Over the years, Atlus has produced some wacky video games, which range from first person beat-em-ups to RPGs the likes of Persona, that are more imaginative than most shows currently on television.
In spite of that, they may have just outdone themselves with “Catherine.â€
Even if the demo only allows you to play for about an hour, it’s enough to get you hooked.
Combining a sexy story of love and hilarity with the puzzle physics of games such as “Q-Bert†and “Intelligent Cube,†“Catherine†looks to be a sleeper hit on the Xbox 360 and PS3 when it’s released later this week.
Powered by cinema, Catherine’s gameplay style is different, yet enjoyable. With so much emphasis on story, it would be all too easy to get lost in it. Luckily, that’s not the case here. With a beautiful anime-inspired story and trademark Atlus polish, the same part of the story accessible here in the demo delivers.
The main character, Vincent Brooks [Troy Baker], is stuck in a situation that many men find themselves in at one time in their lives. Simply put, he’s unsure of what to make of his relationship with his girlfriend, Katherine. A slacker of sorts, Brooks lacks the ability to make a decision on many things in life. He’s about to run out of time with his girl if he doesn’t change his ways soon.
In an ironic twist, when Brooks goes to bed, he’s forced to make decisions at a rapid pace. This fun duality makes the actual puzzle action that much more enjoyable.
Through brutal nightmares, he must climb steps to reach a door to escape from humongous enemies. The way this is done- by climbing, pushing, pulling and removing steps to continue your rise, is comparable to the PS-one hit, “Intelligent Cube,†but is much deeper and intuitive. Allowed to crawl around all four corners of each step, traveling upwards in the game can sometimes be tedious, as you’ll fall down the sides of steps in your attempt to continue your journey. Nevertheless, after several miscalculated steps, you’ll get into the swing of things and the control, although spotty at times, is solid enough to make the adventure a worthy one.
With its sitcom-esque story and wild puzzle mechanics, “Catherine†is worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of the games in the Atlus library. Regardless, even if you don’t know the difference between “Zeno Clash†and “Persona,†it’s hard to deny the worthwhile puzzle experience “Catherine†provides.
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