So I just finished up my first playthrough of Catherine tonight, started another, and now that I've really had a chance to sit down and think about it the most enjoyable part of this game for me was the puzzle sections.
Don't get me wrong I think the story is great, it turned out to be much more of a Megaten-esque story than it initially seemed, but Atlus, and the Persona team in particular, have done better before. I ended up really liking a lot of the characters, especially Vincent, and I'd like to discuss more about the story at some point, but as much as I was sold on this world the puzzle sections were still, for me, the highlight of this game.
It's odd really, I would never have thought a puzzle game mashed together with what is essentially a brutal, fast paced action platformer, two categories of games that rarely ever see shelved releases in this day and age, would turn out anything of interest, but there you have it.
This is pretty damn interesting.
I think one of the weaknesses of the puzzle genre is it's inability to really create high octane, frantic moments, the kind of moments that stick with you long after you've put down the controller and force you to perform beyond your limits under trying circumstances. There always modes like Time Attack in standard puzzle games, but there is rarely that sense of panic when you are just playing for score, especially if it is against your own score. Even Portal, a game that does have noticeable highs and lows, rarely applies any sort of imposed challenge on the player, opting instead to let them solve the puzzle at their own pace.
And that's why Catherine is quite a bit different than anything else out there. It's a puzzle game, tried and true, but it doesn't feel like a puzzle game. You are certainly solving puzzles, gauging situations and making moves to accomplish objectives that steadily build toward a greater goal, but it never feels like you are solving puzzles. It feels like you are desperately trying to maintain control of the situation, clawing at the imposing tower before you just trying to scrape out a few more precious seconds to make your next move. It keeps it very in line with the story and themes the game is trying to convey, but it's really good at never letting it get over your head too. There are certainly times where you'll feel like the clock is your greatest enemy, but there are so many safety nets built into the normal difficulty that I struggle to think of any situation an experienced gamer could fall into that I would consider "frustrating." There's ample checkpoints, an undo button, and very little is ever left to random chance. Really it's just fucking exhilarating, and refreshing as hell too. In an era defined by guided experiences, Catherine is a godsend.
I'm really hoping we see more of this kind of game out of Atlus now that they've shown such competence in the field. Whether that be as DLC or a whole new game I don't really care, I just want more experiences like this to drown out the excessive wave of shooters and action games we keep getting swept up in each year.
I'd like to talk more about Catherine later, but right now I need to fucking go to bed I haven't been sleeping well the past few days.
Maybe I'll be up for more discussion in the morning. "All things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams," to misappropriate a musing.
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