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:

YouTube Favorites

I use YouTube pretty much every day. Funny videos, educational videos, people doing crazy shit, animals, game walkthroughs, you name it. But there are a few videos I could watch over and over, and some people I'm subscribed to that I watch religiously. I felt like sharing because one of my favorite games to play with people, especially people I'm just getting to know, is "have you seen this video?"





I really love Jenna. She brings joy to my Wednesdays when she posts a new quirky video, usually about a certain topic, sometimes an impersonation, and once in a while a really ridiculous song. I just think she's really endearing and would love to meet her.





I show this video to everyone. I don't even watch My Little Pony or listen to much Wu-Tang but I just think it's really well done and always cheers me up. I guess people do this a lot with MLP which is funny.





There's something really relaxing and fascinating about watching people put together Japanese candy kits. I could watch them for hours. I found a website where you can buy a lot of the stuff you see in videos like this. I'd like to get a few one day!



Just the other day I found these videos on Youtube called The Joker Blogs. I actually got pretty into it. It's about the in between time when the Joker goes to Arkham Asylum. Apparently it's super popular and by the time I finished it (the videos are only a few minutes long usually) like many others I was excited for the next series. I guess it's happening soon! But if you like Batman and you know a bit about the story it's definitely a treat.

Those are my main vices these days on Youtube. Hopefully you found something new!

Day 12: Traits and Habits

I'm a bit behind on my own blog challenge, which I didn't think would happen but that was before we had two new additions to our family! Although the first few days were really rough, they've shown so much improvement it's almost as if they've been here the entire time.
I won't go on too much, since even I get annoyed when people talk too much about their pets or kids, but I really am amazed by how much better they are. They have more energy and seem happier, they come when they're called, they get into their kennels willingly, and all kinds of other stuff. I took them to the vet the other day and was worried because Toki wasn't eating well and seemed sick. She got a shot and we got some pills for her and she was immediately 100% better withing 24 hours. We were really scared it was parvo (pretty much puppy stomach cancer, really expensive to treat and often fatal) so it's such a relief to see her all perked up.

Anyway!

Day 12: Your best traits and worst habits. I.E. the pros and cons of my personality.
This is some vain shit, who came up with this?
Oh right.
I do this because it can be hard for me to come up with good things about myself. I like making myself and other people realize what's good about them.

Best traits:
1. I'm really open minded. I'll agree to disagree or won't judge when you think I will. This makes me a good listener.
2. I'm honest, but can sometimes be too honest. I try to speak the truth respectfully or say what I think people need to hear. I still think it's a good thing.
3. When I care I care a lot. Here I find myself taking care of pretty much strangers out of this unexplained concern I have for their well being. I find the good in everyone. If I decide I like you I stick to it unless you do one too many things to push me away.
4. I like to make people laugh. Some people I meet bring this weird side of me out and all I want to do is act like a moron to cheer them up. As a child my mom called me "Coco," the name of a french clown, because I was so ridiculous and laughed all the time.

Bad habits: I actually made a small post about this a while ago. I felt weird about it because I felt like certain people were judging me for things and probably thinking of a lot more bad things about me.
Which brings me to my first bad habit:
1. I'm so paranoid. Problem is I'm right more often than wrong so it doesn't help anything. But I'm not just paranoid about what people think about me. I feel watched when I'm alone and lock my doors when I'm inside and assume strangers will do bad things because I believe people are too unpredictable to trust. Wee.
2. I'll go ahead and mention my bad habit of being too dramatic again. I really have to keep myself in check. You'd think since I'm married I might not care as much since "he can't leave me so I can do whatever I want, I don't have to impress him anymore" (I seriously heard a wife here say that) but I'm actually a lot more conscious and honest about my behavior. Still, I do tend to be a bitch in a bad mood and pout now and then.
3. I quit smoking but replaced cigarettes with snacks. I know smoking is worse for me but sometimes I feel like starting again so I don't eat so much.
4. I keep failing at working out. My routine was thrown off by the dogs and I'm having a hard time starting again. This always happens though.

I'll stop there so I have an even amount of facts. Still I think my worst habit is thinking so many bad things about myself. I'm too hard on myself. It's a good thing Michael is so encouraging and always says nice things to make me smile.
That's all for Day 12!

Doggie Update/ Day 11

Yesterday was crazy. I don't know how I even managed to make a blog post because I was so busy watching the two babies of the house. I've learned a lot about them in the last 24 hours.

1. Although definitely intelligent, they have just about zero training. Seven months old and all they really know is when they're doing something they shouldn't. Foxy understands "drop it," which is good. But Toki is very very anxious and afraid of anything she doesn't understand. Which is a lot.
2. If it's not their idea, they don't wanna do it. They're starting to respond to their names more and more, but if you call them to a room or call them outside, you have to wait a few seconds for them to decide they actually want to do what you're suggesting.
3. Foxy is extremely selfish. If Toki has something, despite the fact that it's usually the exact same thing she has, it must be better. She hoarded all of their edible chew toys last night! Toki got so bored without them she chewed up a shoe I'd accidentally left out. Then one of them took some stuffing out of one of the brand new dog beds. So.
4. Toki was probably abused at some point. She gets very submissive when people come near her and if you walk towards her too fast she starts to run off. She doesn't like climbing stairs or making effort to jump up onto things even when she's supposed to and it's obvious she can. She needs confidence, both to stand up to her sister and to function in daily life.

They have the potential to be better dogs with a lot of patience and guidance. Adopting dogs from a previous owner usually comes with these kinds of problems. It's very frustrating but we can't give up. I've been using lots of positive reinforcement and praise when they do good things and thankfully after a trip to the petstore last night we have a few things to distract them from chewing on basic household items. When Foxy gets in Toki's way for a treat or attention I simply ignore her and give her a closed fist when she tries to lick me. Sometimes though she really has to be held away.
I have a theory that maybe Toki did a few bad things inside the last owners house and possibly got hit for it, and both of them got banished outside for long periods of time where they developed their own independence and survival. I really am not sure but whatever happened it was fairly neglectful. We gave them a bath last night and they were so happy they ran around like crazy for the first time. Now they're really soft and fluffy! I actually didn't realize how dirty they were :(
I just made a vet appointment for them to make sure everything is alright. It's mostly Toki that I'm worried about. She can get really lethargic sometimes but also has clear anxiety issues. They both eat grass outside, but Toki more so, which I hear is how dogs self medicate. Whether it's illness or nerves I don't know.

I'm only able to write all of this because we got a doggie gate and I can keep them in the same room and not worry about what they're doing. I'm surprised they didn't try to knock it down but they figured out pretty quick that they couldn't just leave and do whatever they wanted, which is the message I'm trying to send. Today I'm reinforcing their names with treats and rewarding them when they come when they're called, sit, and when they quiet down when I tell them to.

Okay, now for our regularly scheduled program: Day 11 of my blog challenge. The Best Day.

May 17th 2010

Good days always include:
♥A handful of Prescottonians
♥A walk to get food or coffee
♥Thai food
♥No shoes
♥Perfect weather
♥Driving with the windows down
♥A snack run with Serra
♥A bonfire
♥Mixed drinks, wine, or other booze
♥Hookah time
♥Video games
♥A marathon of certain shows or movies

It kind of sucks knowing that nothing will ever be the same. I don't know when I'll go to Arizona next, and most people I know there have moved away anyway. Everything is so different. Even a year ago I had no idea things would be this different. I wish Michael could have this job in Arizona, or at least have training there. Then it wouldn't be so hard for us to visit or for friends to visit.
There are a few good days here, usually on the weekends when we have people over (and I'm in the mood for it) and we get six packs of Smirnoff and whatever anyone else wants (but don't expect to find it easily) and we have pizza and play a game and watch a movie. It's good. It's just not Arizona good.

The New Additions

Everyone knows I've been obsessed with obtaining a Corgi. But I had no idea that not only would it happen sooner than I thought, it wouldn't be one, it would be two young Corgis we rescue! Meet Foxy and Toki!

Toki, on the left, was originally named Moxy, but we thought that was just too close to her sister name. We found them through an obscure add on a pet finding site, saying only that they were seven months old, free to a good home, and that the owner would like to see them go together, not separately.
The darker one, slender red Foxy, came bounding right up to us. But the lighter one slinked away and rolled on her back when we got too close. And they didn't seem to know how to behave on leashes, or what leashes meant. They'd clearly been left out in the hot sun for a while. They were lethargic and really thirsty. But they didn't really want to drink out of the bowl they gave us.

They lapped out of it a little bit but mostly refused, struggling to get water out of the bottle and off of wherever it spilled. We decided new bowls were in order. Once we got them home they seemed to settle in pretty quickly. After not making a sound the entire way they got in the backyard and dashed around barking at the neighbor dogs. We got them to eat some food we bought and introduced them to our neighbors and they seemed much happier after that.
But of course then we had to go to bed. After sleeping most of the day they didn't sleep very long through the night. I expected it really but it was still pretty rough. It doesn't help that Michael has to get up early as it is. They decided it was get up and play time around two thirty am. Ugh. Once they got out and romped a bit they were willing to come back into the bedroom and just hang out.
They get bored quick since we don't have much for them to play with. It was such an impulsive thing we weren't very prepared. But it was either leave them in a place they were ignored, waiting for someone to take them and wait a week to think about it, or just bring them home and give them lots of attention.
Both of them are super curious and Foxy seems to think she deserves more attention than Toki does. Toki is afraid to jump onto things that she very well could but after being so timid she's already warming up to us. I'm exhausted from keeping an eye on them during the night and I'm not sure if I can leave them alone to take a shower but I need one. They could use a bath too. I think I'll save that task for later when Michael can help me.

Although they're not baby puppies anymore, they're not quite full grown yet either. We're hoping to have them for a long time and teach them lots of cool things. I'm so happy to have them!

Day 10: Childhood Things

Happy March, by the way. This month is my Dad's and Grandpa's birthday (on the same day!) and Michael and I are hosting a big St. Patrick's Day party and having pretty much everyone we know here over. In the back of my mind though, it'll feel really strange because I really want to be home in Prescott, back in time at the Lawler apartments that no longer exist, chugging some awful beer to Flogging Molly and watching everyone dance around like fools.
Sigh.
Anyway, on to Day 10 of my blog challenge: My Childhood.

My brother and I

When I was really really little my mom says I was super happy and had no trouble making friends. As I got older, though, for some reason I developed this caution of the world and became really quiet and read a lot of books. Unless I was around my friends, of course. Then I turned into a sugar crazed screaming spaz.

My favorite movie was between The Lion King and Snow White; I had a Snow White doll I carried everywhere (it's still at my mom's house, old and worn with little girl love), and I remember reading The Wizard of Oz books with my mom, Goosebumps and Nancy Drew.
We went to my Grandparents for every occasion, and they still live in the same house to this day. My parents divorced with I was about four and my mom moved my brother and I to Prescott, where I spent 17 years of my life in the same house, in the same room.
I went to my dad's just about every weekend (in Phoenix) but as I got older I started missing a lot of sleepovers and parties because duh, the weekends are when kids in school get together to do stuff. I started to get really moody and threw a lot of fits because once I hit eleven I started puberty and suddenly had absolutely no idea how to be a human successfully.
Joy.
I read a lot and I wrote a lot. I believed in faeries and dragons and unicorns and all that silly magical stuff so I was always writing some epic fictional story. By middle school I had a story about a dragon boy who kidnaps this girl that was like 70 pages long. I can't even do that nowadays. It was crazy.
Unfortunately once under the grip of womanhood I really stopped knowing how to interact with most kids my age and they weren't very nice to me. I have a lot of bad memories from about age seven to age twelve. Two words: The Bus. Enough said.
It wasn't all bad. I had a vivid imagination and enough friends to make me feel less weird. I actually had a lot of drive to do well and was always working on the things I knew I was good at. Somewhere along the way I lost that motivation and in my adult years find myself in a terrible rut wishing I could get in touch with this childhood motivation I used to have.

I collected Breyer Horses, polished rocks, Barbie dolls that represented other countries and once I memorized my times tables my dad bought me my first Game Boy: A teal Game Boy Color. I got my first game, Pokemon Yellow, and haven't stopped playing Pokemon since.
I loved summer. Especially pool parties. I loved camping, even though with my mom and then stepdad it wasn't the greatest experience. When my dad was married to his second wife I had two step brothers, and we used to go to Greer a few winters in a row and I'd ski, and my brothers would snowboard.
Some days were really good. I think some of my favorite memories are from 5th grade. I ran like crazy (something I hate to do now), hung out with Stewart, and had passion for a lot of things that I don't anymore. I started playing the violin. Everything was so innocent and fresh.
I feel like I knew more of what I was doing then than I do now. Life was structured. I can't deny that I miss it. But the way my teenage years went I'm sort of surprised I came out alive and more functional than ever. It was pretty rough. I pissed off a lot of people because I had no idea what I wanted or how to act.
Now I'm just sort of floating, waiting for things to make sense but they never do. Some days it seems like everything went by so fast, and I don't expect to see a 20 year old version of myself in the mirror. I have my own life, no curfew or groundings or recess. I'm married and I don't live in Arizona. It's so weird.
I'm sure my adult years have a ton in store, definitely more than my childhood did. It's been different and a little jarring at times as it is. I'm just taking it one day at a time.

Day 9: Comfort Things

I remember one of the worst stereotypical bad days I had in high school: the day I got dumped Senior year. I was so upset I went home early and sat in front of Grey's Anatomy eating a huge bowl of ice cream. (I don't actually watch that show, my mom was on a kick at the time.) It can be kind of interesting to know what people turn to when they feel terrible for a day, and just how different or similar it is to your own method.

In general I do turn to food for certain things. I love hearty soups when I'm tired on a rainy day, tea when my throat hurts, chocolate with hazelnuts in it when....you know. I like to sit in bed playing Pokemon when I'm too sick to move.
Most of all though I love watching movies or shows I've already seen when I'm feeling icky. The comfort of knowing lines or having favorite parts is really comforting to me. Things like:
♥Grease
♥Matilda
♥Hook
♥Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
♥17 Again

So you know, musical numbers, animation, happy endings. I've already mentioned the Reese Witherspoon thing so I won't go into that.

I also really really love Friends. I generally don't watch a few episodes here and there. No no. I go for marathons. Entire seasons. So, when I have a lot of time, maybe I'm really sick and can't leave my ten blankets, or I just need some warm and fuzzy nostalgia and familiar sarcasm from Chandler Bing.
I don't know what it is. I don't really get this far into shows this often. It's probably one of the only series I can watch over and over again.
The Ross and Rachel thing does bug me. The ending wasn't quite as disappointing as the ending of That 70's Show, but it was still a small letdown. That's okay, because there's just nothing like starting all the way back at season 1 and buckling down with some snacks for the night/day.

I always have to hold a separate pillow when I fall asleep, so I tend to look like a dork and take it everywhere I plan on sleeping.
I love wearing Michael's shirts and jackets.
 I re-read the manga series Marmalade Boy every year or so since I started it when I was 12.
And of course I love re-reading the Harry Potter books every so often too. When I finish a book I watch the movie and start on the next one.
Playing The Sims is also really relaxing; I can sit and create things for hours, literally.
My mom makes these really awesome gingerbread cookies with cayenne and molasses every year around the holidays, as well as these crunchy peppermint cookies and I always look forward to them.

Anything that's simple and takes me back to a simpler time comforts me, as I'm sure is the case with most people.
That'll about do it for today, be back tomorrow for Day 10!