GRAPHICS: Cohesively styled and nice to look at - somewhat typical ATLUS character designs. The colour schemes are pleasing to the eye and I overall enjoyed the aesthetics of the game a lot.
CHARACTERS: The protagonist, Vincent, is a 30-something year old socially awkward deadbeat who's going nowhere in particular in life and has to decide whether he's going to stay that way or start getting his act together. He's an objectively bad person at first, and so he might be hard to like for a lot of players, but I personally found his character development fun to guide along, and the comedy he brings with his constant anxiety and horrified reactions to everything had me endeared. Your potential love interests are Katherine, an ambitious and diligent career woman who wants Vincent to settle down and start taking things more seriously; Catherine, a playful and uncommitted seductress who doesn't believe in love; and Rin, a sweet and mysterious neighbour who doesn't seem to remember much of his past. I enjoyed all three characters and their different dynamics with Vincent (and who he can become as a result of those dynamics), but my personal favourite is probably Rin thanks to what he represents - I believe as a partner he is the biggest catalyst for Vincent to grow as a person and to find genuine happiness. The supporting characters, primarily Vincent's group of friends and Erica, the waitress at the bar they all hang out at, are likeable and funny.
DIALOGUE/VOICE ACTING: I enjoyed all of the voice acting fine. Troy Baker as Vincent is on point and hits all of the comedic beats perfectly, and while my personal enjoyment can vary with the other characters' voices, none of them were bad.
PLOT: A surprisingly mature and nuanced take on relationships for a game like this, Catherine: Full Body deals with infidelity, commitment, sexuality, gender identity, and personal growth. I found it genuinely enjoyable to play through, and your ending can vary pretty wildly depending on your choices and route (if I remember correctly, there are 16 or 17 different possibilities).
GAMEPLAY: The game has two very different gameplay styles. During the day, it's a dating sim/visual novel; Vincent hangs out at the bar with his group of friends, answers texts on his phone and has conversations with his various romantic interests, and has cutscenes with other characters. At night, it turns into a genuinely challenging and fast-paced puzzle game, where you guide Vincent through a series of nightmares he finds himself cursed with where any death in his sleep means a death in reality. I was playing it more for the story and choices than I was for the puzzles, so I ended up utilising the new QoL/accessibility toggles in this edition to breeze past most of them.
MULTIPLAYER: I believe there is a competitive multiplayer mode to the puzzle gameplay, but I've never tried it.
To address the elephant in the room, I'm sure there's nothing I can say about the transphobia criticisms about this game that hasn't been said already. However, personally it all comes down to: I can look past it. For an ATLUS game in 2011, having a major and likeable trans woman character like Erica is progressive in itself, and while I completely stand by the fact that people's criticism of how her character is treated by other characters is valid, I do believe they genuinely improved with Full Body and showed growth in how they treat LGBT+ characters with the inclusion of Rin, the fact that sexuality and gender is directly addressed on Rin's route with Erica weighing in on it, and the toning-down of some of the more off-colour moments to do with Erica's gender from the original.
I do think the 'alien reveal' was pretty silly and tonally off from the rest of the game. As some others have said in their own reviews, I would find Rin as an angel much more consistent and easy to digest, and a nice rounding-out of the love interest roster with Rin as an angelic figure, Catherine as a demonic figure, and Katherine as a grounded regular human. Frankly, I tend to just pretend that part of the ending didn't happen.
Favourite Male Character: Rin
Favourite Female Character: Erica
First Character I Liked: Vincent
Favourite Character Design: Katherine
Favourite OST: Result, Revelation
Least Favourite Character: None
CHARACTERS: The protagonist, Vincent, is a 30-something year old socially awkward deadbeat who's going nowhere in particular in life and has to decide whether he's going to stay that way or start getting his act together. He's an objectively bad person at first, and so he might be hard to like for a lot of players, but I personally found his character development fun to guide along, and the comedy he brings with his constant anxiety and horrified reactions to everything had me endeared. Your potential love interests are Katherine, an ambitious and diligent career woman who wants Vincent to settle down and start taking things more seriously; Catherine, a playful and uncommitted seductress who doesn't believe in love; and Rin, a sweet and mysterious neighbour who doesn't seem to remember much of his past. I enjoyed all three characters and their different dynamics with Vincent (and who he can become as a result of those dynamics), but my personal favourite is probably Rin thanks to what he represents - I believe as a partner he is the biggest catalyst for Vincent to grow as a person and to find genuine happiness. The supporting characters, primarily Vincent's group of friends and Erica, the waitress at the bar they all hang out at, are likeable and funny.
DIALOGUE/VOICE ACTING: I enjoyed all of the voice acting fine. Troy Baker as Vincent is on point and hits all of the comedic beats perfectly, and while my personal enjoyment can vary with the other characters' voices, none of them were bad.
PLOT: A surprisingly mature and nuanced take on relationships for a game like this, Catherine: Full Body deals with infidelity, commitment, sexuality, gender identity, and personal growth. I found it genuinely enjoyable to play through, and your ending can vary pretty wildly depending on your choices and route (if I remember correctly, there are 16 or 17 different possibilities).
GAMEPLAY: The game has two very different gameplay styles. During the day, it's a dating sim/visual novel; Vincent hangs out at the bar with his group of friends, answers texts on his phone and has conversations with his various romantic interests, and has cutscenes with other characters. At night, it turns into a genuinely challenging and fast-paced puzzle game, where you guide Vincent through a series of nightmares he finds himself cursed with where any death in his sleep means a death in reality. I was playing it more for the story and choices than I was for the puzzles, so I ended up utilising the new QoL/accessibility toggles in this edition to breeze past most of them.
MULTIPLAYER: I believe there is a competitive multiplayer mode to the puzzle gameplay, but I've never tried it.
To address the elephant in the room, I'm sure there's nothing I can say about the transphobia criticisms about this game that hasn't been said already. However, personally it all comes down to: I can look past it. For an ATLUS game in 2011, having a major and likeable trans woman character like Erica is progressive in itself, and while I completely stand by the fact that people's criticism of how her character is treated by other characters is valid, I do believe they genuinely improved with Full Body and showed growth in how they treat LGBT+ characters with the inclusion of Rin, the fact that sexuality and gender is directly addressed on Rin's route with Erica weighing in on it, and the toning-down of some of the more off-colour moments to do with Erica's gender from the original.
I do think the 'alien reveal' was pretty silly and tonally off from the rest of the game. As some others have said in their own reviews, I would find Rin as an angel much more consistent and easy to digest, and a nice rounding-out of the love interest roster with Rin as an angelic figure, Catherine as a demonic figure, and Katherine as a grounded regular human. Frankly, I tend to just pretend that part of the ending didn't happen.
Favourite Male Character: Rin
Favourite Female Character: Erica
First Character I Liked: Vincent
Favourite Character Design: Katherine
Favourite OST: Result, Revelation
Least Favourite Character: None
6 Comments
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@Aleta_Nook (Ignore the deleted comments, I'm sleep-deprived from a long flight and I'm messing up my own comments sections with typos and grumpiness)
I did say "at first". Also, I am not here to debate whether someone who cheats on his girlfriend is a bad person or not, because in my personal opinion I have no respect for cheaters and I think they are objectively bad people. As I said, it's fiction and I enjoy Vincent's character regardless, hence why I said right there that he was the first character in the game I liked. I'm also not super sure why you equated me calling Vincent a "bad person" with thinking he's an "evil sociopath" like there is no nuance in how someone can be shitty, because in no way did I say that nor do I think it. I don't think he's evil or a villain. I do think he sucks in the beginning, because he's a cheater, selfish, disloyal, flaky, self-centered, lazy, etc. etc. etc. and I really, genuinely can't think of any great traits he has at the start beyond maybe showing compassion/empathy for Rin in the new stuff. The whole point of the game, to me, is showing him (potentially, depending on route) becoming a better person.
I did say "at first". Also, I am not here to debate whether someone who cheats on his girlfriend is a bad person or not, because in my personal opinion I have no respect for cheaters and I think they are objectively bad people. As I said, it's fiction and I enjoy Vincent's character regardless, hence why I said right there that he was the first character in the game I liked. I'm also not super sure why you equated me calling Vincent a "bad person" with thinking he's an "evil sociopath" like there is no nuance in how someone can be shitty, because in no way did I say that nor do I think it. I don't think he's evil or a villain. I do think he sucks in the beginning, because he's a cheater, selfish, disloyal, flaky, self-centered, lazy, etc. etc. etc. and I really, genuinely can't think of any great traits he has at the start beyond maybe showing compassion/empathy for Rin in the new stuff. The whole point of the game, to me, is showing him (potentially, depending on route) becoming a better person.
@HaloBlues
First of all, you used the word "objectively". Like it's a fact. What evidence are you using that says cheaters are actually bad people? I don't respect cheaters either, but calling them bad people is taking it a bit far. Cheating is not illegal, just toxic behavior just like bullying and abuse and I certainly don't think it's the end of the world. There are much worse things out there.
Calling someone a "bad person" is a very strong word to use because you're implying that person is so scummy that no one should be around them. Vincent can actually be very sweet as long as you don't force your boomer values onto him, never did anything evil or illegal at any point in the game and is hardly ever mean or cruel. Just because he's not a saint doesn't make him a bad person or a devil. I don't consider Vincent a bad person and I think he's better than most of the characters in the game. He's one of the few characters who's self-aware about his worst flaws, can apologize when he offends someone, and can take accountability for his mistakes. Plus, he's the most altruistic character in the game besides Rin. And lying itself, depending on what you're lying about, is not the end of the world either.
First of all, you used the word "objectively". Like it's a fact. What evidence are you using that says cheaters are actually bad people? I don't respect cheaters either, but calling them bad people is taking it a bit far. Cheating is not illegal, just toxic behavior just like bullying and abuse and I certainly don't think it's the end of the world. There are much worse things out there.
Calling someone a "bad person" is a very strong word to use because you're implying that person is so scummy that no one should be around them. Vincent can actually be very sweet as long as you don't force your boomer values onto him, never did anything evil or illegal at any point in the game and is hardly ever mean or cruel. Just because he's not a saint doesn't make him a bad person or a devil. I don't consider Vincent a bad person and I think he's better than most of the characters in the game. He's one of the few characters who's self-aware about his worst flaws, can apologize when he offends someone, and can take accountability for his mistakes. Plus, he's the most altruistic character in the game besides Rin. And lying itself, depending on what you're lying about, is not the end of the world either.
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@Aleta_Nook I think you're just... massively misunderstanding what I mean. I have no idea why you're equating "bad person" to "that must mean they're equal to abusers and sociopaths" when I just told you there is nuance in how a person can be bad. First of all, just because YOU think "bad person" is a 'strong word to use' doesn't mean I think of it in the same way you do. It doesn't mean someone's irredeemable or a villain. It doesn't mean "no one should be around them". It means they're an asshole. I firmly believe Vincent IS an asshole at the beginning, and he is a bad partner and a bad friend. He gets better. That's the point of character development.
Second, I think someone who yells at cashiers is a bad person. That doesn't mean I think they're the same kind of bad person as A Literal Serial Killer, for example. It's really not that deep and I have no idea why you're on my review taking one off-hand phrase I used so seriously. This whole thing seems to be you finding it difficult to comprehend other people a) don't have the same opinion as you, despite me spending my review And additional replies to you stating that I like Vincent, and b) don't lend the same weight and associations to certain words that you do. I also have no idea why you're calling me a boomer, I'm 23 LMAO. Today I learned thinking that cheaters are shitty people makes you have "boomer values" (ironic, considering in my experience it's overwhelmingly younger people who are more vocal about cheating being a horrible thing to do)
Second, I think someone who yells at cashiers is a bad person. That doesn't mean I think they're the same kind of bad person as A Literal Serial Killer, for example. It's really not that deep and I have no idea why you're on my review taking one off-hand phrase I used so seriously. This whole thing seems to be you finding it difficult to comprehend other people a) don't have the same opinion as you, despite me spending my review And additional replies to you stating that I like Vincent, and b) don't lend the same weight and associations to certain words that you do. I also have no idea why you're calling me a boomer, I'm 23 LMAO. Today I learned thinking that cheaters are shitty people makes you have "boomer values" (ironic, considering in my experience it's overwhelmingly younger people who are more vocal about cheating being a horrible thing to do)
@HaloBlues I mean, okay, that's your opinion. I also personally believe many people in this world are assholes. I don't necessarily call them bad people unless they are just completely toxic to be around. But still, people who act like the characters in this game are assholes imo and I would NOT want to be around them. Except for Vincent because he's decent and loving enough especially if you treat him right, and Rin because he's a borderline saint. Many people implying Vincent is the worst out of them or an "awful" person is a stretch to me since very few of the characters in the game are saints or evil people.
I don't think there was ever a time where cheating was acceptable, it just seems like people these days are less forgiving of it now. I'm 25 so I can't make too many assumptions. But that's not what I refer to when calling the characters "boomers". I wasn't calling you a boomer specifically. I'm using that as a phrase for people trying to force old-fashioned values on a modern society. Like for example, most of Vincent's friends besides Rin are all doing this sort of thing. Jonny lashes out at Vincent for ditching Katherine for Rin, Orlando and Jonny want Vincent to get married just because Katherine was "pregnant", Erica complains about Jonny not marrying his girlfriend and people liking video games, Vincent's friends all shit on Erica for being trans. This isn't accurate to modern day America (where the game takes place) between people in that age group. In the Victorian era and early-mid 20th century, people expected you to get married by your 20s and for you to stay exclusive to your partner for the rest of your life no matter how unhappy or happy you are with them (divorce rates were low back then). Men were expected to be a man. Vincent vents to Rin about how his peers want him to be a traditional man and to suck it up despite all the trauma and confusing shit he was dealing with. Erica calls Vincent a loser once for venting his feelings and ignores his "schizophrenic episode" because she thinks "what's tough is tough". Orlando is constantly downplaying Vincent's feelings and telling him to get over things like his closest friend Rin leaving him. Katherine drops a huge bombshell on him about the pregnancy and yells at him to speak up and complains about the door being locked. No, I would not be a good friend/partner either if I had people like this, in fact, I would be a lot crueler than Vincent ever was. The fact that Vincent was so forgiving, submissive, and unconditionally loving throughout all of this shocks me.
I don't think there was ever a time where cheating was acceptable, it just seems like people these days are less forgiving of it now. I'm 25 so I can't make too many assumptions. But that's not what I refer to when calling the characters "boomers". I wasn't calling you a boomer specifically. I'm using that as a phrase for people trying to force old-fashioned values on a modern society. Like for example, most of Vincent's friends besides Rin are all doing this sort of thing. Jonny lashes out at Vincent for ditching Katherine for Rin, Orlando and Jonny want Vincent to get married just because Katherine was "pregnant", Erica complains about Jonny not marrying his girlfriend and people liking video games, Vincent's friends all shit on Erica for being trans. This isn't accurate to modern day America (where the game takes place) between people in that age group. In the Victorian era and early-mid 20th century, people expected you to get married by your 20s and for you to stay exclusive to your partner for the rest of your life no matter how unhappy or happy you are with them (divorce rates were low back then). Men were expected to be a man. Vincent vents to Rin about how his peers want him to be a traditional man and to suck it up despite all the trauma and confusing shit he was dealing with. Erica calls Vincent a loser once for venting his feelings and ignores his "schizophrenic episode" because she thinks "what's tough is tough". Orlando is constantly downplaying Vincent's feelings and telling him to get over things like his closest friend Rin leaving him. Katherine drops a huge bombshell on him about the pregnancy and yells at him to speak up and complains about the door being locked. No, I would not be a good friend/partner either if I had people like this, in fact, I would be a lot crueler than Vincent ever was. The fact that Vincent was so forgiving, submissive, and unconditionally loving throughout all of this shocks me.
@Aleta_Nook Yes, exactly, all my reviews are my opinions. 😅 I just write these for my own reference and enjoyment, so I wasn't really prepared to have to defend it over a casual turn of phrase I used, but I do see where you're coming from.
Aleta_Nook
6 months ago