Catherine reflection

What I have found intriguing about the game Catherine is that there is no physical violence. Okay, scratch that as there is a lot of violence. However, Vincent isn’t running around swinging a sword/shooting a gun/casting spells to slay his demons. He rises above them. He moves around them, working behind the scenes, moving things around so he can find a solution to the issue.

Wouldn’t you say this is a “feminine” solution?

Think about it. Wouldn’t this be something we’d play if the hero of the story was a woman? Think of Portal. Would the game be as intriguing if the man was the protagonist? What do men usually do in the face of adversity? Given the choice of running or fighting, what do you lean towards? The fact the game takes place in a nightmarish place, I’ll reach for a sword. This is probably even true for some women.

So how does this work with Catherine? Would it be an intriguing experience if Vincent could cut/blast/shoot/punch his way through the game? I honestly think the answer would be “no.” Relationships are all built up, whether it is on lust, honesty, love, values and/or experiences. They are constantly rising. The catch is that relationships are exceedingly volatile and can be destroyed at any given moment. Think about your own relationships with friends, family, and co-workers. How many are still around today? Was it all smooth sailing or did you and your friend/lover/significant-other/family member have to work at things? Did it fall apart because you were climbing different mountains?

Vincent is constantly climbing, moving things around to find the next plateau –the next door to empowerment and improve his relationships. He is, in a literal sense, scaffolding his life. Scaffolding is a counseling term is when the counselor/teacher helps build the client/student up by helping him/her go farther by meeting the person where he/she is in one’s life. It is the real life application of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximity. The ultimate purpose is to help the student/client his/her goals.

This is what makes Catherine such a powerful game from a narrative perspective. The gameplay represents many things: the opportunity to build new relationships, the process of maintaining and re-pairing current relationships. This is something that even Vincent seems to realize by the game. He has a natural ability to scaffold. He knows what he needs to do and the steps necessary to get there. The results of his work depend on your choices.

So what are your thoughts on Catherine?