A demo of the English language version of Catherine hit Xbox Live today giving westerners a chance to
meet both Catherine with “C” and Katherine with a “K”, as well a try out the
game’s platforming/ climbing puzzles.
Available in this demo are two different kinds of
activities; first is puzzle/platforming gameplay in which players guide the
game’s hero Vincent as he climbs up a tower of movable blocks. A giant monster, the nightmarish
incarnation of his girlfriend, is climbing up after him, looking to drag him
into the abyss of marriage and responsibility, and Vincent’s only hope is to
climb ever higher by arranging movable blocks to form giant stairs. It’s a lot like the Nintendo DSI game Art
Style Precipice for those who are familiar
with that downloadable game. If
you aren’t familiar with Precipice,
just know that Catherine has
exciting and challenging puzzles/climbing sequences, and the demo offers two
very good levels that require both brainpower and reflexes.
The majority of the demo, however, is a lot like an
interactive anime. You’ll be
passively watching cutscenes, where Vincent discusses marriage with his
gorgeous yet demanding girlfriend Katherine (With a “K”). Later, you’ll join him as he laments
his problems with his pals at a pizza bar called “Stray Sheep”. The art style is 100% anime, and fans
of Japanese cartoons will probably greatly enjoy these sequences, and the story
in general. As is always the case
with anime, ordinary guys seem to find themselves constantly under siege by hot
chicks, and Vincent is no exception.
Before the demo is through, players will meet the other
Catherine (With a “C”). This one
is a sexy, kawaii blonde who is inexplicably after Vincent. While he is dealing with his
implausibly-lucky lovelife, there’s also a mystery going on. Lonely young men are getting murdered
by some a serial killer. This is
only briefly touched upon in the demo but will of course help add some
excitement to the full game.
Vincent has the opportunity to build up his relationships
with the two girls, much like a dating sim or visual novel, but in this demo
there is just a brief sequence dealing with that aspect of the game. In it Vincent can send text messages and
e-mails, and the player has the opportunity to select from different texts to
send Katherine. These will not
only affect the story, but also sway his alignment meter (Represented by an
angel and a devil).
The demo did not have any scenes that let the player walk
around Stray Sheep, exploring and interacting with NPC, although that will be
an option in the game. Still,
based on the gameplay shown in the demo, players can expect a funny, stylish
adventure with plenty of sex appeal.
I already know which Catherine I’ll be choosing when I pick up the full
game later this month.
Catherine comes on
July 26th for Xbox and Playstation 3. A deluxe “Love Is Over Edition” is available which has some unusual
bonus items including replicas of the boxer shorts Vincent wears, and comes in
a Stray Sheep pizza box. All
pre-orders will include a soundtrack and artbook.