Catherine Full Body Nintendo Switch Review

In-between each path (level), you will meet other “Stray Sheep” that have made it up to an area called the “Landing”. Here you may interactive with other characters trapped within this ordeal, where they may offer advice and tips for climbing, or totally blow you off and insult you. You may also buy items here in exchange for Enigma Coins, which you collect throughout your time climbing each tower. A confessional type booth sits right in the center of the landing, where players will be greeted by a mysterious voice who claims to be the reason for these nightmares occurring. While driving home the point of these confessionals, you will be asked subjective questions which determine your path again, similar to texts you receive at the bar, however will only be left with two choices.

Be cautious, as your answer will greatly effect your karma meter, thus adjusting or completely diverting your story’s path. Once reaching the final level for each nightmare, you will end up facing that night’s Boss, which stages a mutant-like representation of Vincent’s current life struggle in form of a “Killer”. Like previous levels, you will need to climb but be sure to avoid any special attacks made by each level’s “killer”. Each boss will come with their own unique form of attack against the tower, or Vincent which in turn spike’s the level’s difficulty. You will need to remain vigilant here, and determine your best course of action, as the path you may rule plausible will not be ultimate. There will be steady changes, and difficult challenges that will surprise you with every step you climb.

There also will be unsuspected attacks made that will come at any given moment, which aren’t determined by given state or placement, rather within each unique tower you climb. Oh, and for experienced Catherine climbers, be prepared. These towers that have been deviously designed are all new. There may some steady callbacks throughout your time playing each level, but the developers have crafted new challenges for players to engage in. Once escaping and surviving each night, we are treated to fresh cutscenes mapping out Vincent’s storied past from his highschool friendships, right to his romantic history with Katherine.

All this plays in part to the next major angle that sets the story’s pacing into hyper-drive. Awakening from his nightmare, Vincent finds himself home in bed with no recollection of events that occurred the night prior. He struggles to get up from bed, finding the same woman from the bar clinging to him, it’s at this moment he suddenly realises that he had just cheated on his girlfriend with a total stranger. Remembering what had happened, Vincent had succumbed to the strangers temptations that ultimately led to his infidelity. It’s at this point we have three paths open to us, with this strange woman explaining that she lives a care-free lifestyle, rather than seeing herself tied down to one man, the polar opposite of what his girlfriend, Katherine wants. From here, many of the game’s adult themes play out in sexually serialised and comedic situations that ultimately test players decision making.

Each night at the bar, you will receive a string of text messages from Katherine, and Vincent’s mistress… Catherine. While each text messages and phone call will impact and determine the path, and girl you choose best suits you, it will all in turn effect your karma meter, and the way your game plays. Be sure to spend as much time at the bar drinking and talking to each compatriot there. They will in turn offer advice, that could either help you on your path or spell total disaster in your oncoming nightmares. The more you drink the faster you climb in your nightmares, so be sure to keep ordering those cocktails. The more you talk with your friends, the more options will open, in-story. While not every path will be useful, they are totally worth your time in-game. Now, there is the third path that’s new to Full Body. 

This of course is Rin‘s path, the woman with the rosey coloured hair from the beginning of the game. Choosing her path is a little different here. After the events of the beginning of the game, Rin is hired by Erica to be a Pianist at the Stray Sheep. To effectively open this new path, be sure to talk with Rin every night while at the bar. This in turn will have an effect on your ongoing relationship with Rin, and potentially could see an alternative route for Vincent to choose. While seemingly forced, Rin’s path mixes well with Vincent’s current struggle to determine his own fate. While experienced players of the original version of Catherine will be enticed to go right for the new path, it won’t be as simple as it seems, but I can’t reveal that here or that would spoil the game entirely. But once opening this new path, the story becomes quite compelling, to say the least. Rin’s compassionate energy plays in part of Katherine’s dominate nature, and Catherine’s eccentric, though bubbly charm.

Returning to Gameplay for a moment, the introduction of “Safety” difficulty leads a place for new players who are first experiencing the puzzle-platformer to sit back and enjoy the story, with some light gameplay. This relaxes the players choices a little while climbing, even giving the advantage to advance levels quicker by choosing the “auto-climb” feature which has the CPU do the heavy lifting. The difficulty will also place player’s halfway through some taller towers allowing for a quicker climb, and a steadier getaway. While the classic towers return with standard range of difficulty choice, we’re also treated to “Remix” mode, where new block types will appear, in almost a “Tetris” like style. These will be identified by coloured gems attached to the front, which in turn ables Vincent to pull multiple blocks out at the same time.

This can come at an advantage, and disadvantage depending on each tower’s scenario. Babel returns with it’s series of challenges that allows players to dive into the puzzle climbing without any of the story or romantic scenarios. You may also go online and challenge players at a head-to-head competitive race to the finish. While gameplay still remains awesome, presentation is the main matter here for Catherine: Full Body. Returning players will immediately notice the incredible detail and redesign behind the title. While the original had some extravagance, the subtle differences in textures and lighting have made a huge difference in presenting this redelivery of Catherine. The newly rendered cutscenes are beautifully animated, well presented, and spaced out within moments of dialogue that blend perfectly.