50 Games in 2012 – #2 Catherine [PS3]

 

50 Games in 2012 – #2 Catherine [PS3] (Completed January 23rd)

Following up Portal 2 turned out to be an interesting experience. Still riding high on the lovable dialogue puzzle adventure that was Portal 2 I wanted to experience more of the genre. Straying from the beaten path seemed like a solid idea at this point and the puzzler I turned to was Catherine. I had heard good things about this game from reviewers in the summer of 2011 and considered that it could potentially be a sleeper hit for me to sink my teeth into.

When starting up Catherine I came into the title with reserved thoughts. To my surprise I found myself right off the bat enjoying the animated cut scenes which set up the story of the main character Vincent well. Simple in premise the games style of platforming was intriguing and entertaining. Although a little confusing at first you soon realize that Vincent is falling into puzzle platforming dreams each night he falls asleep.  In each level I was tasked with escaping Vincent's "nightmare" by arranging blocks to reach the top of the falling tower. Outside of these nightmares is where most of the cut scenes take place and where the story of Catherine unfolds.

As Vincent during the daytime you get to learn more about the games characters and get to interact with them at Vincent's local bar called "The Stray Sheep". This is a really cool feature as you start to see how some of the other people at the bar are having the same nightmares as yourself. Without this there isn't much context to why Vincent is suffering these horrible dreams but with each trip to the bar you start to unravel what's going on which is quite rewarding. Outside of your bar visits the cut scenes also help piece together the story of Catherine with each night's passing.

Vincent's bar visits and his actual nightmares are all Catherine offers in terms of gameplay. In most games that would be a recipe for repetitive disaster but what made Catherine work was the innovation and difficulty that grew with each nightmare moving forward. As the story progressed I grew to enjoy the cut scenes and the bar visits more than the gameplay but the game never tired to the point that I wanted to put it down. More than anything these feelings came from my personal shared dread with Vincent for the coming night. Which in the context is awesome that the story made me feel that way. Overall Catherine took a simple game mechanic and made it work with great level design and cut scene storytelling. Not everyone's cup of tea but a great title to pick up if you're looking for something outside the box to play.

Game Summary:

Date Finished: 1/23 | Catherine (PS3)

Pros: Fantastic animation, compelling story and great level design.

Cons: Level linearity and mediocre in game cut scenes.

Conclusion: Incredibly unique which makes the title shine through minor flaws.

[8/10]

( Previous Entry: http://bitmob.com/articles/50-games-in-2012-introduction-and-1-portal-2-ps3)

– Bryden