Catherine Impressions

Playing:
Catherine
(PS3)

The idea of tackling an intricate action/puzzle game normally wouldn't resonate with me, but as a huge fan of Persona 3 and 4, the prospect of playing Atlus' first offering on the PS3 was just too good to pass up. Atlus has dubbed Catherine an "adult horror" title, which isn't quite as risque as the naming might imply, but a fitting moniker nonetheless. The game does indeed have a mature vibe to it, but you won't come across anything here that you wouldn't find in a fairly tame PG-13 film (well, aside from the exploding bodies). Much like how Persona 3 and 4 combined elements of traditional RPGs with those of simulation games, Atlus blends us a rather interesting puzzle/action/sim combo with Catherine.

Without spoiling too much, the story revolves around our hero Vincent Brooks, a somewhat unkempt gentleman who has been having some rather peculiar nightmares as of late. Vincent manages to get himself caught up in a bizarre love triangle involving longtime girlfriend Katherine, and a younger, bubblier woman, also named (yowza!) Catherine. The aforementioned nightmares are a concern because other men around town have been mysteriously dying in their sleep. We take control of Vincent and try to get to the bottom of the mysterious dreams, while attempting to figure out whether they have anything to do with the town's recent deaths.



While the simulation aspect of the game isn't nearly as extensive as those of the Persona titles, it does have a subtle depth that you'll come to appreciate as the game goes on. Vincent spends virtually all of his waking hours at the bar getting drunk out of his mind and fielding text messages from his two lady friends, but it's through the various encounters with the other bar customers that you'll gradually solve the mystery behind the nightmares. You'll also learn a whole lot about alcohol in the process. Don't ask.



Now, rumors that you may have heard regarding Catherine's difficulty are probably true. The game is HARD. I'm talking one of the most frustratingly difficult "easy" modes of all time here. The premise of the game's puzzle portion is simple enough. Once Vincent enters "Nightmare" mode, he must attempt to scale a sprawling tower of blocks in an effort to reach a podium at the very top. Players do this by pushing or pulling the blocks to create pathways or ascending steps while dodging the occasional trap. Other dreamers appear in the form of sheep, but they're more of a nuisance than an actual threat. At first the puzzles are fairly simple, and even the massive bosses - though they help introduce an element of panic - aren't terribly difficult to evade.



However, once the player begins to reach the game's later stages, the puzzles leave precious little margin for error, which can result in an incredibly frustrating experience. Expect to pull out some hair and toss a few controllers. In fact, the game was so difficult that Atlus released a patch which would in effect turn the game's "easy" mode into a "very easy" mode. Unfortunately, the puzzles remain unchanged even when you toggle the patched easy mode, though the stages are now littered with special energy drinks that allow Vincent to bound up blocks 3 squares at a time (as opposed to just one). What's funny is that this makes the game too easy, as previously frustrated players will likely be scratching their heads as the once stagnant Vincent flies through each level without breaking a sweat.

This isn't to say that the puzzle portion of the game can't be fun. It can be immensely rewarding and I personally quite enjoyed it, but the game certainly isn't for everyone. Catherine will inevitably attract the Persona crowd, but while RPG fans are used to being able to grind out experience points to get out of a tough spot, Catherine will just bludgeon players with the same unforgiving puzzle over and over again.



Yet in spite of the constant bouts of frustration, the dark, intriguing murder mystery plot drives you to keep playing. Overall, it's a unique, fantastic little package, but simply one that's hampered by some overwhelming difficulty issues. Despite that one flaw, you won't find anything out there quite like Catherine. Recommended.