![]() ![]() Vincent feels stuck, not just in his relationship but his career his friends act like overgrown teens, and he goes to the same bar every night. The game examines the morality of cheating, and how hard it is to be an adult. The game's big 'twist' polarised the audienceĭespite the wet puppy protagonist, director Katsura Hashino should be commended for tackling subjects most video games wouldn’t. He’s such a limp noodle, it’s sometimes cathartic just to watch him die. Vincent doesn’t take any responsibility for his actions, saying Catherine “forced herself on him” and that “he had nothing to do with it” after they sleep together. Women are often criticised for having no agency, but here the stereotype is reversed. Unlike Gallo’s smoky arrogance and dark good looks, Vincent is a puddle of nerves: shaking, shivering and constantly doubting himself. Character designer Shigenori Soejima based Vincent’s look on Buffalo ‘66 director Vincent Gallo, but any resemblance is purely artificial. If Catherine achieves one thing, it’s that masculinity has never looked so fragile. It’s curious, as you’re never sure whether you’re answering as Vincent or as yourself. Calling him a little lamb, the voice asks Vincent sly questions on sexuality, marriage and morality. ![]() Then there’s the church confessional, where a mysterious, omniscient voice calls to Vincent. Some of these creatures are deliciously hideous, such as a posterior with eyes and a tongue that emits heart mist as breath. Each level also ends with a monster, which clambers after you as you feverishly try to get away. The netherworld plays upon the essence of limbo: of repeating a set of trials for all eternity or being lost forever. If it sounds repetitive, it is, but the mechanics are elevated by the game’s imagery. As levels progress, boxes can fall on you, spikes pierce you if you step on the wrong block and other men trapped in the pit push you off the edge. What starts off as simply climbing a tower and strategically moving blocks around, becomes impossibly hard. Each level is divided into three stages, and each one is trickier than the last. The majority of Catherine, however, takes place in nightmare, where the player must solve increasingly difficult platform puzzles in order to survive. Catherine's director reveals the subtext of the game's nightmare sections (opens in new tab) ![]()
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