Rating: Mature (Violence, Blood, Sexual Themes, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol)
Retail Price: $59.99
Gamestop/ EB Games Used price: $54.99
Story: Enter Vincent Brooks: a 32-year old man with a stable job, friends he hangs out with at the local bar ("The Stray Sheep") every night, and a girlfriend named Katherine McBride. Life seems to be going rather easy for Vincent until one day Katherine tells him that it's time to advance their relationship. Unsure of what to do, Vincent spends the night at the Sheep with his friends. That night, he lives a nightmare like no other. With the abyss below him and a tower of blocks above, Vincent must climb for his life! In the morning, however, his life takes yet another unexpected turn: he wakes up next to the blonde bombshell Catherine! Horrified at what he had done (or had he done anything? He can't seem to remember...), Vincent must now make life-altering decisions about Catherine, Katherine, and himself, all while fighting to stay alive in his nightares!
When I started "Catherine", I thought 'Okay, it's a puzzle game. Let's just move some blocks and get to the top. Easy enough, right?' Haha... wrong. While the game will start you off easy, "Catherine" quickly becomes a race against the clock as oblivion tries to welcome you into its maw. In traditional ATLUS style, you spend the daytime hours managing Vincent's social life: hanging out with the guys at the bar, talking to the patrons, sending text messages, etc. After going home, however, Vincent's nightmares become reality; a fight for his life. The goal is to get from the bottom of the tower of blocks to the top, where the promise of freedom lies. "Catherine" has you creating your own staircases, puling blocks in, out, left, right, and everything in-between. However, you're not the only one climbing this tower. You will encounter sheep along the way, scrambling ot the top. Some will ignore you, while others will go out of their way to knock you to your death. Not to mention that at the end of every night, you must escape the wrath of the boss for that nightmare. Are the promises of an unknown voice really worth all of this trouble?
I got about 10 hours out of "Catherine", beginning to end. However, I only got one of the endings. The game has eight endings, each one decided by your actions during the game. Helping other sheep at the rest stations and talking to the bar's patrons influence your position on a meter in the corner of the screen, as do the questions that await you after each floor of the nightmares such as ""Would you risk everything for the one you love?" or "Would you prefer a short, eventful life or a long, dull life?" Every decision influences the meter, which further influences Vincent's actions at key moments of the story. Honestly, the cutscenes between nights are rather lengthy, being a blend of both in-game engine and anime visuals, but as a fan of the Metal Gear and Legacy of Kain series, I didn't realy mind. The clever writing is more than enough to keep you entertained.
The music of "Catherine" is mostly reworked classical music, which is executed beautifuly. There's nothing quite like escaping certain death and being met by Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus. You'll hear the word "edge" a lot while moving blocks, but in time you don't really notice it.
Replay value? Eight endings. And you'll love trying to get them all.
All-in-all, "Catherine" is a ride you'll be glad you took. (I almost made a tacky joke right here) I know I'll enjoy going through again just to find all of the endings!
Score: 9/10
Don't agree? Wanna add something? Then tell me what's on your mind below!
Title: "Catherine"
System: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Producer: ATLUS
Cover:
Rating: Mature (Violence, Blood, Sexual Themes, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol)
Retail Price: $59.99
Gamestop/ EB Games Used price: $54.99
Story: Enter Vincent Brooks: a 32-year old man with a stable job, friends he hangs out with at the local bar ("The Stray Sheep") every night, and a girlfriend named Katherine McBride. Life seems to be going rather easy for Vincent until one day Katherine tells him that it's time to advance their relationship. Unsure of what to do, Vincent spends the night at the Sheep with his friends. That night, he lives a nightmare like no other. With the abyss below him and a tower of blocks above, Vincent must climb for his life! In the morning, however, his life takes yet another unexpected turn: he wakes up next to the blonde bombshell Catherine! Horrified at what he had done (or had he done anything? He can't seem to remember...), Vincent must now make life-altering decisions about Catherine, Katherine, and himself, all while fighting to stay alive in his nightares!
When I started "Catherine", I thought 'Okay, it's a puzzle game. Let's just move some blocks and get to the top. Easy enough, right?' Haha... wrong. While the game will start you off easy, "Catherine" quickly becomes a race against the clock as oblivion tries to welcome you into its maw. In traditional ATLUS style, you spend the daytime hours managing Vincent's social life: hanging out with the guys at the bar, talking to the patrons, sending text messages, etc. After going home, however, Vincent's nightmares become reality; a fight for his life. The goal is to get from the bottom of the tower of blocks to the top, where the promise of freedom lies. "Catherine" has you creating your own staircases, puling blocks in, out, left, right, and everything in-between. However, you're not the only one climbing this tower. You will encounter sheep along the way, scrambling ot the top. Some will ignore you, while others will go out of their way to knock you to your death. Not to mention that at the end of every night, you must escape the wrath of the boss for that nightmare. Are the promises of an unknown voice really worth all of this trouble?
I got about 10 hours out of "Catherine", beginning to end. However, I only got one of the endings. The game has eight endings, each one decided by your actions during the game. Helping other sheep at the rest stations and talking to the bar's patrons influence your position on a meter in the corner of the screen, as do the questions that await you after each floor of the nightmares such as ""Would you risk everything for the one you love?" or "Would you prefer a short, eventful life or a long, dull life?" Every decision influences the meter, which further influences Vincent's actions at key moments of the story. Honestly, the cutscenes between nights are rather lengthy, being a blend of both in-game engine and anime visuals, but as a fan of the Metal Gear and Legacy of Kain series, I didn't realy mind. The clever writing is more than enough to keep you entertained.
The music of "Catherine" is mostly reworked classical music, which is executed beautifuly. There's nothing quite like escaping certain death and being met by Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus. You'll hear the word "edge" a lot while moving blocks, but in time you don't really notice it.
Replay value? Eight endings. And you'll love trying to get them all.
All-in-all, "Catherine" is a ride you'll be glad you took. (I almost made a tacky joke right here) I know I'll enjoy going through again just to find all of the endings!
Score: 9/10
Don't agree? Wanna add something? Then tell me what's on your mind below!