Exploring the Psychological Depths Behind Catherine

Michelle Kwan
ILLUMINATION Gaming
6 min readApr 27, 2024

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Source: ZTGD

As an avid Persona fan, Atlus’ other franchise, Catherine, has always been on my radar, but I’ve never properly explored it. Now that I’ve spent some time with it, I realise it’s riddled with symbolism and themes that lend themselves to a psychological interpretation.

In this mini-series on Catherine, I will explore the psychological aspects of the main characters and delve into the Nightmare Stage in Part 2.

About Catherine

Catherine is a puzzle game that follows the journey of Vincent Brookes, an ordinary man facing existential dilemmas and relationship turmoil. The game delves into themes of morality, relationships, societal expectations, and the complexities of human nature.

Source: Hey Poor Player

Players navigate Vincent’s infidelity and nightmares, making moral choices that shape his fate.

Here’s a brief rundown of the three central characters:

  • Vincent Brookes: Vincent, our ordinary hero, is in a 5-year relationship with his girlfriend Katherine and starts to struggle with the fear of commitment and his desire for freedom. He begins having nightmares and wakes up one…

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Michelle Kwan
ILLUMINATION Gaming

Aspiring Narrative Designer/Game Writer + Avid Storyteller. I mostly write about games, but sometimes I go off-track and write about other things too.