Catherine Video Game Review

Catherine PS3 cover

I wasn’t looking for anything in particular the day I discovered “Catherine.” I walked into my local Gamestop and caught a glimpse of the lovely Catherine in the corner of the store. Right away I had doubts about the quality of this game, so I did what any normal person would do, and I downloaded the demo. After all, I’m not going to buy a game I know nothing about; I was pleasantly surprised.

Catherine is a story about a man named Vincent who is dating a woman named Katherine. Soon after Katherine expresses her desires to marry, Vincent meets Catherine, the type of woman every man wants, and starts an affair. Vincent at this time starts to have nightmares for reasons untold in the demo, but  I suspect that it could be due to either his guilt for the affair, cold feet, or for some paranormal reason. As the game progresses, Vincent’s nightmares get worse and the puzzles more difficult.

Why should you check this game out? If you’re into horror stories and getting your blood pumping in heart pounding chases, Catherine is for you. If you’re not into these things, there’s still a fantastic story with nine endings, a huge twist, and puzzles! Who doesn’t like puzzles?

What kind of game is it? Catherine, is a puzzle-platformer psychological horror adventure game. This is immediately seen as soon as you enter the demo’s dream sequence. The levels require that you pull out blocks to create a “stairway” to a door at the top of a tower. The dark tones and the music set an old haunted castle feel as well as a feeling of dread. Of course music and dark levels aren’t all there is to be afraid of. In the demo’s nightmare level, you’re chased by what I can only assume is Katherine’s hand stabbing at you with a fork.

Catherine was released on July 26, 2011, by Atlus for the PS3 and Xbox360. Catherine received a 79 out of 100 on metacritic for the PS3, and 82 for the Xbox360.