at all but this game is crafted cleverly by smart team. You take control of a man just trying to live his life, Vincent. He not hero nor is villain nor is emo, he just a guy. Dealing with his problems, this game delivers a unique character along with an interesting story. With 8 different ending, the lasting appeal is pretty strong. One game play through can be beaten in 6 hours to 20 hours depending how you play. With HD graphics, and a unique scary sexy odd atmosphere. This is one of 2011 biggest suprise you wouldn't want to miss.
1/3/12