Game Review: Catherine

Just the other day Michael told me about this game and he bought it shortly after. I had no idea it existed before then. I guess it's been out since last year. I have trouble finding a game that'll keep my attention for longer than an hour or two, but when I read this case I could already tell I would enjoy it.

The Story:
Catherine is a mostly story based game with a puzzle platformer smooshed in between the layers. You play a guy named Vincent who starts having these really strange dreams right around the time his girlfriend implies that they should get married or break it off already. But one night when he wakes up from one of these dreams, he wakes up to a girl who is not his girlfriend (but has the same name!).
So the antics ensue as Vincent struggles with the fact that he's cheating while dealing with nightmares that demand he climb a tower of blocks, because if he doesn't he doesn't just die in the dream, he dies in real life. Meanwhile, other men are dying from the same nightmares.

Gameplay:
I discovered when I started I didn't just like the game, I fucking loved  it, and if it weren't for the fact that it's Michael's turn to play games on the weekend I wouldn't be on the computer, I'd be playing Catherine.
I'm kind of a lesbian for games that involve a guy and choosing between multiple girls. If you hadn't guessed by the cover this is a Japanese game; it's immediately apparent by the places the characters go, the food they eat etc. The Japanese like to make these games a lot, and this one has an especially weird twist. It's right up my alley and I can't. stop. playing it.
You spend some important time in a bar where several crucial things can happen before it's off to the nightmare of the night. You have a cell phone, which lets you save, replay levels, view awards and most importantly reply to texts from the two girls you're seeing. You can talk to the bar patrons, all of which you pretty much need to or they might not be there later, they might be on the news instead!
The texting sounds strange, but it's really just choosing a specific prewritten message to send. This and your responses to questions determine how the game plays out, and there are three endings to each girl, plus a few more. This means that after you play once, you can go back and make different choices. In other words I may never stop playing.

The nightmare sequences are the real challenge. Making choices is fun and all but there is real work to be had. You have to shift around these blocks to get to the ringing bell and door at the top. Certain blocks do certain things, and sometimes there's a monster from Vincent's subconscious chasing you. Climb faster and you get more points. Climb too slow and the bottom will drop out from under you, as it's falling row by row anyway.
I don't have much to complain about other than the fact that this part may cause serious rage. It's definitely a puzzle, and some levels are more of a pain in the ass than others. But it's so rewarding when you get to the top that it feels worth it. I get really determined to finish a level if I'm having trouble with it, especially because I want to continue the story. There are three levels of difficulty and after finishing Easy I'm on to Normal. Even Easy was challenging, and Normal isn't a cakewalk either. I can't imagine what Hard will be like.

Vincent sees all other men in the dream as sheep, and vice versa. Hence the horns.

 I guess some of the movement can be really irritating. You can hang from blocks and swing around the back of the tower, but when you do the controls are reversed. There's also a lot of unintentional falling. It can happen so often you may want to sit in a corner and cry a little bit. Boss battles are also really cheap; you have to be super clever or they won't hesitate to bring down a creative death upon your slow ass.

This game is adult oriented and lemme tell you I wouldn't want my kids to play it. There's a monster made out of lewd body parts, partly naked girls, and lots of alcohol use. Drinking makes you move faster in the nightmare later; kind of a terrible message (alcohol enhances your performance). On top of that it's a little bit sexist at times but the comedy of the game makes up for it. It questions how you feel about relationships and certain aspects of them, and a lot of it I really don't think anyone under 17 would have the necessary experience to answer.

I suppose my biggest problem is the love interests aren't all that appealing. Katherine, your original girlfriend, is bossy and controlling. Catherine, the little blonde that stalks you, is also a piece of work. They're both pretty psychotic in their own way. Sure they can both be attractive, but their personalities really suck. Good thing one of the endings is dumping both of them. I just feel it sort of promotes bad relationships. You get either the controlling bitch who demands things from you like your mother would, or the crazy bitch who won't leave you alone and you can never remember letting her into your apartment. Hm. Where's the girl that's perfect for him? Because I don't think either one is.

Katherine has long hair and Catherine is the blonde.

 But this isn't a game to be taken seriously, so there's really no use in picking it apart. It's got a monster with an ass for a face for God sakes. I think that pretty much negates any meaning from the events that take place.

As for aesthetics, Catherine has fairly good voice acting (with some necessary cheesiness) and looks really nice. There's even several high quality animated sequences reminiscent of Death Note. The soundtrack is also noticeably varied and enjoyable. I'm really impressed with this game and how fast it reeled me in. If I find myself bleary eyed, in need of food and a shower but keep telling myself "one more level" it's a good game, at least for me.
If you're into this kind of thing or this sounds interesting, it's totally worth a try. I'm going to be playing this game for quite a few dedicated weeks trying to get all the endings. However, a nice feature of the game is you can skip scenes you're tired of and even some levels, as long as you have the Gold rating from last time you played. So maybe it won't take that long.
And hey, once you're done with all that, there's several bonus modes to complete. Hooray! Catherine forever!
Now here's a take on it from my favorite game reviewer: