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Catherine Classic for Windows published through Steam

Jerry on
Catherine Classic for Windows published through Steam
Persona series designers at Atlus wove together puzzle action gameplay and themes of psychological horror and romance in Catherine for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, directed by Katsura Hashino with character design by Shigenori Soejima.

Protagonist Vincent Brooks, tormented by the attention of two love interests, finds himself propelled into a series of dreams where he must climb a tower of retractable boxes to safeguard his life. His normal life is dreamlike in its own right, set in a fictitious North American city in a near-future setting where the bars are haunted by rumors of perilous seduction.

Launched on February 17th, 2011, Catherine presents a melange of hip-hop and guitar rock produced by Shoji Meguro, mixing in arrangements of classical pieces by Chopin, Handel, and Bach. The contrasting music styles mirror the protagonist's anxiety-ridden decision whether to pursue the impulsive, untethered Catherine or stay true to the loyal, scrupulous Katherine.


Further diversifying the musical palette of the game, composer Kenichi Tsuchiya contributes gothic horror pieces, with a hint of chiptune simplicity, to the in-game arcade console "Rapunzel," whose gameplay infects Vincent's fever dreams. Persona series co-composers Atsushi Kitajoh and Toshiki Konishi round out the sound staff, while L-VOKAL provides lyrics for the opening rap song "YO."

In an unexpected move for the developer, the console release received a direct port for Windows in 2019 under the moniker Catherine Classic. A sampler with music from both the original and expanded release is hosted on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music Unlimited.


From the Steam product page:
Explore the pleasures and horrors of love as Vincent, a man with a hard choice to make: marry his long-time girlfriend Katherine or move on to the incredible blonde he just woke up next to — named Catherine! But beware! Make the wrong choice, and you could end up dead. Delving into themes of free will and the delicate nature of relationships and the choices we make, this action-adventure-puzzle game is an experience unlike anything else.

From ATLUS’ all-star team that brought the Persona series to life, and animation by Studio 4°C, known for anime movies ‘Memories’ and ‘Tekkon Kinkreet Black & White’, Catherine Classic is a masterwork in stylish presentation and design.
Apple Music - Catherine & Catherine Full Body Soundtrack Set

CDJapan - "Catherine" Original Soundtrack