Catherine's puzzle game play and unique story make it a game worth playing. Anybody who enjoys Japanese games must play.
You take the role of Vincent a 32 year old man who spends his nights in the bar called "The Stray Sheep". Vincent is living a normal life, working a job that he just started, chilling with his friends at the bar and spending time with is long time girlfriend Katherine. While talking she brings up the Marrige thing and Vincent is unsure what to think; he sees no reason to rush it. To make matters worse Katherine may be pregnant, Vincent feels he has to take responsiblity but is scared at the same time. Everything in Vincents life changes as a young girl named Catherine slips his way, one night when Vincent is totally wasted Catherine and him go back to his apartment, he has no recollection of ever spending time with her, devastated by the events Vincent now faces the truth that he has just cheated on his girlfriend. The news reports that healthy young men have been turing up dead otherwise healthy indiviuals, look like mummies when they are found dead, but what happens when Vincent goes to a dream world filled with sheep that resemble people he knows, what is this dream world, if he dies in the dream world he will die in real life. Vincent must decide Katherine or Catherine, Marrige or not Marrige, and how he is going to get through every night his changes of survival look slim.
The gameplay of the game varies from stage to stage, much like the persona 3 and 4 the game gives you things to do. Every night Vincent goes to the stray sheep, there are people to talk to and people who need help solving there problems, Vincent can give them advice and help them with there problems. Vincent also can reply to texts that he gets on his phone weather it be from Katherine or Catherine, depending on how you answer back your text meter will go towards the halo or the devil horns. Staying as faithful too Katherine raises it, but being rude the Catherine will lower it. it all depends on you. The bar has trivia which is accessed by getting plastered with alcohol. There is also a game called Rapunzel, in which you take control of the prince to rescue Rapunzel from the tower, while its not as nearly as fun as the actually nightmare stages, it helps you tremendously with the puzzles.
The gameplay inside the nightmares takes you to a different world, there are 8 nights of nightmares and they only get stranger and stranger. Vincent is left with the task to climb the tower it is his only way out. You must move blocks and find a path to the end, there are various ways to do this and the game gives you tips if you talk to the other sheep before moving foward. There are blocks you cannot move to blocks that take slightly longer to move, Ice blocks you slide on, blocks you jump on and even bomb blocks that damage other blocks around it. Your objective is to move these blocks and find a way to traverse up the tower. At certain stages in the game you are put up against a boss you must quickly climb away before it kills you there are unique bosses, anything from giant hands attacking you with a fork to the bride from hell chasing you with a knife. if your in the red your risk being attacked is high. you must move quick as the boss can climb to, they also have some other nasty tricks like sending an avalanche of snow spiraling down towards you knocking you towards them.
Catherine may not be a game for everybody and just because you like Persona does not mean you will like it either despite that fact I think it's a game that every gamer needs to give a try, The demo will give you a good idicator of weather you want to play it or not. Catherine is a game that has much to do and gamers who enjoy these types of games will get the most out of it. While at times the puzzles can be very frustrating, Catherine has a very good story that keeps you interested. On a side note for parents if your looking for a game for your kids to play please look elsewhere, its adult nature and language is not ment for kids, its a game based on a more adult outlook on life. So gamers give Catherine a try, if you enjoy puzzle games its your game, if your a fan of Persona then you must at least try it, recommended to anybody looking for a good game from Japan. 8/10