QCF: Catherine

Relationships can be difficult; they can be frustrating, and take time and effort to be successful. This also describes the gameplay of Catherine, the first next generation title from the developers of the Persona series. Players take on the role of Vincent Brooks, a thirty-something who seems to be complacent in his relationship, and spends the majority of his time drinking at the bar with his friends. Though on one faithful evening, as Vincent is drowning in his sorrows, he meets someone who will send him on a downward spiral filled with nightmares, curses, sheep and blocks -- many, many blocks.

In our story, Vincent is currently at a crossroads with Katherine, his long-term girlfriend. She implores her significant other to take the next step in their relationship, which terrifies our main character. That same evening, Vincent meets another woman named Catherine. She is the complete opposite of Katherine, and immediately attracts the attention of Mr. Brooks. One evening of drunken moments and lost memories later, Vincent finds himself in his bed, lying with Catherine. This is where the dilemma begins, and the player’s choices will decide Vincent’s fate. Around that same time, rumors begin spreading about nightmares that affect unfaithful men. In these nightmares, falling and dying in the dream will also mean death for the person in real life. This is where the main gameplay will occur, as the player will scale, slide and climb a tower of blocks to reach the top of the mountain.

This is an original take on a puzzle game, and at times feels like an all new genre of puzzle-platformers. It was amazing to see so many techniques and methods that came into play, as the puzzles would become more challenging and require much more thought and precision. There are also items collected that allow the player to climb multiple blocks, or zap other sheep that attempt to get in your way. The use of these items will alter the player’s score, which will result in receiving a bronze, silver or gold ranking at the end of the climb. After each puzzle is completed, Vincent will be able to save his progress, as well as speak with other men trapped in the nightmare that appear as sheep. These discussions will have an affect on the story of the game, as well as the fate of the men that you speak with in the real world. Vincent faces bosses at the end of each nightmare, which are normally twisted and horrifying takes on something from Vincent’s real life. The boss battles can be frustrating at times, since bosses not only kill the player if they catch up to them, but also change the blocks at any given time. The climbing can become frantic, and even the slightest misstep can mean a long fall for our troubled protagonist.

Although the gameplay of Catherine is original and challenging, the narrative and branching plots are the finest moments of this title. Watching Vincent juggle two relationships while struggling with his emotions and true feelings is a form of drama rarely seen in the video game medium. Throughout the story, Vincent will make decisions and choices that direct him towards either Catherine or Katherine. Sending text messages and choosing different responses will move the needle on this moral compass. Some of these responses, however, are not clearly defined. One of the faults with this game was how unclear some of the responses were. Questions such as “Does life begin or end with marriage?” are pretty straightforward. Questions like “Are you a dog or a cat?” make no sense at all, and the player will not know what the choice means until after they make a decision. This can be downright stupid, and pulls the player out of the experience. Translations are not to blame for this occurrence either, since the English dialogue -- like in many other Atlus titles -- is very well done. The game is generous with save points, so making the wrong choice can be reversed. The real appeal of the game, however, is to play through while making tough choices and accepting the consequences. With over eight different endings, players will be able to go through multiple times and see the consequences for each action.

In the end, although the puzzle elements were original and challenging, it was the story and shocking finale that really made Catherine an experience unlike no other game released this year. It is also one of the first games to deal with relationships, infidelity and adultery in a mature manner. In a market of shooters and other M-rated games, it proves that there are other titles geared towards adults. Still, this game is not for everyone; references to Japanese culture and anime cutscenes will no doubt turn off most players. But for fans of the Persona series or someone that is in the mood for something different, Catherine will be a title that has people taking and thinking about the outcome for a long time to come.