Podcast Episode 241: Catherine

·26 min·2 clips

Sesho breaks his anime review format to critique the Japanese video game Catherine for the first time.

In episode 241, Sesho deviates from his usual anime and manga reviews to critique the Japanese-developed video game Catherine. He notes the game's anime connections, including cutscenes by Studio 4C and voice actors with extensive anime credits. The story centers on Vincent Brooks, a 32-year-old man whose girlfriend pressures him to marry, leading him to cheat with another woman also named Catherine. This infidelity coincides with an urban legend about cheating men dying horribly in their sleep. The game features two distinct segments: daytime interactions at a bar called The Stray Sheep, where Vincent texts both women and advises friends, and nighttime nightmare levels where he climbs collapsing staircases made of blocks. Sesho explains the moral barometer system, where player choices affect one of eight possible endings. He expresses deep frustration with the puzzle gameplay, describing it as repetitive and poorly designed, but admires the relationship simulation for its immersion and adult themes. He compares the game's jarring duality to Final Fantasy 13 mixed with Mario Kart. Sesho speculates that developers may have added puzzles because pure visual novels are not considered full games, referencing the DS game 999 as a similar case. Despite hating half the game, he gives it an A grade due to his stronger appreciation for the narrative. He recommends using YouTube walkthroughs for difficult sections and signs off after a detailed analysis.

As heard by us

A candid first game review that likes Catherine more than its punishing puzzle climbs.

Catherine gives Sessho's anime-and-manga show a fresh lane with his first video game review, centered on a Japanese-developed title that folds in Studio 4C anime cutscenes.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get a Japanese-developed game review where moral choices meet falling nightmare staircases and a thorny love-or-lust triangle.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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