So it's a spooky version of Q-Bert with a love triangle story? I'm teetering between "interesting" and "lacking" for an opinion. Won't know for sure until I play it for myself.
 
But I will say this: based on what I've seen, between the demo and the trailer, all I can think of is this song:

 So it's a spooky version of Q-Bert with a love triangle story? I'm teetering between "interesting" and "lacking" for an opinion. Won't know for sure until I play it for myself.
 
But I will say this: based on what I've seen, between the demo and the trailer, all I can think of is this song:

The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be.

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

True. But a part of me feels that the game may end up being a bit padded with the cellphone, arcade minigame, the good/evil thingy.... guess we'll just have to see how it'll look in the end. "

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

Really?  C'mon you can't see what everyone wanted? How about something that had a little bit more in common with Silent Hill. You know more third person survival horror going through these nightmares in more of a conventional way instead of the whole cube puzzle thing...  But of course not keep acting like the angle they took was the obvious way... "

Fuck, the world does revolve around me. I watched Fight Club yesterday and lookee here, it's on the internet! 
 
Every time I do something, no matter how obscure and out of the blue, I find it somewhere else almost immediately. Anyone else get that?

" Fuck, the world does revolve around me. I watched Fight Club yesterday and lookee here, it's on the internet!  Every time I do something, no matter how obscure and out of the blue, I find it somewhere else almost immediately. Anyone else get that? "

" Fuck, the world does revolve around me. I watched Fight Club yesterday and lookee here, it's on the internet!  Every time I do something, no matter how obscure and out of the blue, I find it somewhere else almost immediately. Anyone else get that? "

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

They didn't know what the game was going to be at all. But the last thing they would expect or want from an Atlus game is a block platformer. I think people are worried because they aren't sure if that kind of gameplay can carry a 60 dollar game on a current gen console. I'm hoping the gameplay outside of the nightmare sequences has some kind of detective/mystery gameplay. And I don't mean Persona 4 style where all you do is talk to specific NPCs. "

I hope that you can move around the city and talk to people, approaching things at your own speed like in Persona 4.

" @Doctorchimp said:

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

Really?  C'mon you can't see what everyone wanted? How about something that had a little bit more in common with Silent Hill. You know more third person survival horror going through these nightmares in more of a conventional way instead of the whole cube puzzle thing...  But of course not keep acting like the angle they took was the obvious way... "

No, really.  Given what had been teased prior to the release in screenshots and the general nature of games Atlus produces, I don't see how anyone should have expected something along the lines of a survival horror action game.  People are going WTF, I say, didn't you guys look at the screenshots? "

" @MiniPato said:

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

They didn't know what the game was going to be at all. But the last thing they would expect or want from an Atlus game is a block platformer. I think people are worried because they aren't sure if that kind of gameplay can carry a 60 dollar game on a current gen console. I'm hoping the gameplay outside of the nightmare sequences has some kind of detective/mystery gameplay. And I don't mean Persona 4 style where all you do is talk to specific NPCs. "

Why would anyone not want such a game?  And why shouldn't such a game carry a full retail price, given that it's pretty obvious with the story and dialogue sequences that the game isn't just an M-rated Q*Bert? "

"Why would anyone not want such a game?  And why shouldn't such a game carry a full retail price, given that it's pretty obvious with the story and dialogue sequences that the game isn't just an M-rated Q*Bert? "

" @Hailinel said:

" @MiniPato said:

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

They didn't know what the game was going to be at all. But the last thing they would expect or want from an Atlus game is a block platformer. I think people are worried because they aren't sure if that kind of gameplay can carry a 60 dollar game on a current gen console. I'm hoping the gameplay outside of the nightmare sequences has some kind of detective/mystery gameplay. And I don't mean Persona 4 style where all you do is talk to specific NPCs. "

Why would anyone not want such a game?  And why shouldn't such a game carry a full retail price, given that it's pretty obvious with the story and dialogue sequences that the game isn't just an M-rated Q*Bert? "

It's the Mirror's Edge effect. A lot of people doubted that a game revolving completely around running and platforming would be any fun or be worth the full price. And they were right to an extent. Same with Heavy Rain. Let's be honest here, the current generation is full of action based games and RPGs. Games with platforming or puzzles as their main gameplay is going to be received with skepticism. I'm not saying Catherine is going to be terrible, but how can you not understand people's skepticism given the games that dominate the current generation? "

" @Hailinel:  Do you want me to post a picture of Gears of War 2 where Marcus is driving a tank and say Gears 2 isn't a racing game?  Or how about Isaac Clarke in a turret and say Dead Space didn't turn out to be a shooter...  Or do you just want to accept I thought, along with a lot of people, it was just one segment.... "

" @Hailinel said:

"Why would anyone not want such a game?  And why shouldn't such a game carry a full retail price, given that it's pretty obvious with the story and dialogue sequences that the game isn't just an M-rated Q*Bert? "

Because people will see it just as that: an M rated Q*Bert. Not exactly an easy sell. We see that its well animated and told, but people want a game. The bulk of the actual gameplay, sans for the talking, is that its a block platformer. That may have been worth $60 back in the 80s. Not now: that's something you can get off Wiiware, PSN, or XBLA for five bucks. I'm sure its fun, just not worth a steep price. At least, based on our current evidence, not yet. "

" @MiniPato said:

" @Hailinel said:

" @MiniPato said:

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

They didn't know what the game was going to be at all. But the last thing they would expect or want from an Atlus game is a block platformer. I think people are worried because they aren't sure if that kind of gameplay can carry a 60 dollar game on a current gen console. I'm hoping the gameplay outside of the nightmare sequences has some kind of detective/mystery gameplay. And I don't mean Persona 4 style where all you do is talk to specific NPCs. "

Why would anyone not want such a game?  And why shouldn't such a game carry a full retail price, given that it's pretty obvious with the story and dialogue sequences that the game isn't just an M-rated Q*Bert? "

It's the Mirror's Edge effect. A lot of people doubted that a game revolving completely around running and platforming would be any fun or be worth the full price. And they were right to an extent. Same with Heavy Rain. Let's be honest here, the current generation is full of action based games and RPGs. Games with platforming or puzzles as their main gameplay is going to be received with skepticism. I'm not saying Catherine is going to be terrible, but how can you not understand people's skepticism given the games that dominate the current generation? "

I personally didn't play Mirror's Edge, but I did pay $60 for Heavy Rain and didn't feel cheated at all.  The game is a lengthy adventure with a multitude of story branches and endings.  The story just could have been better told.  And given the ridiculous homogenization of gameplay that's occurred as of late (seriously, when was the last time someone released an FPS that didn't play like Call of Duty that wasn't thrashed in reviews), I say more games that go off in directions like Catherine should be made.  I'm not saying the world needs more block-puzzle games, but really, there are a lot of genres that don't get tapped nearly as often as they could or should anymore. "

" @Hailinel said:

" @MiniPato said:

" @Hailinel said:

" @MiniPato said:

" @Hailinel said:

" The gameplay makes sense in the context of the story.  I'm not really sure what everyone else was thinking that this game was going to be. "

They didn't know what the game was going to be at all. But the last thing they would expect or want from an Atlus game is a block platformer. I think people are worried because they aren't sure if that kind of gameplay can carry a 60 dollar game on a current gen console. I'm hoping the gameplay outside of the nightmare sequences has some kind of detective/mystery gameplay. And I don't mean Persona 4 style where all you do is talk to specific NPCs. "

Why would anyone not want such a game?  And why shouldn't such a game carry a full retail price, given that it's pretty obvious with the story and dialogue sequences that the game isn't just an M-rated Q*Bert? "

It's the Mirror's Edge effect. A lot of people doubted that a game revolving completely around running and platforming would be any fun or be worth the full price. And they were right to an extent. Same with Heavy Rain. Let's be honest here, the current generation is full of action based games and RPGs. Games with platforming or puzzles as their main gameplay is going to be received with skepticism. I'm not saying Catherine is going to be terrible, but how can you not understand people's skepticism given the games that dominate the current generation? "

I personally didn't play Mirror's Edge, but I did pay $60 for Heavy Rain and didn't feel cheated at all.  The game is a lengthy adventure with a multitude of story branches and endings.  The story just could have been better told.  And given the ridiculous homogenization of gameplay that's occurred as of late (seriously, when was the last time someone released an FPS that didn't play like Call of Duty that wasn't thrashed in reviews), I say more games that go off in directions like Catherine should be made.  I'm not saying the world needs more block-puzzle games, but really, there are a lot of genres that don't get tapped nearly as often as they could or should anymore. "

It's the main gameplay people saw and didn't like. "Oh Mirror's Edge is just running. Oh Heavy Rain is just cutscenes with quick time events." I myself enjoyed both and I side with you on the point that too many games are catering to people who crave action. Catherine seems like a breathe of fresh air for both Western and Japanese games. I mean, let's admit it here, even Persona 3/4's JRPG gameplay stuck very very close to the JRPG formula with little tweaks here and there. And the puzzle platforming gameplay is something I haven't experience much lately outside of handheld or flash games. that coupled with a unique story, to say the least, and unique style is something I would definitely play.  A little thing to note that some people might have missed in the quick look is that the text messages you can send actually do change and have different meanings. Everytime Vinny deleted a line of text and his the reply button, a different line of text showed up. So there is variation in the gameplay outside of the platforming.It's not just pressing X (or circle since it's a Japanese demo) all the time to progress to the next level. "

 @Paulrus said:

" @Hailinel said:

"Why would anyone not want such a game?  And why shouldn't such a game carry a full retail price, given that it's pretty obvious with the story and dialogue sequences that the game isn't just an M-rated Q*Bert? "

Because people will see it just as that: an M rated Q*Bert. Not exactly an easy sell. We see that its well animated and told, but people want a game. The bulk of the actual gameplay, sans for the talking, is that its a block platformer. That may have been worth $60 back in the 80s. Not now: that's something you can get off Wiiware, PSN, or XBLA for five bucks. I'm sure its fun, just not worth a steep price. At least, based on our current evidence, not yet. "

Why isn't that worth $60?  When did we start putting dollar values on specific genres?  FPS games are a dime a dozen these days, so why doesn't the price reflect that?  Why do action games that take four hours to beat cost the same as RPGs that might take someone twenty times as long to complete?  I don't look at the genre and say whether or not it's worth the price.  I look at the actual game. "

This is one of those games. You know, the kind where you fucking hate playing it, but once you get into the story and cut scene elements it's the best damn thing ever. But you get back to the block platforming aspect and you want to jab yourself in the eye with a fork "

Why are people assuming this will cost 60$ anyways? When was the last time a Atlus game has cost that much?
 
Anyway, there are adventure game elements as well. And I really don't get why people have issues paying top-dollar for a puzzle-platformer.

You want it, it wants you, seems like there is an obvious answer in there somewhere.

" Why are people assuming this will cost 60$ anyways? When was the last time a Atlus game has cost that much? "

"Anyway, there are adventure game elements as well. And I really don't get why people have issues paying top-dollar for a puzzle-platformer. "

Baffles my mind when people look at the game and dismiss it as an M-rated Q*Bert, especially after only seeing a small amount of gameplay inside a demo. Judging from the achievements and the decent amount of coverage surrounding the game, it's going to be some kind of adventure title during the day and puzzle-platforming segments during the night. How you interact with characters, Katherine, Catherine, etc all impact how the story unfolds. This isn't Q*Bert, but I understand it isn't a survival horror title in the vein of Silent Hill either and that puts some people off.
 
I do get if the gameplay isn't your cup of tea, though, because it is kind of out there. Still, I think it looks awesome and can't wait for announcements for release outside of Japan.

" @mutha3 said:

" Why are people assuming this will cost 60$ anyways? When was the last time a Atlus game has cost that much? "

It's their first PS3/360 release. I heavily doubt that they'll price it at a discount. 

I never really came here to argue. It just sort of... happened. I'm still going to play the game if I get the chance. I've already stated my opinion and I'm not changing my mind, as is the same case for those who defend it. I understand the logic behind not having an opinion on a demo alone. We'll just have to wait for the full version before we criticize and defend; and even then we'll still be having this discussion.

If you're going to be playing this game for the story and the character interactions, why would you not want short, tense puzzles between that stuff instead of hours grinding in a boring-ass dungeon (the Persona route), or long sequences of awful third person shooting (the Deadly Premonition route)? Personally, I'm glad it turned out to be what it is, even if I wasn't following little bits of news closely enough to already know. If you're not into the game, you probably should just not buy it; then you won't have to complain about this '$60 puzzle game'.

So, when I hear people saying that the game play looks like "Q*Bert" I can't help but think of how short people seem to be selling it.  I mean, watching the quick look I just kept thinking of how tense climbing up the tower looked to be and how fast paced it seemed to be and how puzzle-y it seemed to be and then remembering - Vinny was only playing on easy, and that was just the demo, and he wasn't even trying to gold rank the 'stage' or anything.  Now, part of his problems could just be being unfamiliar with the controls, but, still, that was on easy and on a demo and he still died several times.  I still can't help but  think of how fun that could get though, trying to gold rank those stages on normal or even hard difficulty and suddenly I start thinking of stuff like Super Meat Boy.
 
Except, oh, the game also totally has a large, in depth story surrounding the puzzle climbing levels that has multiple endings and, from the sounds of it, a good bit of interactivity in the story.  Put all of that together with the game play and I think "That sounds totally awesome".  And it looks to have the sound, art, style, and production behind it to make it be a great experience over all. 
 
So, I guess, is the problem just that the people that were originally interested in Catherine and the people that are interested in challenges/challenge based game play don't overlap as demographics that much?  But to that end, Brad seems like someone that really likes challenge based games and he seemed rather put off from it as an idea as well.  Is it just that people are afraid of trying something different than what they were expecting was a standard survival horror then?  Is it just the initial shock of something being revealed as not what they expected and given more time it'll grow on them some?  Is it that they think block climbing can't be, or just simply isn't, fun - even if they haven't played it themselves?  Can't help but wonder why people are so turned off at the idea of the block climbing action, even if there may never be an answer other than "different opinions".  I just think its a shame to see so many people so eager to dismiss something like this.  Oh well, hopefully it will still turn out well.

" Why are people assuming this will cost 60$ anyways? When was the last time a Atlus game has cost that much?  Anyway, there are adventure game elements as well. And I really don't get why people have issues paying top-dollar for a puzzle-platformer. "

" @mutha3 said:

" Why are people assuming this will cost 60$ anyways? When was the last time a Atlus game has cost that much?  Anyway, there are adventure game elements as well. And I really don't get why people have issues paying top-dollar for a puzzle-platformer. "

Demon's Souls, although they were just a publisher. When was the last time Atlus, specifically the persona team, made a game on current gen consoles? "

People being disappointed in the gameplay makes me sad.  When was the last time a puzzle game wasn't fun as hell?  And this time you get freaky as hell monsters chasing you, a sweet nightmare world, creepy sheep dudes, a story that seems just amazing... how is this not a great thing?  What part of it seems to not be fun?  I don't understand at all.

Everyone has their tastes. To me this is the best thing coming out this year. If people don't like it, too bad for them. Nothing else this year has me as excited as Catherine. Only possible contender is is Last Guardian make it out in 2011.