Final_metroid Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 So this game is coming out next week and the premise is interesting to say the least. For me, the jury is still out about getting this title because some reviews (not the mainstream ones surprise) weren't too hot. Anyone anticipating or hear anything else about this title? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malaki-LEGEND.sys Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Funny thing about the Catherine demo is that it made me want to grab Persona 3 and 4 immediately after playing it, and so I did. I REALLY love the modern style and setting of the games. A serious breath of fresh air from what I'm used to, even though there's a lot of what I consider to be cliched Japanese high-school drama sprinkled through out. No biggie though. Anyway back to Catherine. After playing what bit of the game the demo contained, I really think the story was written for me. Obviously minus several key parts, but the theme itself is something I can relate to extremely well and the conversation between Vincent and his friends seems like crap my friends and I would talk about from time to time. The puzzling aspect is also pretty addictive, even after I thought it would wear off. Definitely considering picking this up, especially if it means another Persona is in the works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I have it preordered. I enjoyed the demo, which is what ultimately prompted the preorder. Well, that and the core storyline. I've seen 2 professional reviews on it so far. IGN gave it a 9, praising its originality, difficulty, and general mechanics. Game Informer gave it a 7, complaining about its difficulty and the story payoff. The most telling thing about the Game Informer review was when at the end, the reviewer noted that he spent 13-15 hours just to get a bad ending and didn't want to replay the game from the start to get a better one. Consequently, he deducted points from the score and complained about the story not being very satisfying despite being completely gripping throughout. I suspect the IGN guy got the good ending because he completely praised the story. Thus, I'll probably use a walkthrough to make sure I get the good ending when I play it. I doubt I'll go for the platinum trophy considering I have almost every game I've bought this summer still sitting in a pile by my PS3 (I've been working on finishing--not platinuming, just finishing--Lego Harry Potter since early June, and I've bought like 4 games since then). For my money, the story is definitely interesting and unique, and I figure it'll pay off as a rewarding game. The block puzzle gameplay aspect wasn't something I was originally too crazy about, but it's grown on me. Yes, I'd prefer a full-fledged Persona 5 after the beauty and majesty of Persona 4, but I'll take this and enjoy it for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Final_metroid Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the aesthetic design and the premise very much (I loved Persona 4), most of the criticism I've heard of is from Japanese publications about the game's difficulty and gameplay mechanic. I do want to pick it up sometime in the far future (I never buy games full price) if I play the demo and find it to be to my liking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malaki-LEGEND.sys Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I also should have mentioned that the game looks really, really great in HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir_Downunder Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Not happy about it not coming to Australia Seen some videos of it online and I must say it looks really bitchin'. Needless to say, I'll be getting this as soon as I can, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Gonna buy it, crank it back to Easy and bask in the Atlus-brand weirdness. Can't wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malaki-LEGEND.sys Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 So Jeremy Parish, one of the only people in game journalism whose opinions I really trust, gave the game an A, heralding the fact that it's a mature game as a game with the mature rating should be. I am excite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I'm seriously tempted to upgrade from the normal to "love is over edition". Not sure... Already pre-ordered it when that option became available way back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I'm seriously tempted to upgrade from the normal to "love is over edition". Not sure...Already pre-ordered it when that option became available way back. I tried that the other day and GameStop isn't taking collectors' edition preorders anymore. I called a buddy at the store I used to work at to have him hold one for me if they happen to get an extra one in. All those little goodies make me really want it, if only for collector purposes. On another note, GameTrailers posted its review today. It adds to the inconsistency of this game's review scores, but it seemed like the most honest assessment. It gave it a 7.8, praising the story elements, pointing out some minor flaws with the controls, and essentially saying that if you're looking for something different that delivers a great experience, this is right up your alley. Looking at Metacritic, the review scores are all over the board. The game's average is 8/10 (which, by the way, makes it one of the best reviewed games releasing this summer so far). The one comment that's really consistent, despite the game's ridiculous inconsistency in scores, is that this is one of those really rare games that is actually Mature instead of "mature." Despite the oversexualized box art and promo images, apparently there's no actual nudity to speak of, no sex besides references, and nothing overly graphic. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'm glad Atlus managed to keep this game classy rather than creepy--apart from the creepy-in-a-good-way demons, of course. Other Japanese publishers could learn a thing or two from this (if you haven't played it, NIS's Atelier Rorona starred a 14 year old girl and many of the characters fantasized about molesting her in some very, very uncomfortable dialogue bits; the US version changed her to 17, which only makes it marginally less creepy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollgagh Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 well I think it's pretty obvious that it's going to be a divisive game either you'll love it or you won't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I tried that the other day and GameStop isn't taking collectors' edition preorders anymore. I called a buddy at the store I used to work at to have him hold one for me if they happen to get an extra one in. All those little goodies make me really want it, if only for collector purposes.On another note, GameTrailers posted its review today. It adds to the inconsistency of this game's review scores, but it seemed like the most honest assessment. It gave it a 7.8, praising the story elements, pointing out some minor flaws with the controls, and essentially saying that if you're looking for something different that delivers a great experience, this is right up your alley. Looking at Metacritic, the review scores are all over the board. The game's average is 8/10 (which, by the way, makes it one of the best reviewed games releasing this summer so far). Much as I love their reviews, Gametrailers' scoring system is pretty wonky. In general, I'd advise ignoring the score entirely and looking for common threads in the reviews themselves. From what I'm seeing so far, I think we're in for a solid game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Much as I love their reviews, Gametrailers' scoring system is pretty wonky. In general, I'd advise ignoring the score entirely and looking for common threads in the reviews themselves. From what I'm seeing so far, I think we're in for a solid game. Yeah, I only mentioned the score since it happened to fall so directly in the middle of the other scores this game is getting. The substance of their review is really fair, or at least sounds that way from what I've seen and experienced with the demo. Either way, we know that everyone generally is in agreement that the game is good, so you're completely right: we are in for a solid game. Can't wait till next week to finally play the full version! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Agreed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I tried that the other day and GameStop isn't taking collectors' edition preorders anymore. I called a buddy at the store I used to work at to have him hold one for me if they happen to get an extra one in. All those little goodies make me really want it, if only for collector purposes.On another note, GameTrailers posted its review today. It adds to the inconsistency of this game's review scores, but it seemed like the most honest assessment. It gave it a 7.8, praising the story elements, pointing out some minor flaws with the controls, and essentially saying that if you're looking for something different that delivers a great experience, this is right up your alley. Looking at Metacritic, the review scores are all over the board. The game's average is 8/10 (which, by the way, makes it one of the best reviewed games releasing this summer so far). Contrarily Amazon was perfectly fine with upgrading me to the LiO:Edition. As for reviews, I'd ignore them and just look out for videos that I could find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 So this came out the other day, and I wanted to share my thoughts since the reviews are all over the place on it. Personally, I love it so far. I know there are people who've finished it already, but I didn't have the time for that quite yet. Catherine is something that's very different. I know there are a lot of MW3 v. Battlefield 3 debates going on now, but in the end of the day, it's a debate over 2 more games in an overcrowded genre. By contrast, Catherine is a brilliantly executed... something. Kind of puzzle game, kind of dating (or cheating) sim, kind of I don't know what. You have to play it to fully grasp what it is. The nighttime nightmare sequences are pretty easy at first, and they largely stay fairly easy except for the damn time limit. I died 11 times during the stage 3 boss section because I just didn't have enough time to figure out what needed to be done to advance. On the other hand, the Rapunzel arcade game in the bar that you can play removes the time limit, but puts in a move limit, and its puzzles seem much more difficult. We'll see how things go by the time I get to stage 8. The story is really good. I was hooked from very early on, but now I'm completely addicted. It's also hilarious, and the dub is very good. One scene that was really funny was where Vincent is eating with Katherine (his long-term girlfriend) when Catherine calls him on his cell phone. He answers because he doesn't recognize the number, then manages to quickly hang up in a very awkward way. Then, he hears her show up at the restaurant he's in and freaks out, telling Katherine he needs to go to the bathroom in order to escape. It's a ridiculous moment, but there's a sense of reality in it, and you truly feel for Vincent during these times, despite laughing at the whole thing. One other thing I'll mention is the morality system. The game presents choices which affect the outcome. Unless things change later, it looks like they're pretty much monogamy v. single "player" decisions. When you make them after completing stages, before you start the next stage, you see a graph of what other players are picking through Atlus' servers. It's a neat little addition, and it's interesting to see what people are choosing this early on. If you saw any of the videos of the game and thought it looked interesting, I'd strongly recommend picking it up. Stores have a limited supply of the game as is, and it could end up being exceedingly rare later on. This is one of only 3 games I'm buying at full price this year, the others being the Demon Souls sequel and Zelda. For my money, it was well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 One scene that was really funny was where Vincent is eating with Katherine (his long-term girlfriend) when Catherine calls him on his cell phone. He answers because he doesn't recognize the number, then manages to quickly hang up in a very awkward way. Then, he hears her show up at the restaurant he's in and freaks out, telling Katherine he needs to go to the bathroom in order to escape. It's a ridiculous moment, but there's a sense of reality in it, and you truly feel for Vincent during these times, despite laughing at the whole thing. The scene is all the more amplified when this little number starts playing in the background all the while you're watching Vincent trying his very best to stay in one piece on the outside. At least I do recall hearing it play when I got to that point, not sure if the track changes if you had a different outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 The scene is all the more amplified when this little number starts playing in the background all the while you're watching Vincent trying his very best to stay in one piece on the outside. At least I do recall hearing it play when I got to that point, not sure if the track changes if you had a different outcome. I had no idea that's what that song was. Freaking hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kupernikus Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Finally downloaded the Demo. If I like it I'll be picking it up for sure... Just hard to choose since it seems like a game I'll be playing after my kid/wife go to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 Finally downloaded the Demo. If I like it I'll be picking it up for sure... Just hard to choose since it seems like a game I'll be playing after my kid/wife go to bed. If you buy the "Love is Over" Edition, within the little art book is a sleeve where the Sound Disc is included. Here's track and music provided links as well. Chopin: Piano Sonata No.2 (Funeral March) 3rd Movement I plan on getting the rest of the sound track over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XZero Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Finally downloaded the Demo. If I like it I'll be picking it up for sure... Just hard to choose since it seems like a game I'll be playing after my kid/wife go to bed. Fair warning, if it matters to you, there's lots and lots of swearing in it. Also, the art book and soundtrack is available packaged with the standard game at some stores for the first printing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir_Downunder Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Still haven't gotten it just yet... I'm going to keep my eyes on a few sites for a few days/weeks and see what comes up. Rest assured, I will pick this up soon. ... Don't look at me like that, i will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vidilian Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Finally downloaded the Demo. If I like it I'll be picking it up for sure... Just hard to choose since it seems like a game I'll be playing after my kid/wife go to bed. From what I've seen of it (which is around half of the game) I reckon your wife wouldn't mind it if shes open minded initially. The game is more or less just a slightly twisted interactive soap opera.It might even make you think about your own relationship a bit. Your kid shouldn't see it though. Like someone else said, theres swearing and also gore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SenPi Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 gore? I don't remember any gore. unless you mean creepy scary type things. Anyways, me and some friends played this on normal from 6pm to 5am a few nights ago. We just couldnt go to bed until it was resolved. I personally absolutely love the game. I think its amazing! Great puzzles, quite a bit of difficulty later on (like... quite a bit ) and the story was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vidilian Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 gore? I don't remember any gore. unless you mean creepy scary type things. Well when a boss catches Vincent they smash him and he explodes with his blood and guts flying everywhere and when you get caught by the spike blocks you get impaled. Thats pretty gorey to me even if the art style isn't super realistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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