Catherine: A Strange Brew of Puzzles, Nightmares, and Sex
Catherine has been a surprise since it was first announced. I was impressed first to find out that it was coming stateside, but also with the relatively high profile marketing and buzz of curiosity it got. With its M rating and suggestively disrobing anime chicks with come-hither eyes on its posters and cover art, it's the sort of title that usually gets relegated to Japan. There, in Catherine's native land, sexual repression collides with WTF fetish hard enough for there to be a whole market for weird games about sex. Here in the U.S., on the other hand, it represents something different, new, and ballsy: a simple action-puzzle game dropped into the context of a very adult, very Japanese, creepy, sexy thriller story.
This game is not for anyone who quickly grows impatient with non-interactive dialogue and slow-moving plot, or easily gives up when stuck on a time-sensitive puzzle that might require many attempts to complete. Hell, I'm actually not really sure it's for me. But that's the weird thing about Catherine. Like the titular character, it's a new and refreshing seductress that keeps you coming back, if only for what a unique experience it is.
Valve proud of relatively minimal Portal 2 delay
The good news: Valve has announced via press release and subsequent clarification to Shacknews the updated release date for Portal 2, which is April 20th in North America and Australia, and April 22nd in Europe. The bad news: Portal 2 was originally scheduled to hit before the end of 2010, and then delayed until February 2011.
At least the folks at Valve attempt to acknowledge gamers' frustration over delays with a little self-deprecating humor in the press release, pointing out that the original Portal "won over 30 game of the year awards, despite missing its original ship date" and that this delay "not only marks the shortest delay in Valve's proud tradition of delays, it represents the approaching convergence of Valve Time and Real Time." I, for one, am appreciative of the human touch a few jokes can put on a situation like this one, and it makes me far more likely to forgive and forget than a cold, corporate-speak announcement and apology for "any inconvenience." Besides, as I've said before, delays are better than bugs. I'm looking at you, Fable 3. And you, New Vegas.
New Portal 2 co-op cinematic trailer shows same wit, new tricks
Portal packed a boatload of charm and character into a minimalist presentation (was the companion cube a character?), and it's good to see Portal 2 following suit. With only the ubiquitous voice of antagonist puppet-master GLaDOS providing explanation, we learn that she's back to her old rat-in-a-maze routine with two new protagonists who this time are slightly more...expendable.
It's wonderful that Valve seems committed to the subtle details that made the first Portal so awesome. The two heroes demonstrate body language to distinguishes their personalities. GLaDOS would sound even more machine-like if she spoke in a true monotone, but there's just enough hint of inflection to her voice to make the final line of the trailer sound chilling.
While the first Portal was masterful at taking a pretty basic mechanic and coming up with endless permutations of it, the sheer breadth of possibilities that come to mind with two portal guns in the field is staggering. I always had a blast making infinite loops that had nothing to do with solving the puzzles, but here it's used as a mechanic to build falling momentum and then release it with specific timing. Portal 2 is expected to hit in February 2011, so it might be worth putting aside some cash for post-holiday gaming.
Cheap Thrills: Ricochet Kills 2
Cheap Thrills is a column by Chris Gampat reviewing affordable (under $20) or free games for the recession.
If you like solving puzzles, killing shadowy people, and physics, then Ricochet Kills 2 may be just the game for you. With loads of different combinations for murdering the men in suits and with different objects to aid or work against you, the game is highly addicting with a simple gameplay mechanic that will leave your brain confused with how to accomplish your goals.
If you're bored with nothing to do during a lunch break or really want to try a new game to get away from all the FPS's out there, give this simple flash game a try. If you're an Android user, let us know how it works on your phone.
Navigation
Recent Posts
- SMBC Covers Internet Policy Better Than Me
- The Humble Bundle is Back Again, and Now For Android
- Happy Quinceanera, Final Fantasy 7
- Panning Silver: The Wrongo Superman (Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #114)
- Bronycon: Bronies and Q Hit the Meadowlands This Summer
Recent Comments
- Doubleself on The Top 5 Sandbox Games
- I_TBAG_U87 on Anatomy of the Rage Quit
- Hosting forums on Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Yes, Deadpool Can Shoryuken (And Why This Is Awesome)
- TheShufflingSkeleton on Get a LittleBigPlanet 2 Beta Key Here!
- Brian on Is Sony Screwing Up the PS Vita? Not Yet. Maybe. Sort of.
