Catherine

Catherine is a game of action and terror. Developed by Atlus, the project marks the official entry of the team that gave rise to the Persona series in the seventh generation of consoles. The plot, confusing at first, revolves around Vincent, a 32 years old man who works as a manager in a clothing and accessories company. His relationship with Katherine (old school friend), is marked with confrontation and eroticism, although the reasons may not be immediately explained. However, a meeting changes the lives of the characters. Vincent meets another young woman, endowed with an extremely sexy body, blond hair and blue eyes. The girl is Catherine and ends up sharing an intimate night with her. Soon after the relationship, Vincent becomes stunned by a series of nightmares.

In short, Catherine has a deep story and beautifully crafted. The player takes home much challenge, thanks to the endless puzzles of the game, which only fuels the desire to know the full story. It’s really an intense adventure that goes far beyond what you can imagine.

Insane: this is the word most appropriate to classify Catherine. The developer, formed by several members who worked in the Persona series, managed to create not only an unusual plot, but also a presentation that moves away from just about everything that has been seen in the games universe. Thus, the player is presented with really neat scenes. The title features anime moments that really deserve mention, thanks to the whim of Atlus. What's more, we also have scenes using the game engine itself, and certainly does not disappoint. Catherine is like a trip to a disturbing world of dreams. In addition to art direction to find stylish moments in any normal game, when Vincent is still awake, Catherine presents us with totally bizarre creatures and environments that seem straight out of a spicier Silent Hill.

While Catherine isn't an RPG, it shares some elements with the Persona series. Fans will also notice that the title's activities are divided into two parts, directly influencing the pace. First come the day, during which Vincent wanders the city and chat with his colleagues to try to resolve the problems that came to haunt his life. It is during these moments that the protagonist also interacts with his phone, receiving and responding to messages from their girlfriends. Here, the pace is quieter but no less interesting, since the plot really exudes depth.

But it is at night that things really heat up. Vincent is terrorized by mysterious nightmares that eventually culminate in the challenge throughout the game. The purpose of Catherine’s gameplay is quite simple: get to the top. For this, the player must arrange the blocks that take up space, creating platforms to elevate it to the next level. You can push or pull the blocks and still enjoy the insanity of nightmares to move the blocks in places theoretically impossible. Initially, it might seem relatively easy or even boring. However, you should be aware, since time is short, and in some cases, Vincent also finds sheep (!) that climb the blocks and may eventually be making more of an obstacle, not to mention the frightening bosses that build some intense chase scenes to the top.

Catherine still has moral decisions that are different than we are used to give. There just is not good and evil, but freedom and order, bringing up interesting and unpredictable results to the game. It's cool to see how this all influences the course of the game and at the end of the campaign, which lasts approximately 16 hours. After that, you can still enjoy the Babel Mode, which generates random puzzles and challenges the player to establish the best score in the online rankings. There are also cooperative and competitive modes for those who want to play offline, which also increases the longevity of the title.

All this is washed down with truly remarkable sound effects, thanks to a quality track, and voice acting that fits the game perfectly. As for graphics, technically, Catherine is not all that, but the artistic part can compensate.

Unfortunately, the control scheme does not always work as it should, causing the player to go to the direction that you don't want. In addition, the camera also fails and the situation can get complicated when you have to go back to the blocks. Catherine is definitely not a game for anyone. The focus in the plot may not suit all players and the high level of difficulty should repel the more casual gamers. Finally, even with the variations in gameplay, the moments of the puzzle can become repetitive if the player does not get in the mood.

Catherine is one of the most insane yet unique games that we played in recent years. Definitely, if you are looking for something different, then dive in this bizarre adventure generated by Atlus. A story full of twists and fiery moments becomes even more interesting because of the way it is narrated. As a bonus, you still have a chance to enjoy a challenging game that you hold until you learn all about sheep. Just do not blame us if you start having those weird nightmares.

Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed