Catherine Q*bert-All

GiantBomb in general seems to have a very unfavorable opinion of off-beat games. I love their site for the videos and such, but I pretty much can guarantee my opinion of a game will be directly opposed to theirs. Jeff moreso than any of the others.

ccesarano wrote:
Forte wrote:

Jeff Gerstmann's review is on Giantbomb: he didn't like it very much.

Mr Gerstmann wrote:

[...] but Catherine's limited character interaction, shallow characters, and monotonous puzzles combine to form a unique experience that feels frustratingly limited in every respect.

I guess it's rather opposite of 1Up's review. I'm still very interested in this game, but I lack a console so I'll be awaiting someone's playthrough videos on Youtube.

I hope this game has given Atlus the engine needed for another Shin Megami Tensei and/or Persona title.

After reading Joystiq, Escapist's and Ars Technica's reviews, he may be in the minority on this one.

I'm inclined to agree. Jeff is one of my favorite game writers, but his complaints about the game on this week's Bombcast sounded like strictly personal stuff. I'm only about two hours in, but I really dig a lot of the things he was criticizing.

This was sold out at two different GameStops, and one had just a single copy left. Evidently the mall stores had a bunch, though, so I'm grabbing it there later.

Still, that it's sold out (or holding pre-order copies behind the counter) seems a positive sign. Target didn't have any, but I don't even think they received any copies of the game. Wonder if that's due to the content (despite all the M rated games I saw stocked) or what.

ccesarano wrote:

Wonder if that's due to the content (despite all the M rated games I saw stocked) or what.

Atlus doesn't usually publish in large quantities, because they know they have a niche audience. That's why it's important to grab a game you want soon, because it can be difficult/expensive to buy an Atlus game after its printing run.

GameStop is notorious for stocking very new copies of non huge games. I wouldn't read in to it.

Actually, I forgot that the Xbox 360 copies were in abundance. I'm looking for PS3. I wonder if that says something about the audience of each platform.

ccesarano wrote:

Actually, I forgot that the Xbox 360 copies were in abundance. I'm looking for PS3. I wonder if that says something about the audience of each platform.

I went to pick up my preordered copy and they only had PS3 versions left. I had to go to another store to get a gutted copy, or wait a few weeks for another shipment.

I wasn't angry about the preorder not being filled. I made it the night before at like 8PM. I also have a very good relationship with the staff at the particular store I shop at.

I finally found a GameStop that had it, and the copy they had was a canceled pre-order so it came with the art book and CD.

Bonus.

Missed this topic. Tagging for now.

Love SMT/Persona. Still unsure about this.

ccesarano wrote:

I finally found a GameStop that had it, and the copy they had was a canceled pre-order so it came with the art book and CD.

Bonus.

Same thing happened to me tonight, weird.

MisterStatic wrote:
ccesarano wrote:

I finally found a GameStop that had it, and the copy they had was a canceled pre-order so it came with the art book and CD.

Bonus.

Same thing happened to me tonight, weird.

Not actually. All of the copies in the first shipment came with the book and CD, preorder or not.

I played a couple of hours tonight. The puzzling mechanics are whooping my ass right now, but I am starting to pick it up. It's a very clever system.

Blind_Evil wrote:

You are not special.

Oh, darn! Well, I was happy to get the PS3 copy anyway. I don't even know why the game intrigues me. The puzzle mechanic hooked me in the demo and the presentation is superior to most things I have played. I am on the 3rd night and so far I find it an addictive and enjoyable distraction from the usual lineup. Enjoying this and From Dust? I must just be on a puzzle trip.

"I like I women like I like my sheets. Changed by the maid every morning."

This is quite the interesting game so far.

Enough cockadoodlery from you.

My entire Saturday pretty much went to laundry and Catherine. And laundry had a tendency to sit in the dryer a while as I totally forgot about it.

I'm on stage 6 part 3, and it finally has grown irritating. I hate the Ants, and I'm hating how I can't really figure out any tricks or techniques in this area. Everything feels so specifically obscure in how it should be solved.

Nonetheless, the game is fun. I love it. But I can't write coherently now because it is bed time. Will discuss more later.

I preordered this but it has been sitting on my pile as I finish Bastion. Before I get started: is anybody else playing on Super Easy? If so, is it too easy? Having heard so much made of the difficulty level, I'm thinking about Super Easy for at least my first run. (I know myself, there will be multiple runs.)

I'm playing on easy and find it just fine. It is a challenge, but not controller-meets-wall challenging. I think a good approach is easy on first playthrough, normal on consecutive plays. That's my plan, at least.

ccesarano wrote:

I'm playing on easy and find it just fine. It is a challenge, but not controller-meets-wall challenging. I think a good approach is easy on first playthrough, normal on consecutive plays. That's my plan, at least.

Yeah, I'm playing on "regular" easy. I found it quite simple up through the first two nights, 3 and 4 mildly challenging, and 5 and 6 (as far as I am in 6) are ramping up pretty seriously.

My thoughts about the puzzle sections so far is that I really wish Valve had designed them (ONLY the puzzle sections, though, as Valve would destroy the excellent writing found everywhere else). But my problem is that they give you all these techniques, but you can't actually practice them yourself while they're being taught, so there's no mastery. You're just supposed to be able to catalogue them and remember at the proper times during the actual puzzles. That's incredibly frustrating. I got stuck on one of the levels night 5 for a really long time until I realized that I just needed to use this technique they taught me like two nights ago, but since I never practiced it, I couldn't remember it. Honestly the puzzles would be far easier if they had actually taught us these techniques.

Minarchist wrote:
ccesarano wrote:

I'm playing on easy and find it just fine. It is a challenge, but not controller-meets-wall challenging. I think a good approach is easy on first playthrough, normal on consecutive plays. That's my plan, at least.

Yeah, I'm playing on "regular" easy. I found it quite simple up through the first two nights, 3 and 4 mildly challenging, and 5 and 6 (as far as I am in 6) are ramping up pretty seriously.

My thoughts about the puzzle sections so far is that I really wish Valve had designed them (ONLY the puzzle sections, though, as Valve would destroy the excellent writing found everywhere else). But my problem is that they give you all these techniques, but you can't actually practice them yourself while they're being taught, so there's no mastery. You're just supposed to be able to catalogue them and remember at the proper times during the actual puzzles. That's incredibly frustrating. I got stuck on one of the levels night 5 for a really long time until I realized that I just needed to use this technique they taught me like two nights ago, but since I never practiced it, I couldn't remember it. Honestly the puzzles would be far easier if they had actually taught us these techniques.

Mod +1 insightful - they definitely need to learn from Valve on how to teach puzzle mechanics. You learn by doing, not by watching. Might just be a cultural thing. Also definitely need some kind of journal or log so you can go back and watch the technique videos at any time you like.

Sounds like I'll be playing on Easy, which I hardly ever care to do.

Forte wrote:

Atlus doesn't usually publish in large quantities, because they know they have a niche audience. That's why it's important to grab a game you want soon, because it can be difficult/expensive to buy an Atlus game after its printing run.

Oddly enough there seem to be no stock problems around here, all 7(yes, 7) Gamestops within 10 miles of me have multiple copies for both platforms. This happens all the time around here though. I was able to pick up Infinite Space new at regular price months after its release whereas it goes for 50$ and up on Amazon. Of course I also hardly ever get asked to preorder, so I seem to live near some weird alternate Gamestop pocket dimension.

Minarchist wrote:

... Honestly the puzzles would be far easier if they had actually taught us these techniques.

Spoiler:

There's an arcade machine in the bar that allows you to practice techniques without dying. It's in the upper left corner to the left of the guy with sunglasses inside (or those two stupid people standing there arguing about even stupider relationship issues). It's actually kind of fun in and of itself.

I know, but they still aren't using any actual learning techniques to get them into your head. There's no sidebar that says "try this out!". You're just supposed to...remember.

Some things to remember:

-You have a lot of lives, and I believe the game expects you to use most of them.
-Abuse the 'undo' button shamelessly, to correct accidental block pushes, experiment with different approaches (you get like 9 levels of undo!) and to 'rewind time' if you know a boss is about to kill you.

4xis.black wrote:

Some things to remember:

-You have a lot of lives, and I believe the game expects you to use most of them.
-Abuse the 'undo' button shamelessly, both to correct accidental block pushes, experiment with different approaches (you get like 9 levels of undo!) and to 'rewind time' if you know a boss is about to kill you.

This. And on easy, I believe you get 2x lives per pillow. I shamelessly abused that for a bit on night 3. Now on night 5, I still have 90 lives available. That has given me plenty of chances to practice techniques. However, I do wish a pause menu would allow you to bring up the menu of techniques; something like you would see in a fighting game like SSF4 would be nice.

x3 per pillow on easy. x2 on normal.

I made it all the way to the end of Day 8 tonight -- only have the final few floors ahead of me. Since I'll be playing these more than the others to see all the endings, I'll be memorizing as best I can.

Boy, one thing this game does give you is a very strong sense of satisfaction when you finally figure out a new trick. Like how to get out of an inverted pyramid where the edges are all immovable? That made me feel pretty awesome.

The story/social aspect is just too crazy for words at this point.

I finally got started last night and got through the first two nights. Knowing that I can switch difficulty mid-game is comforting.

Minarchist wrote:

I know, but they still aren't using any actual learning techniques to get them into your head. There's no sidebar that says "try this out!". You're just supposed to...remember.

What about the arcade game in the bar I've been reading about. Does that offer any 'training' for the main game at all?

nel e nel wrote:
Minarchist wrote:

I know, but they still aren't using any actual learning techniques to get them into your head. There's no sidebar that says "try this out!". You're just supposed to...remember.

What about the arcade game in the bar I've been reading about. Does that offer any 'training' for the main game at all?

Rapunzel is actually to what I was referring in the above quote. It's nice that it isn't timed, though.

beeporama wrote:

I finally got started last night and got through the first two nights. Knowing that I can switch difficulty mid-game is comforting.

Really? I remember the Atlus guy in the Giant Bomb Quick look said this wasn't possible. That is good news.