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As I am writing this review I am at about 5-6 hours of gameplay and past the 3rd stage. So almost halfway through, this review is to give those considering buying this game a sense of what it is like.
There are 3 difficulty modes: Easy, Normal, and Hard. I am playing through on Normal because the puzzles can be frustrating at times and I have died on Normal many times already.
The puzzle gameplay is the main focus of game when you are in the Nightmare stages which you have to push and pull blocks arranging them in a way so you can climb higher and get through to progress the love triangle between Vincent the main character we are in control of, Katherine his longtime girlfriend, and Catherine the mysterious blonde who works her way into Vincent's life. Each puzzle has a time limit which is imposed by either the lowest line of blocks falling off one after the other or a Boss that chases the player as they climb higher, although a Boss is only on the final level of each Stage.
After each Nightmare stage is completed you wake up to progress the story in the real world through text messages, conversations with your friends, and spending your nights drinking in the bar called Stray Sheep.
So far each Nightmare stage has two levels and a final level, each stage and level has had varying obstacles and traps to stop you from progressing and frustrate you as you try to solve each puzzle. But along with this frustration I always feel great satisfaction when I find the correct route and narrowly escape death. After beating a level you end up on in an area with other "sheep" who also have to climb to survive like Vincent, here they will give you tips on climbing and you can purchase different items to help you in the puzzles although you can only carry you item and picking a new item up replaces your current item.
In Stray Sheep there is a mini-puzzle game called Rapunzel which mirrors the game of Catherine except the character in that game is saving Rapunzel by climbing blocks to reach her long hair. In this mini game though you have a limited number of moves you can make, but you don't have blocks falling from under you and you don't have a time limit either.
Overall this game is for those seeking an actual challenge from a game and don't want to just be along for the ride while the game basically plays itself. I have played Portal and ilomilo, both of which are great puzzle games, but this game might be above those in terms of great story telling combined with great animation and incredible and difficult gameplay.
On a side note the alternate artwork looks great and I liked it more than the normal artwork cover shown online, my pre-order came with a bonus sound disc with songs from the game and a 20-page artbook which both are great, the music in the game is perfect for the nightmare tone using orchestral music like Chopin and Beethoven.
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Even after many years of having games made for all ages, some people still believe that games are made primarily for kids. Catherine is a prime example of why this belief is completely and utterly wrong. Catherine is a very adult game and I'm not talking about adult as in adult movie or adult magazines. Catherine is an adult game because it deals with adult themes and doesn't shy away from uncomfortable topics.
The game starts out with the main character, Vincent, in a rather awkward and uncomfortable relationship. After a series of events leads Vincent to being unfaithful to his girlfriend, he starts suffering very bizarre nightmares where he must climb a giant staircase or fall to his death. It becomes increasingly clear that this is not an isolated incident and that if anyone having these dreams falls, they die in real life as well. Vincent must not only figure out how to end these bizarre, deadly dreams but he has to figure out how, in the real world, to deal with his unfaithfulness and choose between his girlfriend Catherine or his lover, Katherine.
The plot may sound ridiculous but it strikes a very solid emotional chord whether you have been in a similar situation or not. As you switch between making decisions for Vincent in the real world and helping him survive in his dreams, it's easy to form a strong attachment to these characters and the game never allows you the comfort of easy choices. While you may have very clear opinions on the morality of cheating, the situation becomes increasingly complicated as things continue and it doesn't remain a clear black-and-white decision. Also, just because the story revolves around a male picking between two females, doesn't mean this is a game just for guys. I played this game with my girlfriend and she become engrossed in the story as well.
Many story-based games start to disregard gameplay to a certain point and while Catherine certainly seems repetitive after a while, the difficulty ramps up quickly. In the dreams, Vincent is wearing nothing but his underwear and has goat horns but is otherwise the same Vincent. Each staircase is made up of large cubes that must be pushed and climbed to reach the top while the rows start dropping below Vincent. If Vincent doesn't move quickly enough, the floor beneath his feet will drop out and he'll fall to his death in a rather shocking display of spikes and blood. These puzzles are extremely simple to understand but become extremely difficult to complete especially by the end. While some players will become frustrated by them, the sense of reward from completing each level is something very few modern games can provide and the subsequent cut-scenes act as the prize, making the storyline even more interesting as time goes on.
Many anime games suffer from stereotypical characters and mediocre writing and acting. Catherine does not have any of these problems. Characters are some of the most memorable and three-dimensional characters this generation and the voice acting is spot on for pretty much everyone.
Many people will ignore Catherine for what it is. A relatively obscure title, made in Japan with anime stylings, a puzzle game, the list goes on. Still, many people would be making a mistake and would miss out on one of the most unique and interesting titles to be released on the Xbox 360 or any other console. If you shy away from difficult games, this may not be the game for you but if you are willing to fight through and persevere, you'll be greatly rewarded.
Best Deals for Catherine - Alternate Boxart -Xbox 360
The idea is simple.
Move blocks in a tower to climb to the top.
You're constantly racing against a "timer" as the levels below you fall after a certain period of time while you're climbing to the top.
I was worried that this would become frustrating, as I usually like to take time and plan my moves in advance.
It actually turned out to add a lot of excitement to the game and kept me moving.
Along the way, you'll run into obstacles, such as sheep (other men like you who are trapped in this dreamworld).
Different block types keep you thinking and planning your route to the top. Very fun action puzzles.
The real brilliance of the game is the story and the beautiful animation.
Your time is split between the dreamworld (this is the block/climbing portion of the game) and the daytime (the dating sim portion of the game).
Your decisions during the game have an impact of what happens towards the end of the game. The game packs a few alternate endings, so multiple playthroughs are warranted, although the main story itself remains mostly unchanged no matter what decisions you make (but the endings vary wildly).
The story is well crafted, exciting, and engaging. Even the time spent at the bar talking to patrons and learning more about this world and your friends is interesting.
The music is also incredible. It is constructed of remixes from various classical songs.
One of my favorite games of the year. If you like puzzle games and have patience (you will die. A lot.) check it out.
Honest reviews on Catherine - Alternate Boxart -Xbox 360
This is such a great game. It is a Japanese puzzle type game in which you must climb up through Vincent's (the main character) nightmares.
I would describe the entire game as Cubert meets nightmare on elm street, meets japanese anime. I was very impressed with the story as well as the gameplay (no I'm not including any spoilers so don't worry). And there is also plenty of playing time, but be careful because of its addictive story line you may even find yourself up all night playing a game like this. I'm not to partial to puzzle games infact the only ones I've played are Tetris, and a brief spell of Cubert and Dr.Mario. But this game manages to stand out among other puzzle games due to its beautiful animated cutscenes, like able characters whom you may even be able to sympathize with, and overall just fun gameplay that actually makes you think for a change.
Now on to the Alternate Box art. I must say I very much prefer it to the standard box art. It seems a bit classier to me but then again that could just be personal preference. However if you don't like it you can always just pick up the standard box art anyway.
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There are many games today that all fall in line a base set of expectations. Catherine is different from everything else and that's a very good thing. Not to mention it seriously likes to mess your mind. In a good way of course.
STORY:
The baseline is this. Random men are dying in their beds and no one has a clue how to stop it, thus fear spreads through the populace. Meanwhile Our 30 year old protagonist Vincent Brooks spends his days toiling in the tech industry and his evenings getting blasted with his friends at a local bar. He also has a girlfriend of several years, a nagging-but-caring woman named Katherine. She has been pushing Vincent as of late to take their relationship to the next level, prodding him to solidify their bond. But Vincent's unsure of what he wants to do. One night while he drinks in the bar alone he meets a younger lass by the name of Catherine and from there everything spirals out of control leaving complications with his real life and nightmares that threaten to end him every night.
The story is intriguing and in my opinion it's one of the best in a good while. You keep guessing who's guilty and whats what the entire time. I personally was never right in any of my assumptions.
GAMEPLAY:
Catherine's main gameplay consists of block puzzles. You must try to position them in a way that will get to the top of the tower while each layer of blocks slowly falls to oblivion from the bottom up. It mixes it up with different block types, unbelievable positioning, and boss battles (Awesome boss battles). After you complete a tower of blocks you get put in a break area called the landing. Here you can talk to people and when ready, proceed to the next area but not before your asked a question. What you answer will define your morality meter that helps to determine what ending you will get and what Vincent thinks throughout the game. The meter isn't really GOOD vs EVIL as Vincent is a nice guy all around, it's actually more CHAOS vs LAW. Chaos being Freedom and excitement while Law being dedication and Strictness. Once the question is answered it's the next puzzle for you!
How hard the puzzles are of course depends on the difficulty you choose. There's super easy (Hidden, I'll explain later), Easy, Normal, and Hard. On the easy modes you are able to get base achievements but are unable to unlock other game modes like couch co-op or the Babel tower (Challenge mode). Those are reserved for getting gold ratings (statues) on normal and above. There are many tutorials and tips but make no mistake some people won't be able to get anywhere on normal and easy will be a huge challenge. The developers saw this and implemented a secret easy mode for those of you who are at their wits end. At the main title screen hold the select button until everything flashes white. Then start a game on easy. Don't expect any good scores for doing this. But it makes things easy enough so my friends and family could play it while I go crazy on normal (Can't even fathom touching hard). It's also good if you wanna just do a speed run to see the stories multiple endings.
So at night you have Nightmares of block puzzles but what about day? During the day (after you pass through the cutscenes) your put in a bar called the Stray Sheep. Here you can listen to music, Play the Rapunzel game which is basically block puzzle practice, Drink (which increases your speed in the dream) and talk to the people in the bar (you can also answer texts and questions which effect the CHAOS/LAW meter.) Talking to people is its own sidequest because your fellow patrons will also appear in the nightmares. Encouraging or ignoring them decides whether they live or not.
ENDING COMMENTS:
Give this game a chance. Some gamers might be put off by the difficulty but for others it will be a major plus. The story is excellent and I at least believe it to be worth your time.
