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|designer = Shigenori Soejima<br><small>(Character Designer)</small><ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>
|designer = Shigenori Soejima<br><small>(Character Designer)</small><ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>
|composer = [[Shoji Meguro]]<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>
|composer = [[Shoji Meguro]]<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>
|genre = [[Action-adventure game|Action-adventure]]<br>[[Platform game#Puzzle platformers|Puzzle-platformer]]<br>[[Survival horror]]<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>
|genre = [[Adventure game]]<br>[[Platform game#Puzzle platformers|Puzzle-platformer]]<br>[[Survival horror]]<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>
|modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/><br>[[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
|modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/><br>[[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
|ratings = {{vgratings|CERO=C<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>}}
|ratings = {{vgratings|CERO=C<ref name="Catherine Product Information"/>}}
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|media = [[Blu-ray Disc]]<br>[[DVD-ROM]]
|media = [[Blu-ray Disc]]<br>[[DVD-ROM]]
}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''''Catherine'''''|キャサリン|Kyasarin}} is a [[Platform game#Puzzle platformers|puzzle-platformer]]<ref>{{cite web|title=New Catherine trailer shows gameplay for the first time|author=Ryan Winterhalter|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|date=January 5, 2010|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/catherine/news/new-catherine-trailer-shows-gameplay-for-the-first-time/a-2011010515164065036/g-2010081911452055090|accessdate=2011-03-07}}</ref> [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]]<ref>[http://www.gamefocus.ca/?nav=new&nid=12463 Japanese Demo Catherine Set for January 27th], Game Focus</ref> video game developed and published by [[Atlus]] for the [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]]. The game is [[Atlus]]’ first internally-developed game for seventh-generation consoles in high definition, described as an 'adult' title by the game's character designer, Shigenori Soejima.<ref name="Andriasang">{{cite web |url=http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/19/catherine_preview/ |title=Atlus Goes HD With Catherine |author=Anoop Gantayat |date=August 19, 2010 |work= |publisher=Andriasang |accessdate=August 20, 2010}}</ref> The cinematic portion of the game is handled by [[Studio 4°C]].<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite web |url=http://www.famitsu.com/news/201008/19032248.html |title=『キャサリン』アダルト＆ホラーな完全新作 |language=Japanese |date=August 20, 2010 |work= |publisher=Famitsu |accessdate=August 20, 2010}}</ref> The game was released in Japan on February 17, 2011 and is planned for a release in North America on July 26, 2011.<ref name="NADATE"/>
{{nihongo|'''''Catherine'''''|キャサリン|Kyasarin}} is a [[Platform game#Puzzle platformers|puzzle-platformer]]<ref>{{cite web|title=New Catherine trailer shows gameplay for the first time|author=Ryan Winterhalter|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|date=January 5, 2010|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/catherine/news/new-catherine-trailer-shows-gameplay-for-the-first-time/a-2011010515164065036/g-2010081911452055090|accessdate=2011-03-07}}</ref> [[Adventure game|adventure video game]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Japanese Video Game Chart: Catherine Sexes Her Way to the Top|publisher=SPOnG|date=25 February 2011|url=http://spong.com/article/23909/Japanese-Video-Game-Chart-Catherine-Sexes-Her-Way-to-the-Top|accessdate=2011-03-18}}</ref> developed and published by [[Atlus]] for the [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]]. The game is [[Atlus]]’ first internally-developed game for seventh-generation consoles in high definition, described as an '[[Adult video game|adult]]' title by the game's character designer, Shigenori Soejima.<ref name="Andriasang">{{cite web |url=http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/08/19/catherine_preview/ |title=Atlus Goes HD With Catherine |author=Anoop Gantayat |date=August 19, 2010 |work= |publisher=Andriasang |accessdate=August 20, 2010}}</ref> The cinematic portion of the game is handled by [[Studio 4°C]].<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite web |url=http://www.famitsu.com/news/201008/19032248.html |title=『キャサリン』アダルト＆ホラーな完全新作 |language=Japanese |date=August 20, 2010 |work= |publisher=Famitsu |accessdate=August 20, 2010}}</ref> The game was released in Japan on February 17, 2011 and is planned for a release in North America on July 26, 2011.<ref name="NADATE"/>


== Gameplay ==
== Gameplay ==

Revision as of 01:37, 18 March 2011

Catherine
North American PlayStation 3 cover art featuring the titular character, Catherine
Developer(s)Atlus Persona Team
Publisher(s)Atlus
Producer(s)Katsura Hashino[7]
Designer(s)Shigenori Soejima
(Character Designer)[7]
Composer(s)Shoji Meguro[7]
EngineGamebryo
Platform(s)PlayStation 3[7]
Xbox 360[7]
Genre(s)Adventure game
Puzzle-platformer
Survival horror[7]
Mode(s)Single-player[7]
Multiplayer

Catherine (キャサリン, Kyasarin) is a puzzle-platformer[8] adventure video game[9] developed and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is Atlus’ first internally-developed game for seventh-generation consoles in high definition, described as an 'adult' title by the game's character designer, Shigenori Soejima.[10] The cinematic portion of the game is handled by Studio 4°C.[11] The game was released in Japan on February 17, 2011 and is planned for a release in North America on July 26, 2011.[2]

Gameplay

File:Catherine Screenshot.png
Vincent (center-bottom) being chased by the giant pair of hands.

Players control a man named Vincent who, after meeting a strange girl named Catherine, begins having strange nightmares, during which he might be killed. The main story mode, Golden Theater, follows the story between Daytime and Nightmare scenarios. During the daytime, Vincent will converse with his friends as well as try to handle his relationship with the two women, Catherine and Katherine. Most of this time takes place in the Stray Sheep bar where Vincent can save and send text messages from his mobile phone, talk to customers, order drinks, play a minigame titled Rapunzel or listen to a jukebox containing tracks from other Atlus games such as the Persona series.[7][12]

The Nightmare stages are where the main gameplay takes place. In a nightmarish dreamworld inhabited by other men, who are represented as sheep, Vincent must climb up giant staircases that are slowly collapsing underneath him and safely reach the top. To accomplish this, Vincent must push, pull and climb blocks as quickly as possible while avoiding various traps such as spikes and ice. Climbing up steps in quick succession increases a score multiplier, and at the end of the level, players are given an award based on their score. Each stage is split up into numerous areas, culminating in a boss stage in which a nightmarish creature also attempts to kill Vincent. Items found throughout the levels include pillows which give extra lives, block items that can be placed anywhere in the level and lightning that can destroy sheep which block your path. There are also certain attributes Vincent can get depending on what he drinks during the day.[13] Vincent will die if he falls off the bottom of the level, gets caught by a trap or is killed by a boss, with the game ending if Vincent runs out of retry pillows. In between action stages, Vincent can interact with the other sheep, save his game, learn techniques or spend coins on special items. Whilst playing in easy difficulty, players can push the Select/Back button to correct a single block move.[14][15]

Throughout the game, the choices the player makes during these sequences will affect the development of Vincent's character and the route the story takes place. These can occur in several ways, such as how Vincent types out a text message to one of the girls, or how he responds to certain questions. The game will feature multiple endings based on the route Vincent takes, giving it over twenty hours of gameplay.[16] The game also features a non-linear morality system much more subtle than most other games. Instead of choosing Vincent's reaction at major plot points, the morality meter is affected by responses to seemingly insignificant questions posed by non-player characters, which in turn dictates how Vincent reacts to unexpected situations.[17] Babel Mode features four large stages playable with up to two players, whilst Vs Colosseum features two players simultaneously playing a stage in order to reach the top first.[18]

Plot

In the neighbourhood Vincent lives in, there have recently been a number of bizarre incidents in which people die in their sleep, with a look of anguish upon their faces. Strangely enough, all of the victims are young men. The story quickly spreads throughout the media, attracting widespread attention and theories as to the cause of death. A strange rumour begins to spread that if a person dreams of falling, if they don't wake up they will soon become unable to wake at all, and die.

Vincent is at a bar contemplating marriage to Katherine, his lover of five years, who is pressuring him to get married, when he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman named Catherine. Although there are many vacant seats she sits next to Vincent and, well-proportioned and pretty, she is exactly his type. The two end up spending the night together at Vincent's house.

After meeting the woman, Vincent begins to have nightmares every single night, which he believes may be related to the rumours. In these dreams, he, and several other men who appear to him as sheep, must escape from various horrors trying to kill him, for if he dies in his dream, he will die in reality. As dreams and reality begin to blend together, Vincent must not only fight to survive, but he must choose between Katherine and Catherine.[19]

Characters

Vincent Brooks (ヴィンセント・ブルックス, Vinsento Burukkusu)[20]
Voiced by: Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese), Troy Baker (English)
Vincent is the game's main protagonist. He is a 32-year-old single salaryman at the point in life between independence from one's parents and marriage. He has no ambitions in terms of love and romance. He is under pressure to marry Katherine, but wants to continue his carefree ways of living alone. His life changes when he meets Catherine, a mysterious beauty, by chance, at a bar. Dreams and reality begin to blur together, and he seemingly becomes trapped in a different world within his nightmares. He also makes a cameo appearance in Persona 3 Portable six months after the events of Catherine.
Catherine (キャサリン, Kyasarin)
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese), Laura Bailey (English)
Catherine is a mysterious 22-year-old woman who has a charming face and a "well-proportioned" body, which makes men turn and stare. She also has a "Koakuma (Gyaru) air" about her, which happens to be Vincent's type, and the two end up spending the night together after she seduces him. Her carefree behaviour begins to disturb Vincent's life. It is after meeting Catherine that Vincent begins to have nightmares. Catherine is featured on the PS3 version's cover art.
Katherine McBride (キャサリン・マクブライド, Kyasarin Makuburaido)
Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi
Katherine is a 32-year-old mid-management level employee at an apparel maker. She and Vincent are from the same town and were classmates at school, and after a chance meeting at a school reunion they strike up a relationship. Katherine suggests marriage to Vincent, which he is not ready for. She is apparently pregnant with Vincent's baby.[21] Katherine is featured on the Xbox 360 version's cover art.
Orlando Haddick (オーランド, Ōrando)
Voiced by: Hiroaki Hirata
Orlando is a 32-year-old software engineer, a long time friend of Vincent, and also a regular at the bar. He often hangs around the sushi bar, Kappa Heaven, during the day. He is carefree in both his words and actions, and doesn't seem too fond of the idea of marriage, which he advises a worried Vincent against.[22]
Jonathan "Johnny" Ariga (ジョニー, Jonī)
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu
Johnny is a 32-year-old used car salesman. He's Vincent and Orlando's old friend, a bachelor, and also a regular at the bar. He works at his father's used car lot and plans on continuing the family business. He has high ideals with regards to marriage, stating that he believes marriage should be with one's destined partner.[22]
Tobias "Toby" Nebbins (トビー, Tobī)
Voiced by: Kishō Taniyama
Tobias is a 23-year-old used car salesman and a colleague of Johnny's. He is also a regular at the bar. He has a strong desire to get married, saying that the moment he gets a girlfriend he will marry her. He has a thing for older women and a crush on the bar's waitress, Erica.[22]
Erica Anderson (エリカ, Erika)
Voiced by: Junko Minagawa
Erica is Stray Sheep's 32-year-old bar waitress and Vincent's childhood friend. She has a bright personality and is up to date on town gossip.[23] Tobias has a crush on her.
Master (マスター, Masutā)
Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto
Master is Stray Sheep's barkeeper. The player will go through him to make friends with new customers. He has personally experienced many scenes of carnage.[23] Very little is known about him.
Voice (声, Koe)
Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga
A strange voice that cryptically announces that he chose Vincent to test if his life is worth continuing before killing him by having him climb the tower night by night, talking to him from a window of a confession booth. It can talk to Vincent outside of the Nightmares too, mostly informing him of what is to come in the next Nightmare while Vincent is washing his face in Stray Sheep's bathroom.
Midnight Venus (ミッドナイトヴィーナス, Middonaito Vīnasu)
Voiced by: Junko Minagawa
The host of Golden Theatre mode, who sports a large red afro. She provides an introduction to the game's modes and will text Vincent concerning his achievements in the Nightmare stages and providing him with hints.

Development

The game's existence was first hinted at in the PSP game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable. In this game, Vincent appears at Club Escapade on certain days, though in the game he never reveals his name and is simply referred to as "Man Drinking Alone" in his dialogue boxes. However, on a certain day, if you put in the right choices in the pop-up, a picture will appear and will speak more about his relationships in the game. In conversing with the player character, he reveals hints related to his problems, though also states specifically that they are "nothing that [the player character] needs to worry about." It is not yet clear if the game is considered part of Atlus' Megami Tensei franchise, or if it has any specific ties to the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona universe outside of Vincent's cameo. The game was also mentioned at Konami's TGS 2010 booth.[24]

Producer Hashino stated less than two weeks after its announcement that Catherine has actually been in development for quite a while, saying: "the Persona 4 development team would switch back and forth between developing Catherine's first stages and polishing up Persona 4."[16]

A playable demo was released on January 27, 2011 in Japan,[25] but was later removed from PSN.[26] It has since been put back up. To prevent gamers from posting spoiler videos, specifically those after Night 8 of the game, or hosting live streams of the game before its intended street date, Atlus posted a humorous public service announcement picture of an in-game sheep, warning gamers who post spoilers on video sharing sites, such as Youtube and Nico Nico Douga, run the risk of having their accounts banned.[27][28] In response to players' complaint on the game difficulty, Atlus released a patch with a new difficulty mode called Super Easy mode for the PS3 in March 2011. The patch for the Xbox 360 version has yet to be announced.[29]

To promote the game, Tokyo restaurant Collabo Dining is offering a Catherine-themed drinks and meal menu between February 17, 2011 and March 31, 2011.[30]

After initially saying the game would not be released in North America, Atlus made an announcement on March 1, 2011 and confirmed the game will be coming to North America in Summer 2011.[31][32] Prior to the official announcement, GameStop accidentally made the game available for pre-order on their website, revealing a more definitive release date of July 26, 2011.[2]

Reception

Famitsu gave the game a score of 35/40 based on four scores of 9, 9, 8 and 9.[33] In an import review, GamesRadar gave the game 5/10, praising the story but criticising the game's difficulty due to random enemy AI.[17] Some Japanese gamers have complained that the game is too difficult, even on the easy setting, with Atlus planning to release a patch to make the game easier, which will also be included in the English version.[34] The PlayStation 3 version topped the Japanese charts in its opening week with over 140,000 copies sold while the 360 version came in 7th with over 21,000.[35]

References

  1. ^ "Date Decision!". Atlus, Co. October 22, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Jackson, Mike (2011-02-28). "News: Catherine hitting US in July, says GameStop". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  3. ^ "Amazon.com: Catherine: Video Games". Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  4. ^ "Amazon.com: Catherine: Video Games". Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  5. ^ "Catherine for Xbox 360". Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  6. ^ "Catherine for Playstation 3". Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Atlus (August 23, 2010). "キャサリン - CATHERINE - 製品情報". Atlus. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  8. ^ Ryan Winterhalter (January 5, 2010). "New Catherine trailer shows gameplay for the first time". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
  9. ^ "Japanese Video Game Chart: Catherine Sexes Her Way to the Top". SPOnG. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  10. ^ Anoop Gantayat (August 19, 2010). "Atlus Goes HD With Catherine". Andriasang. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  11. ^ "『キャサリン』アダルト＆ホラーな完全新作" (in Japanese). Famitsu. August 20, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2010.
  12. ^ Winterhalter, Ryan (February 2, 2011). "New mini-games revealed for Catherine". GamesRadar. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  13. ^ http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/11/30/catherine_drinks/
  14. ^ http://kotaku.com/5725398/catherine-gameplay-is-quite-puzzling
  15. ^ Antista, Chris (January 26, 2011). "Catherine video - Full Access Preview". GamesRadar. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  16. ^ a b Romano, Sal (August 27, 2010). "Catherine is twenty-hours long, has multiple endings". Scrawl. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  17. ^ a b http://www.gamesradar.com/f/catherine-import-review/a-2011030816833522052
  18. ^ Jackson, Mike (January 27, 2011). "Multiplayer detailed for Atlus' 'Catherine'". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  19. ^ "Catherine: Story" (in Japanese). Atlas. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  20. ^ Anoop Gantayat (January 29, 2011). "Multiplayer Catherine: First Look". Andriasang. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  21. ^ Anoop Gantayat (September 11, 2010). "Catherine: Meet Katherine". Andriasang. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  22. ^ a b c Anoop Gantayat (October 26, 2010). "Catherine: Meet Vincent's Friends (Again)". Andriasang. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  23. ^ a b Anoop Gantayat (January 12, 2011). "Catherine: Stray Sheep Bar Detailed". Andriasang. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  24. ^ "［TGS 2010］新作アーケードゲーム「ラブプラスメダルHappy Daily Life（仮）」が目玉か。"ウイイレ2011"や「キャッスルヴァニア」 の試遊台も大量設置。KONAMIブース速報" (in Japanese). 4gamer. September 16, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  25. ^ "Catherine and Gal Gun demos available in Japan this month". Joystiq. 2011-01-17. Retrieved 2011-02-15. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Unknown parameter |second= ignored (help)
  26. ^ "Catherine demo pulled from Japanese PSN". Joystiq. 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2011-02-15. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Unknown parameter |second= ignored (help)
  27. ^ "Atlus requests no Catherine spoilers online". Gamespot. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  28. ^ http://kotaku.com/#!5762814/spoil-catherine-and-get-your-ass-banned
  29. ^ "Catherine patch makes game easier". Gamespot. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  30. ^ http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3/catherine/news/catherine-themed-bar-open-for-business/a-2011021615499926013/g-20100819114534837010
  31. ^ "Catherine Is Coming". Giant Bomb. March 1, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2011.
  32. ^ http://www.siliconera.com/2011/03/01/catherine-officially-confirmed-for-summer-2011/
  33. ^ http://scrawlfx.com/2011/02/catherine-reviewed-in-famitsu
  34. ^ http://kotaku.com/#!5766057/catherine-is-so-hard-lets-make-her-easy
  35. ^ Ivan, Tom (February 23, 2011). "Catherine tops Marvel Vs Capcom in Japanese chart battle". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
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