After what seems like dozens of Persona 5 spinoffs and a successful new franchise in Metaphor Refantazio, Atlus needs a fresh coat of paint. Atlus has gotten way too comfortable working around the same JRPG formula, remaking old games and introducing new franchises with basically the same gameplay.
So instead of going the Golden route like Persona 4’s rumored remake, I think Atlus should go hot pink, like their highly underappreciated franchise, Catherine. A franchise that’s been left on the shelf for way too long, and I’m here to tell you why Atlus is making a big mistake by not cashing in on a sequel.
Unique Gameplay
Atlus has perfected every aspect of the JRPG formula to the point where story and other small, unique tweaks to the system are the way to go. Be it Persona or Metaphor Refantazio, both games give enough freedom to the player to play and grind the game out however they want. Persona especially gets the dungeon-delving part of the game right, communicating tons of story and personality through stage design and character dialogue alone. But still, that can be too much of a good thing, and none of Atlus’ beautiful UI elements can change that. After years of playing Atlus games, replaying Catherine when the Full Body remaster came out was a pleasant surprise. The game felt like Atlus was trying something new with their formula, and it was insanely addictive, too.
In Catherine, instead of diving into dungeons to fight monsters, you’re put in the shoes of lost lamb Vincent, climbing his way up to heaven while avoiding traps, monsters, and other lost lambs. The gameplay felt like unraveling a Rubik's Cube, seeing into the puzzle steps ahead, and planning your route until you made it to the top. Not only that, but you were under constant pressure to finish the puzzle on time, which made reaching the top just that much more satisfying. Catherine’s gameplay had so much depth that it even spawned a small tournament scene where competitors would fight each other on their way to the top. Impressive, considering the usual Atlus formula didn’t have multiplayer included.
Mature Themes
Let’s face it, every JRPG is technically the same with unique tweaks, but what you’re really there for is the story. We’ve been Japanese high schoolers for years now, Atlus. It’s time you let us grow up and face real-world problems. But as I say that, I want everyone to know that I’m not downplaying any of the Persona stories. I do admit they have a lot of depth and deal with a lot of interesting themes, but having to navigate high school life just isn’t as immersive or relatable when you’re an office worker pushing 30. Plus, I cannot be the only person who finds it weird having to pick between which high schooler to romance.
Youth is always a nice escape from the harsh realities of real life, but at some point, we have to grow up. Catherine introduces us to a world of young adults trying to navigate the real world, dealing with themes of loneliness, infidelity, and the quarter-life crisis. I personally really liked having to face the consequences of my actions as Vincent, dealing with shameful thoughts of lust and the inner turmoil of commitment. Not only that, but getting to know the people around Vincent and everything they’ve been dealing with was also just as entertaining as any Persona confidant.
Managing Expectations
The last time we heard of Catherine was a console-only re-release called Full Body with an additional character and a few gameplay tweaks, far from an actual sequel. Although this re-release was well-received by fans of the series, there wasn’t anything new enough to really cause a stir in the tabloids. No new fans were brought into the series, and that sucks because I know what Full Body really meant for the franchise. This re-release was Atlus testing the waters to see if Catherine, with its unique gameplay and mature themes, was still a hit with its general audience. That was years ago, and the fact that we haven’t had a true successor to Catherine means we got their answer.
The future of the franchise looks bleak with Catherine not even showing up on Atlus’ website, and that makes me extremely sad. Either way, I will always be a fan of the original Catherine, and I will always be waiting at the doors of the Stray Sheep bar, waiting for the game to come back.
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