Why is Catherine getting such great reviews.

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

It's a supernatural psychological horror soap opera with puzzle gameplay, yeah. Sex appeal matters, it's just that it's not just for itself this once. In this one and only game, sex appeal is not in the game for what we call fanservice, it is an actual core element of the storytelling. You need to dislodged those firmly placed ideas of what sex or sex-appeal can and can't be used for, because just now, sex appeal ceased to be just one of the cheapest ways to get men to buy your stuff whatever that may be. Sex appeal became more, it now can be deep and meaningful, it's not a baser instinct any more.

There is no reason why they can't present it in a more tasteful fashion than objectifying women for the sake of selling it to men. If it is really not centred around that as people are saying.

You aren't going to play it? May I use spoilers in my explanation?

Spoiler: If you plan on playing the game then don't click on this.

Catherine is sexualized and flirtatious for a reason. She is a succubus. It is her job to seduce Vincent. The game is about a man taking responsibility and control of his life...or running away from that depending on your choices. It isn't really sexist. The ending I got was one where he owned up to his mistakes and proposed to Katherine. It was a story of redemption and growing up. I have also got the ending on the opposite side of the spectrum. He decides to fuck society and gambles on getting together with Catherine. It gets quite humorous. Her dad (The king of the underworld tries to intervene and stop her. She tells him to shut up and kicks him in the groin.) Vincent becomes a demon himself and lives happily ever after with Catherine as the new king of the underworld. He has a harem of succubi and she still seduces mortal men. The two sides are called "Freedom and Order" instead of "Good" and "Evil" for a reason. I just don't see the sexism argument.

 

[Omnific One]

Perhaps it's good, or perhaps people have different opinions.

Because it's weird. Any flaws are automatically interpreted as purposeful actions by the designer, who was beyond high at the time.

If that was true, Deadly Premonition would've received 8's across the charts.

Visual presentation, however, is more difficult to cover up using this excuse.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

It's a supernatural psychological horror soap opera with puzzle gameplay, yeah. Sex appeal matters, it's just that it's not just for itself this once. In this one and only game, sex appeal is not in the game for what we call fanservice, it is an actual core element of the storytelling. You need to dislodged those firmly placed ideas of what sex or sex-appeal can and can't be used for, because just now, sex appeal ceased to be just one of the cheapest ways to get men to buy your stuff whatever that may be. Sex appeal became more, it now can be deep and meaningful, it's not a baser instinct any more.

There is no reason why they can't present it in a more tasteful fashion than objectifying women for the sake of selling it to men. If it is really not centred around that as people are saying.

You aren't going to play it? May I use spoilers in my explanation?

Spoiler: If you plan on playing the game then don't click on this.

Catherine is sexualized and flirtatious for a reason. She is a succubus. It is her job to seduce Vincent. The game is about a man taking responsibility and control of his life...or running away from that depending on your choices. It isn't really sexist. The ending I got was one where he owned up to his mistakes and proposed to Katherine. It was a story of redemption and growing up. I have also got the ending on the opposite side of the spectrum. He decides to fuck society and gambles on getting together with Catherine. It gets quite humorous. Her dad (The king of the underworld tries to intervene and stop her. She tells him to shut up and kicks him in the groin.) Vincent becomes a demon himself and lives happily ever after with Catherine as the new king of the underworld. He has a harem of succubi and she still seduces mortal men. The two sides are called "Freedom and Order" instead of "Good" and "Evil" for a reason. I just don't see the sexism argument.

I know about Catherine's background shall we say it's been kind of hard to avoid being an internetite. However, there is no reason to make its tasteless and plaster half naked pictures of her everywhere. You can seduce a man without being a complete hussy. It's sexist becuase it objectifies women and panders to male gamers with sex appeal and two women fighting over them. The fact that there is straight men in this thread who say that it makes them uncomfortable should speak volumes.
Its clearly 'for men only' and that's what makes it sexist. Games like this are basically shoving the fact that developers don't care about the female demographic in our face. If you're male I don't think you can really feel how bad it is.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

It's a supernatural psychological horror soap opera with puzzle gameplay, yeah. Sex appeal matters, it's just that it's not just for itself this once. In this one and only game, sex appeal is not in the game for what we call fanservice, it is an actual core element of the storytelling. You need to dislodged those firmly placed ideas of what sex or sex-appeal can and can't be used for, because just now, sex appeal ceased to be just one of the cheapest ways to get men to buy your stuff whatever that may be. Sex appeal became more, it now can be deep and meaningful, it's not a baser instinct any more.

There is no reason why they can't present it in a more tasteful fashion than objectifying women for the sake of selling it to men. If it is really not centred around that as people are saying.

You aren't going to play it? May I use spoilers in my explanation?

Spoiler: If you plan on playing the game then don't click on this.

Catherine is sexualized and flirtatious for a reason. She is a succubus. It is her job to seduce Vincent. The game is about a man taking responsibility and control of his life...or running away from that depending on your choices. It isn't really sexist. The ending I got was one where he owned up to his mistakes and proposed to Katherine. It was a story of redemption and growing up. I have also got the ending on the opposite side of the spectrum. He decides to fuck society and gambles on getting together with Catherine. It gets quite humorous. Her dad (The king of the underworld tries to intervene and stop her. She tells him to shut up and kicks him in the groin.) Vincent becomes a demon himself and lives happily ever after with Catherine as the new king of the underworld. He has a harem of succubi and she still seduces mortal men. The two sides are called "Freedom and Order" instead of "Good" and "Evil" for a reason. I just don't see the sexism argument.

I know about Catherine's background shall we say it's been kind of hard to avoid being an internetite. However, there is no reason to make its tasteless and plaster half naked pictures of her everywhere. You can seduce a man without being a complete hussy.

Spoiler

But that is the point. He is a guy stuck in a rut. He has a go nowhere job and his relationship with his girlfriend is static. Katherine is pressuring him into marriage. Catherine appears as everything he wants. A carefree girl who doesn't care about commitment and is someone who is perfectly happy with Vincent having no ambition. She is everything that Katherine isn't. But Vincent still has doubts. So Catherine gives him that extra push by being overly sexual and engaging any sexual encounters that they have. She forces the issue. And Vincent just goes with the flow. His original problem.

 

[G-Force]

[
Its clearly 'for men only' and that's what makes it sexist. Games like this are basically shoving the fact that developers don't care about the female demographic in our face. If you're male I don't think you can really feel how bad it is.

You complain about about the outfit the girl wears when the most scantily clad character is the man. Vincent is pretty much running around in his underwear for all the gameplay moments and yet when it comes to outfits you don't mention this once.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

[
Its clearly 'for men only' and that's what makes it sexist. Games like this are basically shoving the fact that developers don't care about the female demographic in our face. If you're male I don't think you can really feel how bad it is.

You complain about about the outfit the girl wears when the most scantily clad character is the man. Vincent is pretty much running around in his underwear for all the gameplay moments and yet when it comes to outfits you don't mention this once.

Vincent isn't put everywhere in sexy, demeaning poses though is he. So that kind of negates your point.

snip

I think you completely missed my point but okay. It was that they could have made and marketed this game and story without making it come off as a sexist japanese dating sim. Is what I'm trying to say.

 

[Mr Pantomime]

-snip-

If your on the fence, try the demo. It should give you an idea on if you like it.

As for the reviews, games developed by Atlus tend to get good reviews, because theyre very solid games, though aimed at a niche market. Youll find the good reviews are coming from people who like those random Japanese niche games. So if you like Atlus's other work, you should give it a shot. If not, you probably wont like this one.

Remember that this game wasnt going to be released in english initially, since Atlus thought it wouldnt sell well enough. So the target market is quite small. Its more than likely its not the game for you. Im not saying you shouldnt play it, just dont feel left out if you dont enjoy it.

Disclaimer:I have not actually played the game yet, since its not out in Europe and PAL territories.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

[
Its clearly 'for men only' and that's what makes it sexist. Games like this are basically shoving the fact that developers don't care about the female demographic in our face. If you're male I don't think you can really feel how bad it is.

You complain about about the outfit the girl wears when the most scantily clad character is the man. Vincent is pretty much running around in his underwear for all the gameplay moments and yet when it comes to outfits you don't mention this once.

Vincent isn't put everywhere in sexy, demeaning poses though is he. So that kind of negates your point.

snip

I think you completely missed my point but okay. It was that they could have made and marketed this game and story without making it come off as a sexist japanese dating sim. Is what I'm trying to say.

Oh, you were talking about the marketing. It was a bit excessive, but it did its job (generating buzz around the game). I've seen worse. I thought you were talking about how Catherine acts in game mostly. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[JakBandit2208]

I've been playing it for the last couple of days and It deserves the high scores it's getting from reviewers. The puzzle part of the gameplay is actually pretty damn fun once you get the hang of it, and the story of the game is very good and engaging enough that you want to keep playing to see what happens next.

 

[BSCCollateral]

I haven't played it, and I'm not criticizing the game -- just explaining why I'm not going to drop $60 on this.

The story looks fascinating, but I'm not a big fan of platforming. I'm also not convinced that "weaving the narrative into gameplay" means "have QBert nightmares." It just seems sort of forced and unimaginative.

 

[G-Force]

I haven't played it, and I'm not criticizing the game -- just explaining why I'm not going to drop $60 on this.

The story looks fascinating, but I'm not a big fan of platforming. I'm also not convinced that "weaving the narrative into gameplay" means "have QBert nightmares." It just seems sort of forced and unimaginative.

When they say that, they're referring to the text messaging system that affects Vincent's mood. It's not really a good/evil bar moreso about him being a faithful boyfriend that's ready to slowdown or a swinging bachelor. Throughout the game you can encounter patrons at the Stray Sheep (which is a bar) and rescue them from having similar nightmares and depending on your actions you will be getting one of the game's nine endings.

 

[FallenTraveler]

Not my words it's what was written in the blurb.

Oh, so it does... well that's just silly!

 

[Mouse_Crouse]

I prefer a review like the escapist one because it does not give the game a score but explains the game to the viewer.

As has been pointed out, they didn't do this until (I believe) the beginning of last year. But they do now. I used to talk up the Escapist to all my friends because they didn't give out scores, and I thought that was far and above the best way to review a game. Giving people meaningless numbers, which some ignore the review to skip completely to, bugs me. Another issue they recently had was they got a review "wrong", actual factual errors. This prompted them to give a score that they now see as incorrect. However Metacritic only takes original reviews and not 2nd looks. So now the escapist has a review (which it acknowledges is wrong) giving a score (which it acknowledges is too low) lowering said games metascore on Metacritic. And they can't take it back. Makes me wish they'd go back to numberless reviews.

On topic: I think this game is getting a lot of good scores for 2 reasons. First it's different. A lot of gaming here recently is "attack of the sequels" and seeing new interesting ideas is refreshing. Second I think the story is very well done and makes for an interesting play. And people just like that kind of stuff. Every opinion is different and you shouldn't be going just off reviews anyway, but I don't think it's been "unfairly" given good scores.

 

[krazykidd]

I have not yet played this game but i have watched and read reviews on this game as well as a few gameplay videos.

I am very interested in the story of this game and the unique style of which it is told. BUT the gameplay that i have seen of this game looks quite boring and repetitive.
If perhaps i cannot afford Catherine at this moment might i be better off watching Death Note while playing Minesweeper and then rating it 9 out of 10.

If this was an anime series without the gameplay (obviously) would it get great reviews?
I almost feel as if people feel obligated to like this game in order to be a "real gamer" hence why IGN gave it 9 out of 10.

I prefer a review like the escapist one because it does not give the game a score but explains the game to the viewer.

Please do not take this thread as a hater thread, i am very interested in what you all have to say especially the people who have played this game.

I can understand what you mean, but it's really a game that has to be played more than watched, I would say , rent it , or find a friend ( or a random passer by) and play it for a hour or 2 , and see if you like it . I don't really follow IGN reviews , but in my opinion, its a fun , challenging , fast pace puzzle game that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Story wise it's very well written , interesting to get into , you really want to know what happens next . But even without the story it is a solid game, ( and i don'T usually play puzzle games , unless bomberman 64 counts as puzzle lol ) . If you are afraid of the sexy parts of the game, it fits the story , but its not as bad as you would expect at first glance ,although that depends on your personal tolerance. I pre-ordered the game out of curiousity really , it's new , different , fresh , basically a breath of fresh air for the gaming industry ( again this is in my opinion ) . All i all , i would say to try it out , this game although not the second coming of christ, DESERVES at LEAST to be tried out.

 

[krazykidd]

I like the idea of the gameplay but the storyline looks a little geared towards men to me. It doesn't give me the impression that they intended women to want to play it. Which is why I haven't bothered with it. No point in putting myself in a position to be offended when I can just leave it to who it was intended for. Maybe I have gotten the wrong impression of it though. I don't know.

Sooooo, you are assuming it is a mans game? Because why? There's plenty of food for the soul for both parties, the story is just about a mans struggle, with himself , his heart and his mind. That doesn't limit it to men, women have this struggle too ( argubly more often than men ). What does the erotism in this game offend you? Guess what, IRL when a man and a women have a relationship , there bound to be a physical connection. Dismissing a game because of 1st impression will make you miss out. Although you are allowed to not play a game for whatever reason you what , i find it ashame that you wouldn't at least try it due to prejudice towards the game. Everything in the game is very well written imo and makes the story believable and make you actually care about vincent and his struggle.

 

[AbstractStream]

Why is Catherine getting great reviews? Because, as said before in many other posts, the story is very interesting (I feel like I'm watching an intense drama or something), and the gameplay is challenging.
I feel like I'm finally being challenged at a game to think xD
So far, I'm hooked on it. Only part so far that has made me want to put the controller down is

Spoiler

The Child from HELL!! Ugh! Not because of difficulty, I managed to figure it out...it just took me a while because the baby was so disturbing. The constant "Daaaaaddy!" freaked me out ; I ended up racking like 20+ retries...

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I know about Catherine's background shall we say it's been kind of hard to avoid being an internetite. However, there is no reason to make its tasteless and plaster half naked pictures of her everywhere. You can seduce a man without being a complete hussy. It's sexist becuase it objectifies women and panders to male gamers with sex appeal and two women fighting over them. The fact that there is straight men in this thread who say that it makes them uncomfortable should speak volumes.
Its clearly 'for men only' and that's what makes it sexist. Games like this are basically shoving the fact that developers don't care about the female demographic in our face. If you're male I don't think you can really feel how bad it is.

No, it's not the developers, it's the publishers and the marketing people and all the damn gamers who wouldn't buy the game if it was exactly the same but advertised close to it's real nature. If you can't take such a deep experience where nobody actually objectifies women only because it's advertisements are done in a way that will sell then you need to reevaluate your level of sensitivity regarding such material.



Here are your options, either overly sexual ads and unique good games get made, sold bought enjoyed and get to pass their non-sexist messages or unique good games go the way of Okami, are still amazing, but because of insufficient marketing they end up cult classics that sell like crap and have their studios close down.


Which of the two turn of events do you prefer? If it's the second one, you're being equally shallow as the men who would buy this just because of all the sex promised by the ads. Can't you just take one for the betterment of the medium?



As for those male gamers, they reported feeling uneasy because to the still uninitiated it does very much feel like just a sex game with no depth and that has parts of societal guilt in their brain, nothing really to do with the game, everything to do with people's ingrained ideas about what sex can and can't be.

Again, with this game sex can now be more than fanservice in games, sexy women in covers become more than objectification/masturbation material, it happened, time to accept it.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

If it's the second one, you're being equally shallow as the men who would buy this just because of all the sex promised by the ads. Can't you just take one for the betterment of the medium?

Sorry I don't see your logic there. There is no reason why they couldn't have marketed this game on its puzzle elements or even showing pictures of the protagonist. In fact they might have sold more because people wouldn't have become qeuasy because other people will assume they are perverts for buying the game. They might have sold more to women because they wouldn't have assumed its not for them.

I don't think the sexy woman on the cover is anything more than fanservice and sex appeal if you want to kid yourself then go ahead.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

It's a game that can hold aloft the word "mature" without snickering at boobies or smearing the screen in gore.

That's an achievement in itself.

 

[jackpackage200]

Gameplay reminds me of Demon's Soul's, its harsh and unforgiving. Which is awesome.