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#1
06-23-2011
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Catherine (Or is it spelled with a K?)
Meet Vincent, he's got a pretty decent life. He has a steady, loving girlfriend named Katherine and he just cheated on her with Catherine.... whoops. Maybe he forgot how to spell his girlfriend's name and got them confused or something.... anyways, now it's your choice to decide whether you will repair your relationship with the steadier, safer, more logical lover, Katherine, or build a more spontaneous relationship with the spunky, sexy, passionate lover Catherine. Just a heads up though.... you have to survive your dreams by navigating pushable blocks and outrunning nightmarish fiends lest you be killed in the real world. HAVE FUN! I'm a huge Persona fan and I think as far as RPG's go, the Shin Megami Tensei series is by far one of the most outlandish and innovative ROLE PLAYING games in a long time, in that you are literally supposed to be the main character. This is why I'm weirded-out/befuddled/intrigued all at the same time to see Atlus' Persona Team working on a tangentially related puzzle game (same universe, different characters barely glimpsed in previous titles by the same studio in a very Pixar type fashion). The only difference I see in this game is that you are taking control of a character who is not merely an empty shell but someone with a very long and detailed history (what with having a girlfriend who's practically his fiancee). This is a very different change of pace and as I have significantly more confidence in the Persona team's ability to write more complex, detailed character interactions I'm definitely picking this one up once it reaches a more reasonable price (I found Persona 4 in a bargain bin for $20 WITH SOUNDTRACK FUCK YEAH). My only complaint at this point (I'll have to play the game first to validate them) is that the game seems to hint at having an all-too-obvious morality system with a fresh coat of paint. Hell, there is footage of Catherine (the sexy girl Vincent cheats on his girlfriend with) as BEING one of the bosses in his nightmares. I'm really REALLY hoping among the multiple endings, there isn't simply "you stayed faithful to your girlfriend, congrats on getting happy end" or "you continued to cheat on your girlfriend and found a new one, too bad she's a psychotic bitch who just killed you in your sleep with psychic mind-powers, hope the hot monkey sex was worth it". If this is the case I feel as though making actual affecting choices in the game is severely hampered because you'll end up choosing whatever option scores you more points with whichever girl you decide to pursue. Romantic relationships are fucking complicated and I would hate to see simplistic polarizing game design limit the writers who have PROVEN several times that they have what it takes to craft an involving, complex character driven story. 
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#2
06-23-2011
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I was so excited about this when I first saw footage from the demo. The Persona games are some of my favorite RPGs and I love writing and art style. I would buy this on day one if I had the option of playing it on the PS2, but sadly I don't own a seventh generation console aside from the Wii. I love Atlus for putting out smart, mature, and stylish games that have all but disappeared from the current market and I would almost be willing to buy the game anyway just to support them.
I'm a bit skeptical about how this game will turn out, despite my faith in Atlus. First of all, I'm confused as to why this is a puzzle game. I would have thought an RPG format would be better suited for telling the story they want to tell. I've seen a bit of gameplay from the Japanese demo and the puzzles seem a bit strange to me. Puzzle games have never really interested me, and to tell the truth I'm much more interested in seeing how the story plays out than solving any of the puzzles. Still, Wikipedia credits this game as an adventure game and survival horror game as well as a puzzle-platformer. I even saw the words "erotic horror" in the description which I have to admit is one of the coolest ways to describe anything ever. Despite my hang ups over this being a puzzle game, I'm definitely going to keep my eye on it. I may have to find a friend willing to part with their Playstation or Xbox for a few days so I can play it myself.
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#4
06-25-2011
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That trailer was 80% porn
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#5
07-26-2011
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So I got the game today, and have played for about 2 hours. Let me just say, I suck so bad at this game. I'm on easy and I've had to retry several levels. I won't say how many times I had to retry because it's still sort of a secret just how dumb I am, but it was way too many for easy mode.
I'm loving the game so far. The atmosphere is great. It really feels like a persona game in the sense that normal life occurs in the daytime and freaky, nightmarish stuff happens at night. I won't spoil any part of the story, but the boss levels are just amazing. The death sequences during these levels are extremely vivid and gory and I recommend you see them that least once. If you're like me, dying once wont be a problem. The only thing I have to dump on this game for is controls. Half the time Vincent does what I want him to and other times he flips out and does something random. There are times when I want to grab a block and pull it backward, so I press Up and A to grab the block I want. Sometimes, before you can pull it back, Vince will shove it forward and off the level. There are plenty of blocks so I haven't been killed by this yet, but I have been killed by running too far forward and getting stuck on a trap block. Vince really builds up momentum so its sometimes hard to stop when you want to. I've also noticed its hard to get on top of a block once you get stuck behind it. It might just be the camera, but I find it hard to push the right direction to get on top of it. Other than my own ineptitude, I am really enjoying this game. I'm excited to see where the story goes and how much control my actions have over it. So far I just have a Good/Evil meter that is leaning slightly to the good side. I have trouble choosing to be evil in any game so I think I'll end up good in the end, but we'll see as the game goes on. One thing I like about the choices in this game is the larger amount of ambiguity compared to other games that let you choose between good and evil. Usually its just a choice between being a total asshole and being a decent person. In this game, Vincent is forced to choose between his current girlfriend that he admits to being with mainly for the sake of convenience, and this new girl that he believes may be his soul mate. The choices aren't so black and white and its hard to tell what kind of ending I'll get. I would definitely recommend this game based on what I've seen so far.
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#6
07-28-2011
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#7
07-28-2011
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On the bright side, I've found out that my problems with the controls can be fixed by the amount of alcohol I drink at the bar (in the game.) I've found out I don't run around like a crackhead if I don't drink as much.
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#8
07-28-2011
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From the little I've seen of Catherine, it seems like a game I would enjoy from a gameplay perspective at least, since I'm pretty good at discerning puzzle solutions. However I don't have either system so my loss I suppose.
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#9
07-28-2011
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#10
07-30-2011
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I've been wondering this ever since I started playing the game. What does Vincent's shirt say in this picture?
 Does anyone else think this says "RAPE?" I suppose RAVE is a possibility, but the heart where the V should be is really making me question that. In a game about a cheating boyfriend, you would think they would want to avoid inviting the comparison.
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#13
08-03-2011
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Though I suppose explaining it would be more awkward than simply being caught with porn. "I play it for the gameplay and story", right?
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#14
08-03-2011
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#15
08-09-2011
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I.... I just got to the usual halfway point plot twist that I totally KNEW was going to happen (it IS Atlus after all) but my god.... this game is more batshit insane than I could EVER have predicted. I... I... I can't put it into words but I think Ned Flanders can give you an idea of what I'm feeling right now:
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#16
08-09-2011
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#18
08-09-2011
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And the award for Most Irrelevant Question goes to....
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#19
08-10-2011
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Last edited by killshot; 08-10-2011 at 10:38 PM.
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#21
08-10-2011
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#22
08-10-2011
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In my first game, I just answered all the questions honestly. My plan was to answer every question the opposite of what I would normally choose, but since the game is throwing new questions in I can't do that. Are you playing on a PS3 or an X-box? I've had some control issues with the X-box's D-pad, but supposedly the PS3 controls are much smoother.
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#23
08-10-2011
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As for the question, I adore that there are new ones. It adds replay value. ...speaking of which... Quote:
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#24
08-11-2011
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I.... I just tried Babel mode.... I knew the Persona Team looooooved procedurally generated environments, but here it just DOESN'T work. Puzzles aren't something that should be solvable based upon the MOOD of the puzzle. This mode is absolute shit and it's not because I suck at it, in fact, I've gotten really far on several occasions... but then I get barely anywhere on my VERY NEXT ATTEMPT. Your ODDS of winning are completely fucking random as well.
I'm certain they've coded the game to only allow solvable rows to be formed as you climb but that doesn't mean these levels are BALANCED. What nags at me is I think this mode only allows for fewer and fewer valid solutions as you climb, which is in direct opposition to the main levels within the story mode that only rarely give you a situation in which one and only one solution is acceptable and everything else results in failure. I think what murders your odds most of all in beating Babel is the utter lack of an UNDO, which I guess I've become spoiled on, but it's a necessary crutch. Isn't the penalty for having to undo your last move time anyways? Just keep the clock ticking, I don't give a fuck how LONG it takes me, I just want to be able to undo collapsing the entire fucking tower. Last edited by TitanAura; 08-11-2011 at 01:02 AM.
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#25
08-11-2011
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I haven't tried Babel yet because I'm still pretty invested in the main story. I finally managed to beat the high score on Rapunzel to see if it changed any of the dialog. I'm interested to see how much the game changes based on my actions.
I'm with you on the undo button. It would have taken me forever to beat the game without it. Most of the time it wasn't really my fault. Toward the end of the game when they start throwing [ monster ] blocks at you, they would shift in a way that made climbing impossible. If you use the undo button, the blocks can shift in a different location that will allow you to continue. [ Mystery ] blocks can also give you different blocks if you undo after stepping on them. Undo really comes in handy during controller fumbles where you accidentally push a block off the edge when you meant to pull it. The lack of an undo button is the reason I'm holding off trying normal mode and sticking to easy.
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#26
08-11-2011
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#29
08-11-2011
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@eternity: Eh.... technically you're a sheep when you're in the nightmares. It's.... complicated.
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#30
08-11-2011
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Easy = Normal and Balanced Normal = Hard but Fair Hard = I WILL FUCK YOU SO HARD YOUR UNBORN CHILDREN WILL FEEL IT. ALSO, DIFFICULTY BASED ACHIEVEMENTS DO NOT STACK. WTF. Last edited by TitanAura; 08-11-2011 at 06:18 PM.
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