Catherine (Xbox 360)

Catherine tells the story of the somewhat immature 30 something Vincent who has a job he likes, friends and a steady relationship with clingy and more mature girlfriend Katherine. Vincent's world gets turned upside down, however, on a chance encounter in his local bar with younger prettier girl Catherine. From that point onwards you play as Vincent in the real world when dealing with his moral dilemmas whilst juggling the two relationships, but also at night as he fights through the perils of his own nighmares. The nightmare scenes in the game link into the background story plot of lonely young men, who like Vincent have chequered love lives, in the area dying in their sleep in mysterious circumstances.

Gameplay

The main gameplay takes place in Vincent's nightmares. This takes the form of a platform game as you control the actions of Vincent in fighting your way up and through a block building course. You have to lift and move blocks in continually difficult levels to create a safe path to reach the top and escape. Unlike normal nightmares if Vincent falls he dies for real. You do luckily get a number of 'lives' and can earn these back as you play through further levels successfully. Further levels add extra interest as you gain the use of special blocks and learn different techniques for stacking the blocks quickly and efficiently. Be prepared for stressful end of nightmare stages where you race against time, falling blocks and fearsome versions of long term girlfriend Katherine who attemots to claw you down to your death! This is not a game for the faint hearted and can become incredibly frustrating at points.

On the other hand, the main story mode Golden Playhouse, takes part in Vincent's local bar. This gives you the chance to interact with friends, other visitors to the bar and the two love interests in your life via your mobile phone. This could be seen as the fun part of the game as you can alter your responses to situations and change what you say in your texts to the two women, altering the outcomes within the game. This is also where the game becomes replayable as you can follow different paths to get different outcomes based on your moral decisions. A morality meter keeps track of your responses throughout the game.

Graphics

Ok, some of the animation is a little blocky, but the characters appearance makes them seem straight from the pages of a Manga comic. There is a definite likeability to the overall appearance of the game. The block playing sections of the game are fast paced and the graphics keep up with this, whilst keeping the game playing area clear and easy to navigate.

Overall

This is an addictive game which offers opportunities for replay to reach different endings in the game based on your responses to questions and scenarios within the game. Due to the plot of the game there are adult themes, however this is indicated on the certificating on the back of the game box. The image and style of game feels fresh, and provides a welcome change to shooters and RPGs of late.