As circulated this past weekend by popular Japanese leakers, Atlus, the developers of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona, have been hard at work on a follow-up to the 2011 cult hit, Catherine. Officially titled Catherine: Full Body, the project still follows protagonist Vincent as the mysterious and lusty Catherine threatens his relationship with the blander Katherine—however, it is far from a simple remaster. Featuring new characters, scenarios, endings, and gameplay styles, Full Body looks to be the ultimate Catherine experience.
Among the vast selection of changes and additions is an entirely new central female character. Called the “third Catherine” but apparently named Rin, early descriptions situate her as more of a confidant and moral compass for Vincent as he wrestles with his questions of infidelity and guilt. Also unique to Full Body are new endings, added scenes with the original Catherine and Katherine, “sexy events,” advanced difficulty settings, changes to the core puzzle-platforming gameplay, and much more.
Part of the lasting appeal of Catherine has been the emergence of a wholly unexpected but fascinating competitive scene, making it certainly the most bizarre esport around. However, with a growing community and influential characters developing the metagame—such as longtime Super Smash Bros. Melee analyst Toph—Atlus have seen fit to add support into the game itself. Available in Full Body for the first time are online battles, which should come as quite the Christmas present for those dedicated to this most unlikely of esports. Whether or not there will be a proper competitive ladder, though, is still up in the air.
More details are still forthcoming, including what relation this game will have with the other title in development by Atlus arm Studio Zero, Project Re Fantasy. Look for “deep discussions” and an official trailer on December 22, when the development team goes live on Niconico to reveal more about Catherine: Full Body.