Catherine: Full Body First Impressions
September 24, 2019
We kinda skipped a generation on consoles and only reveled in the finest PC games. Forgive our transgressions, but it was a time when coffee was always instant and games bought on sale. The latter will probably hold true even today, but I digress. We just want to make a point that we weren’t able to play Catherine back when it was released on the PS4 and Xbox 360. Thankfully, the kind folks at Atlus are so cool that they just remade the game for the PlayStation 4 and PC. Sweet stuff!
Catherine: Full Body is a narrative that twists itself inside a puzzle-platforming adventure title, and the result is one interesting piece of storytelling in video game history. As mentioned, this is a remake of the original. But if you’re like us who missed the first take, it’s best to play this one blindly as with any story-driven games out there.
You play as Vincent, our tragic hero suffering through his strife in a long-term relationship as a cyclone of unfortunate events and bad decisions thrust him deeper into his personal chaos. All is not as it seems, however as mysterious deaths and horrible nightmares come into play. Climb the tower and reach salvation, or die trying.
No… I usually do the killing in my dreams.
Catherine: Full Body has quite the simple yet intricate puzzles for its gameplay in the dream world. You can try out the original, basic mode for its puzzle, but the new Remix Mode in the Full Body remake adds more complexity to the overall experience in solving the puzzles. In its essence, while they seem easy once you figure out how the puzzles work, they still manage to give a sense of gratifying accomplishment each time.
You’ll spend most of your time in the Stray Sheep bar. This is where most of your activities outside puzzle will usually happen. Drink alcohol, talk to people, answer text and calls, most of which are vital to the story and will most likely decide how it continues.
Rin is a new character exclusive to Catherine: Full Body. She’s an amnesiac who you saved by chance. She’s quite the character with her unique perspective on life despite her shortcomings. And of course, because of that fact alone, and her being cute, you just want to protect her.
Graphically, Catherine: Full Body looks gorgeous, especially if you compare it to its first incarnation. There’s better looking textures and more animations, and it looks vibrant and brighter this time. Sure it’s not a modern Persona title, but it feels and looks like one at first glance.
We still have plenty of time to invest in Catherine: Full Body. We’ve got a tower to climb, alcohol to drink and personal issues to sort out. And while we’re at it, we’ll be enjoying the game.