While not for everyone, those who can appreciate Catherine's beauty will find this a game like no other.
Think of Catherine as part puzzle game part dating sim. The primary method of conveying information is through plot sequences or cutscenes during the day, interacting with patrons in the local bar, the Stray Sheep, at night and puzzle elements after Vincent hits the hay. Besides sending text messages and making choices in the Stray Sheep during the night time, what happens during the day is pretty straight forward. The real action takes place after Vincent has gone to sleep. You see, men have begun dying in their sleep and Vincent is trapped in the very same nightmare. When asleep, Vincent is faced with giant block puzzles that he must climb to the top of. Failure to do so will result in him falling from a dizzying height and literally dying. While this all sounds simplistic at first, Catherine is known for it's extremely hard gameplay. Many obstacles are thrown at you, such as ice blocks, exploding blocks, and spike blocks that all impede progress. Catherine can be notoriously difficult and frustrating for those not prepared or used to such intense gameplay, but it's extremely rewarding when you finally do complete the level you had been stuck on.
Thankfully, those who wish to only experience the story may do so by activating super easy mode, an additional feature in the English version that saps a good deal of the difficulty from levels. However, to fully master the game and unlock additional content outside of the main storyline and endings, players will have to play on normal or hard and score high in several levels. There are a few issues with the gameplay, such as annoying reversed controls when clinging behind a block, but, surprisingly, Catherine's gameplay fits. The blocks and locales are all beautifully detailed and fit in well with the rest of Catherine's peculiar tale, along with the terrifying monstrosities that Vincent comes across at the finale of the night in question.
The plot is certainly unusual and unique. For a few key plot elements, Catherine relies on a mortality meter that can be altered by answering questions in the confessional right before a level. Based on the answers given, the meter will either move to Chaos (Catherine) or Law (Katherine). While the meter itself does not have any outstanding problems, the way the plot regards it does. Being heavily on either side of the morality meter does not really change what is going to happen in the plot. For example, if I chose answers that put me heavily into law and treat Catherine poorly, Vincent will still go see Catherine. Thus, the morality meter feels a little redundant because nothing really changes besides a few sentences. Despite these issues, Catherine can be a personal journey for both Vincent and for the players themselves. Many of the questions asked in the confessional are ambiguous, varying from very personal to just plain random, and the ending is tailored to the decisions you have made. This results in a variety of outcomes and if you want to see all the endings, solid replay value.
Visually, Catherine shows how beautiful it can be in its cutscenes. All the characters and backdrops look very vivid, smooth and employ colors to great effect. Movement and voice sync are also nearly flawless and it is hard not to be shocked at how gorgeous these scenes look. Regular scenes are not nearly as breathtaking or as enthralling as cutscenes, but they look good nonetheless. The soundtrack consists mainly of remixed classical music from a variety of sources such as Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Frederic Chopin. The majority of them sound fantastic and add to Catherine's mystique.
Catherine has the potential to appeal to a variety of gamers. It's demanding difficulty make it a good choice for those looking to put their skill to the test, but it's probably more suited for those who love a strange and atmospheric plot. That said, Catherine is a strange experience that not everyone will like, but it is well worth looking into if such a game sounds appealing to you.