If someone told me that it would be possible to take the basis of a really good horror story and turn it into a puzzle game, I wouldn't have believed them. Yet somehow, Atlus has done just that. And what's even more surprising – it's a damn good game.

Vincent Brooks is your ordinary 30-something software engineer with a bit of a problem. His girlfriend, Katherine (with a K), has been dropping not-so-subtle hints at marriage. The only problem is that Vincent wants nothing of it. Enter Catherine (with a C), a blonde seductress who happens into Vincent's life and after a night of drinking, ends up spending the night with him. And even though Vincent awakens the next morning with no recollection of what happened, the sight of a naked woman who isn't your girlfriend isn't necessarily a good thing. Compounding to Vincent's would-be night of cheating is the fact that some very mysterious deaths seem to be afflicting the men in Vincent's age range – all of which have died in their sleep and have apparently suffered from some terrible nightmare just moments before their deaths.

Catherine's presentation is somewhat similar to that of Persona 3/4 in that the gameplay is split between two distinct play types. If I were to sum up Catherine's core mechanics, it would be with one word: Edge. I sincerely hope you all enjoy that word cause you are going to be hearing it a lot as you push and pull blocks to navigate Vincent out of his night time horrors and into the waking nightmare that is the love-triangle that he has so woefully entangled himself in. Each night our tech-savvy protagonist must climb ever upward out of his nightmare, all the while avoiding anthropomorphic sheep men and outrunning the collapsing blocks beneath his troubled feet. In order to evade certain doom and safely make his way out of the dream world, Vincent must push and pull the blocks which surround him, forming steps and building a path towards the tower's exit point. The game goes on to introduce a number of elements to keep this urgent, beat-the-clock set up from becoming too repetitive, such as blocks that can only be stepped on once before crumbling, heavier blocks which require a bit more time and effort to maneuver, and the ability to summon a block out of thin air. The simplicity of the gameplay is one of Catherine's greatest strengths and together with the frantic circumstances of Vincent's nightmares, makes for a wholly satisfying gaming experience. And when you consider the 'boss' monsters that pursue Vincent at the end of every chapter (all absurdly yet brilliantly designed), the basic formula refuses to teeter into Blandsville.

The block-based puzzle aspect of Catherine plays out in great contrast to its daytime scenarios where Vincent can be found at the Stray Sheep Bar, chatting with his pals and interacting with his lady loves via text messages, ultimately deciding how this romantic horror tale will play out. These anime-infused scenarios are what drives Catherine's compelling narrative forward and provide the perfect balance between its interactive story-telling and the block-tastic puzzle madness that ensues shortly after. There is admittedly a great deal of inner conflict when choosing between each of the diametrically opposed (K)Catherines. Do I choose the woman I've been with all along or do I take a chance on someone new and exciting? While I felt morally compelled to do the right thing and stand by my girlfriend, Catherine's nightmarish plunge into our emotions isn't about morality. It's about the matters of the heart and choosing what feels right over what seems right. And luckily, the game uses a gauge to signify which girl you are currently holding favor with.

Something must be said for Atlus' first in-house HD endeavor- and that is that Catherine has got some serious chops in the looks department. This is anime come to life, folks; Catherine's beauty is only rivaled by that of its saucy namesake. We speak of the uncanny valley and reference L.A. Noire and id Software's RAGE as pioneers in photo-realism, but there is a haunting allure to Catherine's character animation and art style, and it simply far more appealing to the eye than anything else on the market.

Adding to Catherine's presentation is the top-notch work voice performed by its charming cast. The Japanophile in me has always cried foul when a JRPG is brought over to the states with not so much as a Japanese audio option (seriously, if it even remotely looks like anime, it needs to be in Japanese), and hammy, American voice actors completely muck up the experience. Catherine thankfully, does not suffer from this. Consider this yet another notch in Atlus' outstanding localization team as everyone from Catherine's titular star, to the entire supporting cast (got to love Trisha) is a joy to listen to. And when you are trying to convey a story as adult-oriented as Catherine's, convincing voice-work is the cornerstone of delivering just that. And this brings us to the real meat and potatoes of Atlus' horror puzzle platformer.

Where Catherine truly shines is in its story telling, mainly its subject matter and its willingness to tackle some very grown-up issues. Vincent's dilemma isn't necessarily unheard of; it is actually quite ordinary. Atlus gets an insane amount of brownie points for bringing such mature themes to the gaming world. And I'm not referring to the behind-the-back hanky-panky, cheating on your girlfriend stuff, but some genuinely profound insights into love, maturity, and settling down with someone you truly care about. We've all experienced this before, perhaps even similarly sat down at a local pub and thrown a few back while discussing the exact situation that Vincent has put himself in. Sure there is the occasional Sadako/Samara inspired creature or chainsaw-spewing baby to deal with. But underneath its unapologetic Japanese ways is a love story worthy of Shakespeare – okay, maybe not that deep but you get my point.

One thing I have yet to mention is Catherine's difficulty, a hot button issue for its Japanese release that it prompted a patch to easy up on the challenge shortly after its release. On Normal, I found Catherine to be adequately difficult, not so much that I wanted to smash my controller into itty bitty its, but just enough that I wanted to do better. The game suffers from a steep learning curve as it is always pitting Vincent against diabolical new puzzle blocks to take into consideration. I applaud Atlus for wanting the puzzle gameplay to remain fresh at every turn, but I can see how it can be off-putting for even the most patient player.

Atlus has somehow managed to take all the finer points of romance, dating, and inevitably falling in love, and has created an experience so irresistibly satisfying. Catherine's got the heart to win over any gamer. It is a wonderfully innovative title, a game that is so unabashedly Japanese that it will absolutely charm your pants off.

Fun Factor: Once you get over being blissfully unable to understand what's going on, Catherine is one hell of puzzle game.

Difficulty: Despite a steep learning curve, Catherine is a manageable albeit challenging title.

Length: Given the numurous deaths you are bound to encounter, the entire sorted affair should last about 12 hours, making it the soap opera you have ever watched.

On the Negative Side: Catherine doesn't have much to bring it down, except for maybe the degree of difficulty and its unwavering sense of tension.

Bang for Your Buck: With two possible gals to end up with, multiple endings, and a competetive 2-Player Mode, Catherine is more than a one-night stand.