1UP - Catherine Review

1UP's Jeremy Parish writes, "Catherine surprised me. Plastered with scantily clad ladies and come-hither artwork, Atlus' marketing materials make it look like yet another sleazy, pandering gal game from Japan. The reality of the game is far different, and considerably more nuanced."

[SoulMisaki]

Not only a 9 from IGN, but an A from 1UP as well? Can't wait to see what other sites give it.

[Xof]

...You really need to find some better sites to follow, and stop fixating on the mainstream sites. A good review for a good game doesn't make places like IGN or 1UP any more reliable today than they were yesterday.

[LoaMcLoa]

Which ones would you recommend then?

[wumster]

If those are the reviews he/she trust then so be it. Just because you have a problem with them doesn't mean everyone should.

[SoulMisaki]

I never once said those are the only sites I trust.

1UP has never been bad in the past, and while IGN isn't the best, I usually use Gametrailers and Destructoid as well.

I have the sites I use, you have the sites you use.

Leave it at that.

[coolbeans]

Yes, let us go after the "indie" review sites b/c they're always garunteed to be better reviews /s. Why not just focus on the content of the reviews rather than the name? Some reviews will be of less quality than others, but you have to read and/or watch the reviews to find out.

[KingSlayer]

I'm curious to see other gameplay vids. The demo was fun, but is there more than block pushing/pulling?

Also, gimme Persona 5.

[Giant_Chibi]

well, ask yourself this. Was persona 3 and 4 just dungeon crawling? It may have been a primary aspect of the gameplay, but every persona fan will tell you that the exploration, the social links and the story are what brought it all together. Essentially the same can be said about Catherine, except this is a puzzler and if you don't like those kinds of games then I guess this is not for you.

[KingSlayer]

That's a really good way to put it. +Bubbles

[Ares84]

I tried the demo, seriously....what is so good about this game because I didn't see anything that was remotely fun.

[Eternus]

Apparently the story is excellent.

[Giant_Chibi]

If you've ever played anything from the persona team, you'd know that there's more to their games than what is perceived at face value. It's the overall quality of the game that completes the experience.

Originally, I thought the love sim type gameplay in persona 3 and 4 would hinder my enjoyment of the game, but instead this aspect turned out to be an integral part of introducing in-depth character development. In conjunction with a great battle system, the social link gameplay made the game that much greater. Even the NPCs were that much more memorable because of it.

I believe that's why Catherine is receiving such rave reviews. If you were to think that Catherine was just simply a platforming puzzler then you'd be pointing out only one point of what the game truly offers. The demo simply does not convey every single element of the title. I've read every review released so far and in summary they've pretty much said the same thing, what makes Catherine interesting is not that it's primarily a puzzle game, but it's also the elements outside of that, that makes it truly shine. This was my exact impression of p3 and p4, the breaks in between trudging through dungeons were just as memorable if not more exciting than the battle system itself. Therefore, I believe I'll be enjoying Catherine for the same reasons as well.

[Ares84]

And what if you don't care for the story??

Judging from the demo it's some kind of twisted love story and I'm not interested in crap like that. I want to play a game not a love story.

[Giant_Chibi]

@Ares84

Then move along? You've said your piece and it was an extremely overstated statement. "I didn't see anything remotely fun." Really? Not even remotely? That comment just sounds like borderline trolling. You don't seem to really care about bringing anything insightful to the conversation and at the same time your following statement disregards why other people may like Catherine. As I said before in my previous statement, there's more to the game than what is shown in the demo. Everyone's entitled to their opinions, but if you don't even understand the game you're criticizing, why even bother debating?

"I want to play a game, not a love story"
And now, suddenly Catherine is not a game?

smh

bubs down for trolling

[SoulMisaki]

Maybe it's the well made and polished experience.
Maybe it's an addicting Puzzle Platformer.
Maybe it's the well written story, with interesting characters.
Maybe it's the next big game by one of the most trusted development teams in the gaming industry. (Persona Team/Atlus)

For me, it's all of the above.

[JoGam]

To be honest...I cheated on my lady and I for once love to see another side of the situation. The fact that they made a game about the nightmares you go thur from cheating is amazing...Man I tell you this, its tought cheating on someone, especially when you really love them. It HUNTS you. This shows what a person could go through. This game is my game of year just for that reason.

[Ryo-Hazuki]

Already pre-ordered. Picking up my ps3 copy day 1. Cant wait

[TheColbertinator]

Day One.One of my favorite games this year from the first 10 minutes I played the demo.

[The Great Melon]

It's been a long time since I pre-ordered anything, but I want Catherine and El Shaddai to do well. These are the kind of games I would like to see more of. Can't wait until July 26th.

[EditorAtGNG]

What do people see in this game is beyond me...

[SoulMisaki]

Possibly a well made and polished experience.
Possibly an addicting Puzzle Platformer.
Possibly a well written story, with interesting characters.
Possibly the next big game by one of the most trusted development teams in the gaming industry. (Persona Team/Atlus)

For me, all of the above.

[clrlite]

Good, bring us more games like this.