Review “Catherine”

8 years ago, humanity saw the fruit of the creation of the Japanese studio “Altus” called “Catherine”. And these epic words are not in vain emphasize the importance of the moment, because for long 8 years the owners of the Orthodox platform licked the above fruit. Judge for yourself, because an interesting game in appearance:
-The plot about the hardships of choosing between two women: calm, sometimes harmful, but reliable and family against the brisk, always for everything agree, but windy. The difficulties in the “dilemma of two chans” is added by a funny fact: the main character is 32 years old – the age when a man begins to cease to be a child and is forced to find a metaphysical house with the same … by popular opinion.
-According to the rumor around the game, hardcore puzzles. And the “most hardcore”: continuies that can really strive for your passage. Brave and original gameplay for a novel.
-This is a Japanese game. And I’m not talking about damaged tentacles and other trivial vulgarities. Spoiler: In this game there is no such. And you can not even hope for the disclosure of the “same” topic, it will also remain outside the frame. I’m talking about the ability of the Japanese to reveal a wide sensual and emotional range of characters in their works. And in such a household history, tied more on the development of relations between heroes, and not salvation of the world, this is what is of the greatest meaning.

I say: “Outside the frame”.

With about such expectations, I ran to the sub-dei to the honey and realized that the expectation was so long and exhausting that I forgot about this game! Although, probably, it is for the better: I did not have to take in the winter for the full price, instead took it on sale. But it doesn’t matter! You have received the image that outlines the press and the developers themselves, I hope I got a little charm, but now, after 26 hours spent in the game, I will tell you the point of truth (I will argue my opinion naturally, but it is not possible to jump to any objects in any way, you understand). We reduce the amount of water on the way to the islands of information using the old journalistic reception, starting a review with the legendary phrase: well, fucking, shorter ..

Now, Grab a Snack and Enjoy The Strange Review of “Catherine”

A typical programmer day

The game starts with a nightmare. The fact is that Vincent is a protagonist (and also a programmer), they are cursed for the next 7 days in a dream to climb a tower consisting of cubes, and you are cursed to manage. Why “you are cursed” we will discuss later. The mechanics of climbing are quite simple: you need to climb the top of the tower on the stairs and, as necessary, rebuild it, changing the location of the cubes to rise above. Naturally, the process will become more complex and diverse during the game, every night will have its own topic and boss at the end.

Actually, the gameplay itself (this is a gif, you can click on it to look).

But is it difficult? I think many gamers, including me, who were touched by the short stories from Telltale and David Cage, were stored by games precisely because of the complexity. But the truth is that at an average level (there are only three of them in the game), “Catherine” does not contain Chelenge for an ordinary player. Due to the small number of ways of interacting with the location and the ability to roll back the next 15 moves (if you made a mistake or several, then there is always the opportunity to “press Ctrl+Z” and try again) all the locations are held by the “rash” method. You are corny to try all possible moves, until you accidentally get scared of the right one, without even understanding how you came to him. As it usually happens in the game: we climb forward to the first obstacle. Faced in it, we begin to try to do something (the thought process in the head does not arise or is weak) to overcome it. It did not work out – the rollback and a new attempt. Once from 6 you definitely succeed! And then a checkpoint or the end of the level, which means the problem space immediately flies out of the head, because it is already behind. Yes, if you want to go through the level of gold or play at a high level of complexity, then the game will force your brain to turn on and thoughts will look like the thoughts of the grandmaster: “This block is on, then others will fall, then I will make the stairs, this is the fastest option. ”

But for those who bought this game for the chance to charm the 2D female and just want to go through it, it will not be difficult. Will not be exactly until the penultimate day! At the end, the game will begin to offer frankly intellectual tasks that will make you strain a little, but just a little. And to anticipate new obstacles to the level … I would even say a monument. Monument of humidity, random and gaming rage. Fortunately the monument in the game is only one. Summarizing: the original complexity even on normal is very low, it does not grow during the game, but at the end it rises slightly.

Dirty sheep is trying to trade checks. To be honest, already 4 hours after the start of the game, I could trade my checks instead of it, because the game suppresses them violently. Yes, and no one canceled the sail/lod.

After Vincet wakes up, participates in one or three scenes, we look at it. And later, when Vi ends up in a bar, we participate. There are not many activities: correspondence with girls;conversations with other lovers to drink before bedtime;binge;listening to music;slot machine (with the same game as in a dream, only in hard -time: with disabilities and a minimum of the right strategies). Gathering in the bar leave a pleasant impression, largely because this is the last limit in front of a new nightmare. The last opportunity to relax before a difficult night. Now we multiply the entire specified algorithm, namely a nightmare-pair of scenes, by seven and get the game “Catherine”.

69 percent of pleasure

But leaving the lyrics, there are only two of the plot of plot and interesting entertainment: SMS and conversations. The first, although they allow you to communicate with their young ladies, but you should not hope for something serious. Write one device, she will answer, perhaps the game will give an opportunity and you can write something again-that’s all. Discuss the advantages of marriage, set a date for a serious conversation for tomorrow and see the cat-scenes with it-no. By means of correspondence, you are only free: to manipulate the compass and show attention (or not to show it) to one or another lady. Whether it roams the ending? In two ways: you denote your preferences in the ladies (who likes it more) and move the arrow of the moral sextant, on the position of which the ending will depend.

Do not let yourself be confused: on the left is not communism, regardless of red. There is a choice between celibate freedom and family life.

Second activity: communication with the characters. The main topic of conversation is reflection on your life. But to be honest, the reflection did not rejoice. As planned by gatherings in the bar should be the opportunity to form moral dilemmas, the opportunity to analyze in the evening the beer day has passed, to philosophize. The chance to bury in the problem would heated the situation, aggravated the choice. Would increase the amount of moral labor in the hope of finding the truth. But the game from the very beginning is trying to seem thoughtful.

What are the quotes on the download screen, “anticipating” heavy moral dilemmas (no).

But the maximum that local drunks are capable of this: “You cheat on her and consider yourself entitled to the novel on the side, but imagine that your girlfriend will do something like this with you? What will it be for you?”. And this reflects the entire disclosure of the problem in the game. She does not try to show all the pros and cons of relationships with both Katyushas. Yes, the boundaries are lubricated, the colors are only gray. We will give the proper to the game: there is no antagonism of something unequivocally bad and good. But if you are a supporter of family life and start passing with the thought that you will choose a blonde, then the game will not be able to convince you in the opposite. Why the choice becomes difficult? For the similarity of the positive and negative aspects of the contradictory entities. Remember at the beginning I hung up the labels on the girls: one family, the second is not. The game will not leave further than these labels. The only thing that will give piquancy to the choice at the very beginning of the game, literally the first hour, this is the pregnancy of the potential wife of Vincent. But this serial trick is not so much affects the high philosophy of the choice between life in marriage and idle.

We will leave any wisdom for a while, because I https://nogamstop-casinos.co.uk/review/golden-pharaoh-casino/ have one question: “Vincent is a cat?”. No, this is not a reference to the cult “Lenin – Mushroom”. And no, I’m not mentally ill. I went through the game and this question appeared not from my empty place. After all, cats sleep 2/3 days. And given the fact that cubic jumps will take your good two -thirds of the game, such an assumption is quite logical. I did not hold a candle, but there are really 60 percent of the game – these are nightmares. And this is a new contradiction of the game with its description.

Girls to choose is not to carry cubes

The developers should have changed the description a little: “Go through all nightmares – puzzles to survive! Well, you can still know all the charms and the horrors of love with Vincent, who came before. “And this sign of the game is exposed to an end more and more. First one puzzle per night, then two, then four or five. But another feature of the game is especially hit under the breath, which is also more and more detected in the process of passing. And this is the lack of a plot.

The whole plot of the game is painted on thematic wiki. I would add two sentences to the “whole game”, but without them the description is quite exhaustive.

As can be seen from the picture, the plot is at the beginning and end of the game, but in the middle ..

Why on the last day of passage I played until late and did not sleep all night

And in the middle just what I was talking about at the beginning. This is the embodiment of the skills of the Japanese to express in their works feelings of characters. The ability to make you not reflect on the work, but feel it. The whole game you will live with this world. And the final resolution of the problems, the final serious conversation, which Vi is reflected from the very beginning, will only be at the end. But you will just live, participating in indescribable conversations, communicate more and more with both Katerins and penetrate their charm. School, very naive and stupid, but subtle romance will arise. The same cocktail from our youth, when the pretty appearance of the girl and a couple of inconsistent dialogues was enough for you to begin to fall in love with yourself. And now you are increasingly thinking about her. Scrolling in the head scenes of how to eat ice cream in the park together. Her seal accidentally falls on the asphalt, you offer her its own, but she agrees to eat it only with the condition that you will share the meal. Fantasize over the episodes of your future life, when the rain begins, you cover your lady with your jacket, and get wet yourself to the thread. But you are not offended, because in the first dry corner, the girl is protected from the storm, the girl will immediately grab you with all the zealness, in the hope of sharing the remnants of heat with your beloved. You don’t know anything about her, she does not know anything about you similarly, but you live in images. Love these idealistic visions.

*Catherine after a kiss*
“You taste like a cigarette, but I do not mind”

And this is the meaning of the game. Surrender to this fleeting irresponsible feeling. Consider the photos of your new girl, whom you still do not know anything about and never know, but getting through with her charm, charm of playfulness and infantilism in love more and more. Then, under the same clockwork as Katya, but the minor composition to go home from the bar to meet the nightmare in the hope of surviving, finding yourself and staying with the one that you really love, but you cannot understand this yet.

Sounds and looks great. You already managed to evaluate the visual, looking at the screenshots. But there is no music, therefore the most beloved and remembered (the first three flashed already under the spoilers): “It’s a Golden Show”, “Tension”, “Lamb Game Between ♂ and °”, “Good Morning, New Day”, “Battle On Stage”, “StrayySheep, “Roux”, “Oracle”, “Also Sprach Brooks”. Also in the game there is a castra of classic work (they can be found in the Extras folder along with other buns): Chopin Revolutionary Etude, Bizet L’arlésienne Suite Farandole, Dvorak – Symphony No. 9 in e minor, “Chopin Piano Sonata No. 2 Funeral March 3RD Movement “.

One dude on Yetube left an excellent comment to this track.

I love how the Piano Starts. It’s so Dark and Foreboding and the Its Slowly Gets More Hopeful as the Song Kicks in. It Reflects Vincent’s Struggle as the Game Goes on. Starts Off Feeling Hopeless But Becomes More Charged with Energy and Hope as it Goes ON … that underlying tone of Darkness Persists Througows Through.

Shoji meguro, you’re a genius.

I like the entry of the composition. It is dark and portending something bad, but then the track slowly becomes more optimistic, and the rest of the song ends at all (my approx. while maintaining a melancholy mood). This reflects the WinCent struggle during the game. The battle begins with a feeling of hopelessness, but becomes more charged energy and hope in the process … although the main dark tone is preserved throughout the game.

Shoji Meguro, you are a genius.

I think this composition can be dubbed the main theme of the game, it quite accurately reflects its mood.

And the day after a long conversation with her second girl, to be touched once again, in spite of power, she is still considered a Wincent, take care of him and shows attention. To soften before her bold desire to take responsibility for a joint future with Vi, but at the same time with warmth in my soul to remember that for serious intentions and an adult “routine” that you will enter the same youthful love, that very love that no longer rages between you, but warms you with family warmth.

*Vincent in the hope of reassuring Katherine after alteration*
“Just calm down … everything will be fine”

The meaning of the game is not thinking about your decisions to act as you think it is necessary, as the heart tells. The game is done. After all, she even outlines the images of two Katyukh extremely conditionally, and this chip retains the whole game. Emotional attachment is formed not due to directly some kind of deeds that Katyahs do for you and shove them in the face, they say: “Choose me!” No. Here your imagination and your ability to nourish feelings play a role, to what is born in your head, and not to the fact that in fact you are offered two girls. I have not been in vain painted a couple of imaginary situations at the beginning. Conditionally: if you are familiar with such reasoning and your heart has “fucking”, then everything is fine. So you have not yet been vinished in a cynical attitude to the world, you are still able to dream and may love “over the abyss in rye”. Then this game is for you.

I did not find the right place in order to shove the praise of the three to the baker (Vincent). Therefore, I will silence the word here: it is really cool! The English voice acting all the characters is very good (I will not judge the Japanese), but the three is right away.

Tools for interacting with the plot that the game provides the player quite accurately determine what you want from the fate of Vincent. And quite accurately draw a parallel between intentions and actions. And in the final of history, all players will receive the ending, which will truly reflect what they really strove for in their souls and what they did in reality. Yes, here as in life: good intentions are not always enough to fulfill even the highest goals, you also need good actions. The ending, whatever you have, will leave a bold point in the seven -day WinCent struggle with himself. And, right, closer to the middle of the game, its shortcomings pop up, by the end in some places “Catherine” you just begin to rage the problems of the game, but the last hours are so brilliantly completed by this stormy from the amount of emotion and thoughts, which simply cannot be impressed by the finale. Whatever it is.

Katerina or Katherine?

Despite the lack of official localization, you can still play in the game in Russian! Thanks for this opportunity you need to address Alliance. Also, the best wishes should be conveyed to the glorious Milsdar Djgiza, which, as well as Alliance, has adapted the aforementioned translation for the PC version of the game. Once again, let’s say thanks to all comrades and get down to business. Translation … I don’t want to judge him. I can’t take responsibility for this. It’s better to just list its features, advantages and disadvantages, and you yourself will conclude. And something else: of course, I am not so powerful as Denis, and therefore all of the above-this is not the result of a comparison of each original replica from Russian. I just share my observations that I made in the process of passing.

Yes, just did not understand the devil!

1. In the scenes of the inserts implemented on the engine and anime (it is in them that the whole main plot is) the translation is good. A pair of “blunders” will slip, but there are 1-2 of them for the game and they are in not particularly important places.
2. All translation problems are concentrated in gameplay dialogs. The translators clearly did not have context, there were no production facilities of professional offices, and apparently among them were “original” and “thin” natures with the author’s vision, which caused the following problems: punctuation and grammatical errors, confusion with you (You are unfortunate/you are incorrectly used and changing during the dialogue between two characters), inconsistency of the sexes of characters in subtitles and in practice (rarely, but skipping), The worst thing: contextual errors (Due to the topic of the game, the word cheating (fly/betrayal) very often slips in dialogs and it is not used in 50 cases in 50 cases. It also applies to other words, with these I definitely remember the mistakes: line – replica/line, men – people/men), Our favorite “errors of originality” (Example: I say with a frustrated woman in a bar, I try to cheer up, but she besieges me with the phrase “Donat Patronize Me” (do not take care of me), but in translation “Don’t lift your nose” (or something else, but with the same meaning). Question: How, BL*?! And, unfortunately, this is really found often and the eye clings to this, because … because it is damn nonsense!)
3. The game translated all the main, and not only, inscriptions, textures, interface elements and so on. Some inscriptions flew with the last patches, but you will not even notice them. The most important thing is still in Russian.

Two passions of the protagonist are called the same. Equally by ear, but names are written in different ways: one through “c”, the other through “k”. And, it seems to me, it would be a logical solution to translate their names preserving this homonymous feature. Catherine – KeTrin, katherine – toeTrin. After all, the game will still not give you a chance to get confused in similar names! There is no situation where the player would need to know exactly who is on Kay, and who is on “si”. So the more likely confusion with “e” and “e” in Russian (after all, “k” and “c” is easier to remember and distinguish) will not play any role, but will retain the author’s idea. But no, we have: Cathrine – Katrina and Katherine – Katerina. Question: Why?

In general, the translation is perceived normally. If you know a little English and you can understand small phrases like “Donat Patronize Me”, you may not steam at all.

There are 8 endings in the game (there are still 9 secret ones, but let’s leave it aside). And during the credits, depending on the ending, different music plays. In my sad ending with Katherine was played by the minor piano Also Sprach Brooks, in a good ending with her (and Catherine), the fatal optimistic An die Freude plays. But I, after the end of the game, thoughtfully contemplating the night landscapes from the window, listened to slightly different songs. And in the process he came to an interesting thought: it would be interesting to compose a mod for a game in which different music would be used at all endings. This music would be from third -party performers and their lyrics and musical canvas emphasized the essence of a particular ending. Here is my SET, formed from songs, consonant with the original soundtrack of the game (melancholy rock/pop-rock/glam rock), but you can offer your own:

-Truck and good ending with Katherine, Queen – You’re My Best Friend. John Deacon devoted this song to his wife, with whom he is still together, and this is 44 years old. So this guy knows how to write songs about love. Therefore, the musical canvas and the lyrics are saturated with tenderness and not passion, but family love. What is the name only: you’re my best friend. So John calls his wife, destroying the antagonism of friends and mistresses in at least his life. For him, his wife is not just a companion, a sexual partner. No. This is the best friend. Why does he need someone else, he declares with this phrase. The best place on Earth for John is a place next to his wife, so he says “I’M Happy at Home” (I’m happy to be at home). How can you sing married love even more tenderly? There are also lines in the text that perfectly falling under the plot of the game:
I’ve Been Wandering ‘Round (I wander everywhere)
But i Still Come Back to You (but still return to you)
In rain or shine (in the rain, on a sunny day)
You’ve Stood by me, girl (you are next to me, baby)

-Truck and good ending with Catherine, Kiss – Good Girl Gone Bad. Jin Simmons is still a lecher, so the song sounds as “hot” as “. Hot and lyrics, glorifying carnal passion, not family high values:
It ain`t love, but it ain’t so bad (this is not love, but this is not so bad)
She ain’t nothin ‘Like You Ever Had (she has nothing that you have already tried)
***
I Gotta have her, she’s so helold, yeah (I am obliged to take possession of her, she is too hot to keep her)
She’s Gettin ‘Her Way, But I’M Havin’ My Fun (she does what she wants, but I still get my “pleasure”)
True, a girl who became “bad” is sung in the composition, t. e. the same girl. But, quit, this is a work of art! All felt -tip pens are different, everyone perceives to their taste. Therefore, the meaning of the song in the context of the game can be transformed into: there was a girl in the life of Vincent – a good Catherine, but later Catherine became a “bad”. The play of words, the names sound the same. This ambiguous phrase still gets into the piggy bank of the “hot” lines, it can be perceived in different ways:
Face of a Woman, Hands of a Child, Yeah (woman’s face, but the hands of the child, yes)

-Bad endings with Cathrine and Katherine, Kiss – Reson To Live. Paul Stanley is a sensitive person, therefore his song about love came out more philosophical. After a sad ending that gives a good lesson: “Not always desires are enough to preserve love, you also need actions,” the player needs something minor, but at the same time a life -affirming and leading line under all passage. This song was simply created for “Catherine”. The lyrical heroes of the composition had just lost his attitude, but he removed the lesson from them, who disrupted him and made him stronger:
And I See a Change in My Life, and (I see a change in my life)
I’m not alone when I’m Strong inSide (I’m not lonely when I am strong inside)
And I Realize (and I realized)
EVERYBODY’s GOT A Reason to Live, Baby (everyone has a reason to live)
EVERYBODY’s GOT A Dream and HUNGER INSIDE (Everyone has a dream and hunger inside)
EVERYBODY’s GOT A Reason to Live (everyone has a reason to live)
but it canm be your love (but this reason cannot be love)
The lyrics also describes the events of the game in a miraculous way (here about the curse, t.e. Night towers and about the death of the main character in dreams):
I Sailed into Dark and Endless Nights (I swam through dark and endless nights)
And made it alive (and survived)

-Free ending with space flight, Mike Oldfield – Sailing. More recently, I joined the work of Mike, so I can’t say anything about him, but this song … I directly feel the wind in my hair when it plays. And Luke Spieller is from now on my favorite young vocalist. TREK, in general, in the topic for this ending. In the topic of thirst for freedom:
And i’m gone, so long (I left, goodbye)
You can leave a message but i’ll Never Call (you can write to me, but I will never answer)
And in the theme of the hero’s desire “Send everyone the fuck and fly into space”:
All Those Cares and Worlds and Wones (all these worries, anxiety and promises)
You can save them for Another Day (you can leave them the next day)
BecAuse We’re Sailing, Sailing (because we are sailing)
The only problem: the song is sung about a regular ship, sea, not space. But … in spirit is perfect perfectly!

-Free ending, Queen – I Want to Break Free. Again John Deacon supplies suitable music. This time a 100 percent hit. This song describes the whole plot of the game. Lyrical hero wants freedom. Then he falls in love with a recklessly (by the will of Catherine enters into a relationship with her), but he wants to decide himself about who he should be and quit everyone. Despite his flight from the attitude, the heroes understand that at heart he does not want to be lonely, but he also understands that he himself must make a decision, and not someone for him. The text, I think, everyone knows by heart, especially after the popular Bayopic.

Everything in our world is not perfect, not perfect and “Catherine”. The penultimate level is a gamedic jamb, a balance of the number of puzzles in relation to the number of plot scenes in favor of the first, very strongly in favor of the first. But bypassing this, “Catherine” is a great romantic story that is able to everyone in it to teach an excellent life lesson. For each he will be his own, depending on the decision made. You will encounter your obstacles, but there will be more motivation to overcome them than the desire to quit everything. And the ending perfectly finishes the WinCent battle with himself, leaving in your soul extremely pleasant memories. After passing in the head, there will still be a mixed heap of garbage of claims and pleasant memories, but the wind of time ruthlessly disperse the first, carefully preserving the second.