I've actually been dreading to write this review for a while now, since I feel like Catherine's overall reception is... not so good for the most part (from what I've read atleast). That didn't stop me from having a blast in my time with it though and here's why.

As for the gameplay, the puzzles are fun, controls are simple and responsive. Once you learn a bunch of techniques as you play through the game, you can really feel how your skills improve (like in a fighting game) and this knowledge will carry over to each of the puzzles you do. Getting the hang of the mechanics just feels very satisfying and being able to master dealing with certain blocks you once had problems with is great. Overall it's genuinely some of the most fun and unique gameplay I've experienced (...Final Boss aside, but more about that later).

Catherine doesn't only excel in the gameplay department, it also has a great art direction and a very fitting soundtrack. It's really cool when the main menu reflects the characters' personalities already without actively spelling it out to the player. Katherine is being shown sitting in the shadows with Vincent being chained to the wall by her side, while Catherine herself appears in the foreground in the menu and changes her position depending on your navigation through the menu, presenting her "freedom" and being able to do what she wants. Maybe I'm interpreting too much into this and it wasn't the intention of the developers at all, but the fact that a menu even allows me to make those theories is good enough to me. Main menu aside, the entire game has a gloomy mood overall that's conveyed really well. I don't know if it's the lighting in the bar, the soundtrack, or the characters Vincent meets along the way. It's hard to describe and yet it feels like everything's at the right place somehow.

The story itself is actually pretty simple, but it was also intriguing enough for me to always look forward to what would come next. As a semi-Megaten game, Catherine features a "morality meter", and it basically works just like the alignment system in the Shin Megami Tensei games in a way that your answers to the characters will affect Vincent's morality and the further course of the storyline. However, you shouldn't just worry about how Vincent's doing, because other familiar faces are having the same nightmares as him and if you're not willing to listen to their problems properly, they might meet a sudden end...

Everything I said has been quite positive so far, but I'd also like to address some aspects that bothered me and... could just have been left out entirely. Let's start with the boring complaint first - I didn't like the Final Boss. They were too RNG-based for my likings and the sudden random homing attacks and the move that pauses you mid-movement (really great when you're standing on a trap block!) got somewhat frustrating after a few tries. In defense of the game, I could have just used the provided checkpoints to make it a little easier for me, but I wanted to get the Gold Prize for the level, so I had to do it without any checkpoints at all. This resulted in the final stretch before the last goal being one of the most intense parts in gaming for me (the music really elevated that feeling). Skill issue? Maybe.

My second complaint is the use of absolutely unnescessary transphobia in two scenes. This is an issue many other people are also having with the game, so I think it's really important to address this problem. Erica, one of the characters in Catherine, is a trans woman who has been friends with Vincent's gang since high school and works as a waitress at the bar. I don't even want to go in detail about what exactly is said, since I feel that's rude, but basically one of the scenes in Katherine's True Ending (which is a good ending by the way) has a character suddenly deadname Erica and making a rude remark about her. Got me rolling my eyes and pretend the scene just never happened (since it bears no importance on the story anyways), so I could just blank it out and not let it affect my overall enjoyment of the game I love so much for all the other reasons I mentioned.

Anyways, I just picked up Full Body on an eShop sale yesterday and am really looking forward to experiencing this game again in a new coat of paint (and especially to see how Rin is integrated into the story). Persona 3 Reload is also coming along nicely, almost done with it now. Speaking of Persona, did you know Catherine was originally a tech demo for Persona 5? That would make it the best tech demo I've played since Portal. In any case, thanks for reading.

Have yet to finish it at the time of writing due to its Baba is You approach to difficulty, but I think it’s safe to call Catherine one of the most unapologetically auteurial video games I’ve played. It’s absurdly unique— pretty much the only piece of media I can think of to cross block pushing with girlfriend cheating, and in that regard it’s extraordinarily well realized. Tense, mind bending escape sequences are so masterfully woven together and juxtaposed with chill, Yakuza style bar crawls. But just as Vincent’s nightmare towers crumble below him during his climbs, so too are his reprieves brief. When hanging out at the Stray Sheep, time passes as you talk to each character, check your texts, even take a hard earned slug of beer. A mantra of Persona 5 (for which Catherine was a tech demo) is “take your time”, but here alas you are afforded very little— it’s keep moving or die gruesome after all. But where our tragic protagonist has to suck this up with a pit in his stomach, his journey is hardly grueling from the player perspective (though it is REALLY fucking hard at times). Gameplay is tight and snappy, challenging but fair, so much so that it even attracted a small yet dedicated corner of the FGC. Combine that with its brilliant excellently paced writing and you’re in for a treat, just keep in mind one with both a high skill ceiling AND floor.

Why do tech demos always hit so hard?

hardest smt game

change the sound settings to this so you can actually hear what's happening in game without everything being too loud
Master Volume: 10
Sound FX Volume: 7
Music Volume: 9
Dialog Volume: 10
Cinematic Volume: 8
Environment Volume: 8

Went incredibly hard. I've been playing a lot of puzzle games lately, and this is probably the most fun and well-designed one I've played so far. I'd be lying if I said that I was stoked to get on it, because the gameplay just didn't seem fun whatsoever, but surprise surprise it's really REALLY freaking good. Even putting the gameplay aside, this game is just such a vibe dude. All the characters, the bar, everything just oozes so much style, and the nightmare designs were genuinely kinda scary(a few aside). So yeah, love it👌.

Also I'll check out Full Body as soon as I can.

After finishing this game I can say that this is one of my favorite stories and general characters from Atlus. I think for the most part Vincent while a douche is a very enjoyable character and making him grow as you see fit is nice, and characters like Jonny,Orlando and Tobias are a realistic and enjoyable group of friends for him. as someone who is a novice at puzzle games I still found this game pretty fun and I got the hang of at the latter part of the game. it's a fun game and you should play it if you enjoy other Atlus games

Played Catherine Classic! I guess you could say it really is a classic.. Catherine Classic is a modern release of the 2011 title "Catherine" By Atlus.

I really enjoyed this video game. I feel it's because it has such a strong identity and core it holds itself to. The core of the story is in relationships and trials, choices, and growing up. It's the particular way that Catherine expresses these themes
that makes it such a fun experience. It has a visual style that feels uniquely distinct. A kind of hot pink, black, and white for its UI and official art. This feels to me in contrast to its gray, brownish, muted in tone colorwork in the nightmares. The
contrast works wonderfully. Its morality system is quite interesting too leaving us with 3 endings each playing into that system. Whether you go with freedom, order, or an in-between choice all depends on your communication with all the characters and important questions in the confessional booth before going into the next level.

The game sees its protagonist, Vincent, go through these nightmares as a trail, a trail to see what the hell he's going to do with his future. Because the time is now that he makes
an important choice, it's a turning point. I think the way the nightmares/the climbing is a really cool way to fuse the gameplay and story elements together in a cohesive way. I like that the sheep we talk to in the nightmare sections later are able to be talked to again in their actual human form. Because of that, it ends up never feeling separated from each other. The game is really well put together in ways like this. Also switching between gameplay, interaction adventure game-styled events, 3d model animation cutscenes, 2d animated cutscenes makes the game all the more dynamic.
Even other elements such as the arcade game can be explained as being prepared for further nightmare-level beating. It feels that elements such as the sheep having real-life counterparts to talk to ends up making you try all kinds of options and availabilities in front of you, because you have been provoked to do so, to play, to try and to indulge. It's so good in awakening the players curiosity, mine especially.

Other games will also have choices, but I think because of the particular matter in which Catherine provokes you through its construction that you are able to follow through so heavily and in such a natural way. Well, I sure did anyway. I really felt like fiddling with all of it, reading through as much available dialogue as i could each night.

Catherine also has a really amazing soundtrack, which will have you at the edge of your seat as you solve these climbing puzzles. Classical remixes really never fall out of style.

I'm grateful that the game never felt the need to be too indulgent with its side characters or friends of Vincent. I think we might have lost the focus of this bullet of a game if we would get even more dialogue to bite on from them. The game finds a perfect balance between making the characters interesting with the amount of spotlight they get in the game itself.

The two main female characters, Catherine and Katherine are really lovely too. Being complete opposites of
each other and representing either side of the morality system. For who I love the most well.. ;)

Anyway, the game is absolutely full sassiness and you should totally play it. I really like it when a work goes about difficult themes like this in a completely unique way.

Good game! That's all I had to say. Might edit later.

I mostly played this game for my past self. I remember seeing the game when it came out and watching Let's Plays, however, I was too young to actually buy the game. It wasn't until a year or so ago that I found myself actually being able to play it. It is...an interesting game to say the least. It is definitely something I'd expect from a game developer like Atlus. Those devs are a bunch of horny fools. I enjoyed the game. Can't say I was amazing at it, struggled on some nights. However, I got through and got the true good ending! Was proud of myself with that one.

I know they came out with another version of the game. Catherine: Full Body. However, I probably would never play that. It doesn't sit right with me. I can't trust Atlus with anything concerning trans or gay people.

Ótimos puzzles, me fez sentir inteligente em certas partes e burro em muitas vezes, mas quando superados da uma enorme satisfação e é recompensador, principalmente no chefe final, que é um show de narrativa de gameplay, bem desafiador diga-se de passagem. A narrativa de Catherine é muito boa e para mim a melhor coisa do jogo, mensagem simples, mas muito pessoal e a forma que é executada, cheia de metáforas dentro da própria gameplay, a faz ser estupidamente ótimo. E claro, tenho que mencionar, a direção artística do jogo é fenomenal, a estética rosa, branca e preto, que significam muito dentro de sua narrativa, e a direção das cenas é ótima, além da uma atmosfera esplêndida, principalmente dentro do bar. E a trilha sonora... simplesmente impecável, não tenho o que dizer.

Catherine Classic: Classics are called Klassic for a Reason

So I make the habit of writing about games that I rate 5/5 stars as there should always be justification on why I made that choice. Catherine Classic is the best edition of the three versions out (Catherine for Xbox/ PS3 is different from Catherine Classic for PC, and Catherine Full Body is the other version). The flow of the story, gameplay, characters, and competitive scene are what keep this game near and dear to my heart and why I can say this is a perfect game in my eyes.


Catherine is a story about Vincent Brooks, and his issues with his romantic life. He has Katherine who is his long time girlfriend who has been pressuring him into settling down with marriage, and there is Catherine who is a new girl that has come into his life who shows him what life is not being tied down. While he decides what path is the right one, there have been reports of a nightmare that has been killing people in their sleep. Throughout the game he answers questions about his beliefs of relationships and traverses up block towers to complete nightmares in this cross-genre game so he can discover his path to traverse down with his romantic life.

This game caught me by surprise, I played it as more of a bet saying this game was going to be “hot anime garbage.” When playing it, I was weirdly entranced with the story and cast of the game. Vincent, who is probably the biggest scumbag I have ever played as in a game, was oddly relatable in some areas. I was also growing up so I was thinking of some of these questions and concerns that he was experiencing. The rapid nature of his story and the quick, adrenaline rushing of the puzzles. It just felt like a natural combo, and it got me hooked. Over the years I tried to do a play through, and it ages like a fine full-bodied wine.

So let’s start with the gameplay, where a majority of the game is a puzzle game and the other half is a social simulator. Puzzles are a simple concept: climb up the tower by moving blocks without the floor falling beneath you. This brings a sense of “oh shit I need to get moving” as you are on this invisible timer. There is also one level a night where you have a boss chasing you as another layer of challenge. The puzzles never hit a moment where it felt impossible to complete as you had multiple paths to victory, and that satisfying “edge” sound made when you move blocks just hits differently every time you complete a complex formation to climb up to the next area.

The social simulator happens between nights, where you talk to other individuals about their struggles in their relationships within the bar and inbetween stages each night. Each character is diverse with their issues and almost feel lifelike in how they approach their struggles. Some people view women as objects, others feel failure for how their last relationship went. Each character feels full of soul and well created within the game.

Speaking of characters, the whole cast from side characters to main cast are well written and work well in their intended roles. Katherine is vastly responsible and values her order in life, while Catherine shows the freedom of being with whoever you want, whenever you want. They both show how and why you would want to live your life that way. Them not delivering it as a good versus bad system, but as an order versus freedom system is amazing as it shows none of your options are technically wrong. Your friends also give input and ask you questions that can affect the outcome of the story too. Each with their own demons they face, and you learn how they overcome or fail to in the story.

Now the best part that even I didn’t know for a long time, the competitive and speedrunning scene. You can play online and local best on the PC version of the game (which is where the classic version of this game resides). This game plays similar to a fighting game according to some, but it is a game of either knocking off your opponent or being the first to climb up the tower. There are stage lists and certain rules for how you play the games out, and it is a great world to explore as some of these people are still kicking in their groups. The speed running area is for the “Tower of Babel” mode that gives you randomly generated paths to climb up. So many compete for the best times on those 4 stages. I would also give that mode a run.

It’s hard to put into words why this game works and is such a complete 5/5 star experience. A social simulation, horror, puzzle game is a weird combination that works way too well. I would definitely give this game a shot as I bet you have not played anything like this. You will be entranced by the story, cast, and gameplay for years to come and always find a way back to enjoy this game whenever you pick it up again.

Catherine foi um jogo que me surpreendeu, nunca tive nenhum interesse por jogos que envolvam puzzle, é simplesmente um gênero que não me agrada, mas com Catherine foi diferente, a gameplay é extremamente intuitiva e divertida chegando ao ponto de você ir dormir pensando em subir bloquinhos ( é sério kk), ao mesmo tempo os momentos em que você passa interagindo com os personagens e se envolvendo na trama são incríveis, essa estrutura de escolhas que determinam a rota da história é muito bem feita, você realmente se sente dentro da história. Creio que os momentos no bar foram meus favoritos, veja, a pandemia debilitou muito essa parte da minha vida em sair com os amigos para conversar beber e curtir, e Catherine me fez sentir bem ao passar tempo no bar me divertindo com aqueles personagens excêntricos e cheios de problemas para contar. O elenco todo é muito bem apresentado, todos os personagens com suas labutas e problemas descarregados em uma mesa de bar logo antes de serem obrigados a subir bloquinhos por sua vida. A trilha sonora é belíssima, tanto as que você pode escolher no bar quanto as que você escuta nos momentos de puzzle ou em cutscenes, algumas como as do bar contam com trilhas clássicas de outras franquias da Atlus o que é muito interessante. Sem entrar em detalhes os finais de Catherine são magníficos, todos fazem muito sentido com as escolhas que você vai tomando ao decorrer do jogo, é uma história muito bem amarrada em minha visão, ela não deixa pontas soltas na trama, sem dúvidas esse foi um dos jogos que joguei na vida.

So let's break my thoughts up into a few sections. Firstly let's get the "game" aspect out of the way. Satisfying when it goes right, but incredibly punishing too, I had to switch to easy not too long afterwards. Maybe it comes with practice, but right now it's the only thing stopping me from playing the game over and over again.

The story, and the moral interactions. On closer inspection it does seem to follow the Hashino persona mechanic of having a couple of timeslots to interact with people in, however I think it's done in a very natural way that makes you want to play the game naturally. The texting mechanic is also a great way to allow you to really shape Vincent's actions, as indicated by the mysterious meter.

I think the one issue I have is that morality and feelings are muddied a bit.
I answered mostly because I felt Vincent was the dick here by not fessing up sooner, and I think it was entirely fair he got the Katherine ending. But a lot of why I ended up leaning towards her ending were just the good dialogue choices- like trying to stop people losing hope during the nightmares- it doesn't necessarily correlate with the character Katherine especially, but the game decides that hopeful dialogue corresponds to stability, when I don't think it does.

I do like the idea of Catherine representing hedonism, Katherine representing stability, and Vincent representing freedom, just a tad disappointed that some of the options didn't always correspond to that. In my opinion it might have been better to only have the mysterious meter be affected by decisions directly correlated to law/chaos. Of course, I might just be missing the nuance to some interactions.

That aside, I think this game was extremely successful in exploring love, lust and freedom, and if it weren't for how tough I found it, I'd be going back for more.

Tu vai jogar esse jogo por 1 de 4 motivos

1 - Tu quer saber o sentimento de trair teu parceiro

2 - Você é fanboy da Atlus

3 - Tu se interessou pela mecanica de moldar a moral do protagonista

4- Peitos

[Review completa ta em progresso]

Muito bom! A gameplay de puzzle é unica e desafiadora, os dialogos do jogo são excelentes, os Npcs do jogo são bem bacanas de se dialogar, principalmente os do bar, achei bem bacana tb a forma q eles vão desaparecendo conforme tu progide no jogo devido aos pesadelos, o bar tb é bem bacana de se jogar, alem de dialogar com os npcs da pra beber, trocar a musica q toca no bar, descer o cagao, responder as mensagens, jogar o minigame da Rapunzel. A História tb é boa, tem uns twists muito bons e cria umas situações muito boas que contribuem pra fazer o jogador sentir empatia pelo protagonista. A tematica central do jogo tb é boa, 8.8

Horny game that talks about adulthood and relationships. How they can be corrupted, talks about responsability and CHAOS WITH THE SUCCUBUS YES, it can be a Megami Tensei game just for the alligment system alone, right?

Let me explain. You take the role of this man Vince, Vincent. And he's having trouble with his actual couple, Katherine; with a "K". Thing is, she wants to get married, but our man isn't ready to take the big step forward yet. It's very relatable in that sense.

And then it appears this girl Catherine; with a "C" which wants to be with you too. You met her at the Café Vincent visits regularly with his friends. "Stray Sheep". She, uh gets in love instantly with our alpha male.

And here is the main conflict. Who would you rather choose? Take responsability for your acts and mature? Be alone? Stay with the pretty lady of the cover? It's yours to decide. There are more endings too. But I won't spoil anything.

It's a puzzle game. You'll be moving blocks to climb to the top. I won't say more because that's mostly it about the game. It's simple but it gets the job done.