Catherine (X360/PS3) - July 26

[Bebpo]

It looks like Atlus is already working on a patch to make the game easier. Normally I'd be against this, but fubarduck is going on about how the game is horribly designed, so maybe not.

I think we're pretty much the same kind of gamer.  We like challenges, and never stray from difficult titles.  I am a Golden God in Super Meat Boy!

That having been said, the game design of Catherine is absolutely horrible.

You get only 5 continues -- for the whole game.  Once you run out, you have to load from a save file.

What this means is that for a puzzle that takes 50 times to complete (and it will take you that many times for some of them), you would have to rewatch the same 2-3 minute cutscenes 49 times.

So, if you use several of your continues in the beginning stages (which you will) and then save with only one or two continues, you will literally spend more time watching the same cutscene over and over than playing the game.

That's the complaint about the game in Japan.  Not that it's too hard, but that "5 continues" is completely arbitrary and forces you to unnecessarily waste hours of your life.

Ways this mechanic could be forgivable:

- Your 5 continues could be refreshed for each new level (they aren't)
- You could load a save file that puts you right at the beginning of the puzzle (you can't)
- You could just have infinite continues

I'm curious as to what Atlus intends to do with the patch.  I don't want the game to be less difficult at all; the difficulty is just fine as-is.  I simply want to actually play the game instead of watching the same cutscene for 2 hours in exchange for 5 minutes of gameplay.

That sounds awful. Why not allow the player to save AFTER the cutscenes and load screens, right before beginning a new puzzle? They did shit like this in their RPGs too, but I can see it being infinitely more annoying in a fast, skill-based, and apparently challenging game like Catherine. distinguished mentally-challenged.

I don't know what it was like before the patch, but I'm over halfway through the game on normal and I can say that I've never had to rewatch a cutscene once.  Everytime you get to a hard section in a stage there's always a pillow somewhere that gives you an instant retry when you die.  These pillows respawn everytime you die so basically you have infinite lives as long as you figure out how to at least get to the pillow.  On top of that, post-patch a pillow gives you 2 continues, so the more you die the more your continues stack up.  I have like 30 or something at this point.

Game is still fucking hard though.  I've found the gameplay sections to be non-stop frustration and cursing which leads to satisfaction when you win.  I don't think there's any problem with the puzzle design.  The stage design is challenging and great.  But the boss fights are fucking bullshit.  The bosses move too fast so you have no time to think, they have attacks that fuck you up and cause you to die, and the camera is all dramatic and crazy and it's easy to push a block forward when you wanted to grab and pull it and then you just screwed yourself and have to start over.  I tried switching it to easy mode and the difference is night and day if you've been playing on normal.  The game moves at a sloooooooooooooow, slow speed giving you plenty of time to sit and think and try out different strategies, the retry button fixes mistakes, there are far more items everywhere and even the stage design seemed easier.  The downside is there's very little satisfaction in that case from winning.  So I reset and continued on normal where I'm pissed at the game all the time   But at least I'm not rewatching cutscenes.

[pilonv1]

Not that it's too hard, but that "5 continues" is completely arbitrary and forces you to unnecessarily waste hours of your life.

Sounds like japan in 2011

[The Sceneman]

fuck I want this LE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YVC1F8/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

the t-shirt and underpants are so awesome. will buy

[iconoclast]

That LE is a terrible attempt at trying to copy Agarest's success.

Will pre-order for the art book though.

[The Sceneman]

those are great underpants though. Will try to buy!

[Mr. Gundam]

I'm sticking to the regular, non-forever-alone edition.

[Himu]

I'm sticking to the regular, non-forever-alone edition.

.

[The Sceneman]

what the fuck you guys are giant weeaboos. How can ure dick not be gettin rock hard right now

[Mr. Gundam]

what the fuck you guys are giant weeaboos. How can ure dick not be gettin rock hard right now

Weeaboo I may be, I'm still repulsed by stuff that is creepy as fuck.

[The Sceneman]

the pillowcase is creepy yes. Everything else is sweeeeet

[pilonv1]

$80

[demi]

Atlus just wants this game to bomb badly. Cant say I blame em.

[Trent Dole]

Atlus just wants this game to bomb badly. Cant say I blame em.

Isn't this game basically the HD Persona beta test? Any money made off of this is a bonus. Neither piece of clothing will fit my giant 6'5" self so I suppose I'll just go regular. The shirt might look nice on the waifu though...

[The Sceneman]

$80

bro with current exhange rate thats like 80AUD, which is RRP for regular games in Aus. You can't spin this shit with your FUD

also our dollar is strong against the greenback atm, so It'll work out to be 100NZD, which is less that RRP on most STANDARD edition games. It's a bargain

[pilonv1]

US version will be region locked though.

[Mr. Gundam]

US version will be region locked though.

PS3 version won't.

[The Sceneman]

 

> implying I would buy a multiplat game on PS3

[chronovore]

You are such an Achievement whore. People could probably give you free PS3 games and you'd still hold out to pay for 360 versions...

[tiesto]

fuck I want this LE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YVC1F8/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

the t-shirt and underpants are so awesome. will buy

Wow, I know what I want for my birthday!

[cool breeze]

I went to amazon because I didn't realize this was out so soon, and Atlus realized people would be so embarrassed to buy this that they made alternate, less depraving covers.  And get some people to double dip (or triple).

Retain Dignity Edition™

spoiler (click to show/hide)

...only a little bit

[close]

[Trent Dole]

More like be a lame puss edition. Those were made for uptight retailers so they'd carry the game.

[Himu]

Same demo as the jp demo but the localization, as usual, is excellent.

It's nice hearing fuck in an Atlus USA published game.

[chronovore]

Maybe they'll have a reversible slip insert?

[pilonv1]

Still waiting on a PAL release

[Mr. Gundam]

Still waiting on a PAL release

Region-free PS3, duder.

[pilonv1]

Still waiting on a PAL release

Region-free PS3, duder.

cheevos

[Mr. Gundam]

smh

Well, I hope you get a domestic release, then.

[bork]

Sooooooo I'm hearing about this everywhere, should I buy it?

Try the demo.

[pilonv1]

Nearly bought a copy off ebay for $55 before I realised it was the moonspeak version. Going to check play-asia instead.

[bork]

Nearly bought a copy off ebay for $55 before I realised it was the moonspeak version. Going to check play-asia instead.

 

Doesn't come out in English until next week...it's in the thread title mayne.

[pilonv1]

I know, I got over-excited when I saw it was cheap. Going to order from play-asia for the same price w/ artbook+cd

[iconoclast]

Cutscenes on the 360 version look like shit. It's FF13 all over again

http://livedoor.2.blogimg.jp/ps360/imgs/f/7/f7edaf12.png

http://livedoor.2.blogimg.jp/ps360/imgs/9/4/94f62e89.png

[demi]

So we should ignore the anime cutscenes then? Cool, 360 version for me.

[Mr. Gundam]

Amazon shipped my copy this morning, should be here tomorrow.

[Bebpo]

Shipped my copy too! 

Picked it up to gift it out since it was such a rocking game and because it's NOT RPG I know people who would enjoy it.

[bork]

Amazon shipped late for you guys.  Mine is already out for delivery.

[ch1nchilla]

I'm gonna have to double dip if this localization is as good as everyone says it is...  :'(

[Don Flamenco]

I will buy a used copy when they start popping up. 

[Mr. Gundam]

Amazon shipped late for you guys.  Mine is already out for delivery.

Late? I live in the land of Amazon. It was on my doorstep at 9am.

[Bebpo]

Yep.  Lyte is missing out on awesome Amazon-land.

I can't wait to give this to my brother.  He's going to be so pissed and go "I'm not putting this anime porn shit on my shelf"  

If he doesn't play it, I'll just give it to someone else.

[demi]

Give it to me

[Himu]

gamefly still hasn't sent it

[iconoclast]

I usually like Atlus dubs, but I don't like this one at all so far. The Japanese audio track would've been nice.

[bork]

Amazon shipped late for you guys.  Mine is already out for delivery.

Late? I live in the land of Amazon. It was on my doorstep at 9am.

Amazon shipped my copy this morning, should be here tomorrow.

 

Yep.  Lyte is missing out on awesome Amazon-land.

How so?  I got it from Amazon with free release-day shipping.   

[Mr. Gundam]

Amazon shipped late for you guys.  Mine is already out for delivery.

Late? I live in the land of Amazon. It was on my doorstep at 9am.

Amazon shipped my copy this morning, should be here tomorrow.

 

I posted that on Monday. I'm in Seattle out on the west coast, remember? Three hour time difference.

Still need to finish RGG Of The End first.

[Bebpo]

I usually like Atlus dubs, but I don't like this one at all so far. The Japanese audio track would've been nice.

What sucks is that this is probably indicative of all Atlus R&D1 localizations on future X360/PS3 games.  Doesn't seem like they're willing to do dual language tracks like NIS or Koei or Sega.

[ch1nchilla]

I usually like Atlus dubs, but I don't like this one at all so far. The Japanese audio track would've been nice.

What sucks is that this is probably indicative of all Atlus R&D1 localizations on future X360/PS3 games.  Doesn't seem like they're willing to do dual language tracks like NIS or Koei or Sega.

This is literally ENTIRELY Atlus Japan's fault, btw. 

[Himu]

who cares

this is america. english, please.

[Mr. Gundam]

The dub seems just fine, but I'm still slightly bummed about not having the option for Japanese audio. Atlus went out and got a great cast of voice actors (Koichi Yamadera, Kotono Mitsuishi).

[Himu]

gf finally sent me mine

gonna play on easy mode first because I want to experience the story, first.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I'm playing on Normal ... what happens if (when) I run out of pillows? Do I have to start over from scratch?

[Bebpo]

From your last save at the bar.  YOU ARE SAVING YOUR GAME, RIGHT?

Also you can change difficulty mid-game at the bar if you start getting owned.


But usually, any time there is a part where you would die there's a pillow so you're never losing lives, only stockpiling them.  I had 99 by the end, which obviously removes a little of the stress.

I usually like Atlus dubs, but I don't like this one at all so far. The Japanese audio track would've been nice.

What sucks is that this is probably indicative of all Atlus R&D1 localizations on future X360/PS3 games.  Doesn't seem like they're willing to do dual language tracks like NIS or Koei or Sega.

This is literally ENTIRELY Atlus Japan's fault, btw. 

Yeah, I sort of figured that since Atlus USA did bring out Disgaea with dual language in the past.  Lamo Japan politics are Lamo.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Oh, that's not so bad. Do I get a full stock of 9 when I restart at the bar, or does it save how many pillows I had "then"?

I somehow managed to lose 6 lives in the first stage due to starting Catherine first thing after a 14-hour day. 

[Bebpo]

It just loads the save, so however many pillows you had then.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Maybe I should start the game over then

[Bebpo]

Bad idea.  If you get dying, then switch to easy for 1 stage.  In easy every pillow is worth 3x, so you'll rack up a bunch and then you can change back.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Bad idea.  If you get dying, then switch to easy for 1 stage.  In easy every pillow is worth 3x, so you'll rack up a bunch and then you can change back.

maybe I'll just switch to easy then because I am bad at game

[Bebpo]

Nothing wrong with that.  I switched over around stage 5 and then switched back to normal for 2nd playthrough.

[Don Flamenco]

I caved. 

Had to drive to no less than 5 gamestops, 2 best buys, and a Target in Chicago to find this.  I heard my quota of "OH BRAH YOU GOTTA RESERVE OR ELSE THE GAMES ARE JUST GONE AND YOU'LL NEVER EVER GET THEM" speeches for the year.  The one time a game is scarce at release and they pounce on it and act like this is a common occurrence.  I usually don't bitch about gamestop but man, I wish I could say ANYTHING to get them to stop their preorder speeches forever.  I straight up say "I will not be preordering anything today" in advance and I still get it ("Oh? Are you sure you don't want to preorder? *names every game coming out in the next 6 months*".)   Even at the one I frequent, where the guys know me and we chat and stuff, they still say it every time and are like "sorry man I gotta ask this, my job you know" as if they're recording us. 

anyway, enough venting....I am installing, puffing some herb, and playing...in that order

[bork]

I caved. 

Had to drive to no less than 5 gamestops, 2 best buys, and a Target in Chicago to find this.  I heard my quota of "OH BRAH YOU GOTTA RESERVE OR ELSE THE GAMES ARE JUST GONE AND YOU'LL NEVER EVER GET THEM" speeches for the year.  The one time a game is scarce at release and they pounce on it and act like this is a common occurrence.  I usually don't bitch about gamestop but man, I wish I could say ANYTHING to get them to stop their preorder speeches forever.  I straight up say "I will not be preordering anything today" in advance and I still get it ("Oh? Are you sure you don't want to preorder? *names every game coming out in the next 6 months*".)   Even at the one I frequent, where the guys know me and we chat and stuff, they still say it every time and are like "sorry man I gotta ask this, my job you know" as if they're recording us. 

anyway, enough venting....I am installing, puffing some herb, and playing...in that order

I just say "not interested" and leave it at that.  They are being told to go through the motions, so I understand these guys nagging, but it does nothing but make me want to avoid returning as much as possible.

And I do just that, ordering 99% of games from Amazon.  No bullshit, no hassle.