I played the Catherine demo over the weekend and I found myself saying what the hell kind of game is this. lol I'm kidding. Honestly I completely get the game. It just comes off as really odd with its abstract visual metaphors. When you start the demo you see a girl sitting on the top of a pillar like structure then you see a guy with what looks like ram horns tied to the side of that structure hanging. After that every 5 to 10 seconds you hear sheep falling into an everlasting void. It was a completely weird title screen. Anyone would find it kind of odd. If you're into analyzing situations and diagnosing behavior like Freud like I am, then you'll probably get this game too.
The problem that I have about this game is the particular theme. It's a real dicey choice for a videogame that's concentrated to a particular crowd. The problem is I don't know who that particular crowd is. lol It's almost like the game should be used for couples therapy where it focuses on a man's lack and fear of commitment versus a woman's overbearing need, seemingly to a commitment conflicted man, to progressively establish a relationship and family. I find it to be a really disturbing scenario for a videogame. Its almost as if its the whole backdrop for this particular game.
The game focuses around a guy named Vincent who obviously fears commitment with his girlfriend and refuses the thought of being married. He claims that he's happy where they are at the moment with the relationship and that there's no need for change. The girlfriend, Katherine with a K wants more than just being together. She is more than ready to take things to the next step. At the same time that they're dealing with there issues there's this parallel plot that is also going on that ties significantly into their relationship.
In the town which they live healthy normal looking men have been mysteriously dying with looks of pain and distress left on their faces. No one really seems to know what the cause is. It's kind of similar to the movie The Ring where people had faces of anguish when they look at the demon, Samara's face. Rumors have been going around in the town of the men falling into deep sleep, dreaming, then not being able to wake up. Little do they know that this may be the cause of one young sexy girl who goes by the name of Catherine but spelled with a C. Vincent eventually meets this girl and the drama ensues.
When you start the game you begin at the bottom of this peculiar maze or labyrinth that you must find your way to the top of. While you are trying to reach the top your also being chased by a set of female hands which signify your lack of commitment with your girlfriend. You must make it to the top as quickly as possible or the hands will get you. Each level that you play in the game has some sort of symbol that you struggle to get away from that represents a part of your relationship between you and your girlfriend Katherine and the other Catherine. The blocks that you climb, to me, represent the issues that you go through with each particular part of your relationship.
The blocks can be easily moved or pulled in order to help you get to the top. The good thing about these blocks is that you can move them to the edges of other blocks and they won't fall. The bad news is that as the symbols of struggle chase you sections of the labyrinth/maze begin to fall off. So staying in one place too long won't help your matters any.
So you enter into a series of story mode and dream sequences which play out as the mazes/labyrinths. The game seems to be some extreme cautionary tale for men who seem to lack commitment and are unfaitful in their relationships. Like I said, its a weird theme for a game with an even more weird plot. I won't totally knock the game down. It was clever putting something like this together.Unlike how some gamers might not get it I definitely understand it but I'm wondering who will play it?
I have to wonder if this game will go over most gamers' heads. I can't help but wonder if couples will find a liking to this game and compare it to their own relationships or will guys instantly relate to the issues that Vincent is going through? It's definitely not your normal game. I don't even know what genre it belongs to it's so weird. lol I don't think that this game would be a definite buy for me. I'd probably just borrow or rent it. We'll see how good it sells once it's released.
Watch the gameplay demo.
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