Sabtu, 01 November 2014

Harvest Moon, A Wonderful Life: SE: Marriage, Dating and The Girls

In Harvest Moon, A Wonderful Life Special Edition there are four girls to marry; Celia, Muffy, Nami and Lumina and it’s an essential part of the game to pick one of them. If you haven’t married by the end of Year 1 then it’s game over for you. If you feel like you’re under pressure, then good, because you are. If you haven’t proposed to any of the girls by the end of the 10th day of Winter then the one who likes you the most will ask you. If you reject whomever comes to your door then you’ll leave the valley and be sent back to the main menu. There is no way out of it. 



Each girl has a diary and this is the way you check how they feel about you. Each girl starts out with one green heart, meaning they don’t like you. As you give them gifts and talk to them then that one heart will turn into a red heart, after that, it will gradually go up to a maximum of four red hearts meaning they will marry you if you ask. To gain more hearts you must continue to give them gifts, it won’t happen by itself, usually. Muffy and Celia may love you up to two hearts just for your continued existence. They can be fickle creatures though. Sometimes by proposing, then rejecting, one of the girls then it may make some of the other girls like you more. I wouldn’t advocate this approach though, you’ll just end up making people hate you and it’s not an efficient means of making a girl fall in love with you. Just like in real life.

To have a girl fall in love with you you should talk to them and give them the gifts they like. There are around five or six love cutscenes fo each girl and within these cutscenes you need to pick the right responses. You trigger cutscenes dependent on how much they girl likes you, although some can be random. You won’t actually be able to propose until you have the blue feather which you’ll be given on the first day of Summer. 


So, who are the girls, what do they like and how do you get the cutscenes? 


The Girls:


So we have four girls in this game: 





Nami: 28 years old, bright red hair, light blue eyes. She wears a pair of tan shorts and a blue vest top, she looks slightly boyish and stays at the Inner Inn. She can be found wandering all over the place. She wakes up at 9am and leaves her room at around 9:30am. Her diary is in her room on her desk.

Likes: Trick blue flowers, clay statues, fossils and curry

Muffy: 32 years old, long blonde hair, blue eyes. She wears a red dress and a red hairband. Muffy lives and works in the Blue Bar and can be found there most days. She will leave around 4pm for a quick walk to the Inner Inn before going back around 5:30pm for the evening shift. Muffy’s diary is in the flower arrangement at the back of the bar.

Likes: Flowers, moon ores,

Celia: 26 years old, long brown hair, dark brown eyes. She wears a dark green dress. Celia is a hired hand at Vesta’s farm who is also her aunt. Celia wakes up at 6am in the morning and can be found in Vesta’s house on the ground floor where she spends most of the day. Her diary can be found up the ladder in that house, beneath her bed.

Likes: Flowers, eggs, vegetables

Lumina: 18 years old, honey coloured hair tied back with a yellow hairband. Lumina wears a white top and blue trousers and has a very slight frame. Lumina lives with her grandmother, Romana, in the large Villa at the top of the hill. When she’s not playing the piano she can be found in her bedroom upstairs, outside in the garden or walking down the hill and at the base of the hill. Her diary is at the back of her room, upstairs in the mansion. 


Likes: Flowers, golden wool, strawberry cake 


Nami:


A trav
elling girl considered to be the most intelligent out of all of the girls, she’s a little quiet and very down to earth. She’s apparently hard to impress, but not really, she just likes specific things. Nami often has little observations about the world and the seasons, she prefers the winter. Nami is a law unto herself and her schedule is very unpredictable, she wanders around the place a lot and won’t be found staying at home all day. 



If you don’t marry Nami she will leave the valley at the end of chapter one. If you really like her and are sad to hear this then no worries, there’s a cutscene that means she’ll come back and resume her place in the Valley. You’ll hardly notice her missing.

If you marry Nami she’ll come live with you at the farm and will be generally disinterested in what you do. She’ll stubbornly maintain her original outfit, unlike every other bride, but will maintain a balance of being inside and outside the house. She’ll often stand in the pasture standing out with her arms held out, looking up at the sky.

Schedule: Wakes up at 9am, leaves room at 10am. She will then hang out around the back of the inn before wandering the valley. She may end up visiting the bar in the evening and will go to bed whenever she feels like it. This can range from 11pm to 2am.

Note:
If you speak to her repeatedly until she has nothing new to say, you will gain favour. I had 1 red heart, nothing to give her, spoke to her a lot in her room, checked her diary again and it had gone up to 2 hearts.

Nami cutscene 1: 

 
You'll trigger this at 1 red heart. Leave your house around 12pm to find that Nami is mooching around your farm, looking at all your stuff. You’ll automatically go and talk to her and she’ll tell you to get back to work. If you like Nami and want her to like you back, tell her she can do whatever she wants. With this new freedom Nami will stay a little longer at your farm to explore it further. She’ll then leave in good spirits.

Nami cutscene 2:

You need 2 hearts for this one, though it can trigger at 1 heart. Go into the Blue Bar at between 7pm – 8pm provided Nami is in the bar and not elsewhere. Nami will ask you what it is you want and you should ask her whether you can sit next to her. She’ll let you, the next conversation option will let you pick between talking about her or talking about yourself. Talk about her, she’ll be a little defensive but tell you some stuff. For the next option you have the choice between saying “hmmm” or nodding, you should turn and nod and Nami will go over all shy and embarrassed before escaping from the bar. You turn to leave, but it seems as though Nami has forgotten to pay her tab, as Muffy helpfully points out, you should pay for it which is 256g. Muffy will coo about how generous you are and you get to leave feeling like such a nice guy, though 256g poorer. 


Nami cutscene 3:

3 red hearts for this one. Go into your house and back out again at some time in the morning, around 8am. If you don’t get it first time, keep trying. You’ll see Tim and Ruby at your doorstop and they’ll inform you that Nami is missing and they want your help. It seems as though Nami has left her rent money and left the valley. You haven’t seen her either so you’ll have the option of helping to look for her. Agree to do this. Later on, you still haven’t found her and, dejected, you’ll all go back to the inn. Suddenly, Nami wanders in on the scene asking Ruby what’s for dinner. Everybody is ecstatic, Nami is confused, they all go to lunch. Afterwards, Nami will talk to you in private.

Nami cutscene 4: 

 
4 hearts for this one! To trigger this scene go into the inn sometime in the evening when Nami is in there. If you’re struggling to get it, try following Nami about and follow her into the Inn when she goes in. Tim will tell Nami she had a phonecall from her father, Nami isn’t best pleased and will ask if she has any mail. She’ll have a letter which will prompt her to ask Tim if she can work at the inn, he’ll agree but she’ll change her mind on the spot. Nami will then ask you if she can work at the farm; agree, but she’ll change her mind again. Apparently this girl doesn’t know what she wants. Nami will then leave.

Nami cutscene 5:


This cutscene is a kind of proposal event. During the winter go into the inn in the evening and Tim will tell you Nami is sad. At that moment, Nami will come down the stairs and leave the inn, on the verge of tears. You’ll follow her and she’ll confide in you telling you that she’s run out of money and can’t continue staying with Ruby and Tim. You can offer that she comes and lives with you instead, Nami will be over the moon and will agree to live with you instead.

Proposal: 

 
Even after you have received that last proposal event you can propose to Nami officially with the blue feather to suggest marriage. You may as well, since you’re not exactly going to be roommates but rather, you’ll be parents sharing a bed. Doing parenting things together. Propose to Nami at 4 hearts, she may or may not know what the feather is depending on how many cutscenes you have done thus far, either way she’ll accept. Congrats. You won’t marry immediately, it will happen after the 10th day of Winter. 


Lumina:


In the Special Edition version of the game you now have Lumina, previously a child in the original version of the game, available for marriage. She’s now 18 years old but the character model is the same for the first year of the game. After you marry her she will look a lot more mature so don’t worry too much about it. She lives with her rich grandmother and their butler. She starts out sweet but very restricted by her grandmother but turns rather strict by the time you have a child together. Lumina plays a lot of piano, she doesn’t really want to but she’s a very musical person and this will influence your kid later on. 



If you marry Lumina she will wear a blue dress with a pink headband during Chapter 2: A Birth and will spend a lot of time in the house, though can sometimes be found wandering around outside the farm. She will don a yellow tartan dress and orange neckscarf for any subsequent chapters.

If you don't marry Lumina she will wear a sort of yellow tartan dress with and orange neckscarf. She will continue to live at home with her grandmother and Sebastian and will never marry.

Schedule: Lumina will exit her bedroom in the upstairs area of the mansion at around 9am, go downstairs and play the piano until about midday, then leave the mansion and either spend time in the courtyard or walk down to visit the firework makers. On Van days Lumina will visit Vans store and will spend a lot more time outside around the valley.

Lumina cutscene 1:

To trigger this cutscene you need 1 red heart. Enter the Villa when Lumina is playing on the piano, between 10am and 12pm, I triggered it at almost dead on 10am. Upon entering the villa you’ll find Lumina playing on the piano with Romana and Rock watching her, you’ll join them and watch as Romana compliment Lumina’s piano playing. Romana encourages Lumina to play more creatively before leaving. As Rock hovers about in the background you’ll approach Lumina and she’ll confess that she’s not enjoying playing the piano as much as she used to, she asks you what it means to ‘play more freely’. You can either respond with ‘just work harder’ or ‘juts have more fun’. Pick ‘just have more fun’ and Rock will leave as Lumina asks if she can talk to you, privately. Lumina will tell you about how she started playing the piano when she was very young and about the pressure she feels to play perfectly and how she was constantly compared to her mother, who also played piano. Lumina became overly worried about making mistakes and disappointing Romana as she tried to live up to her mother’s memory, Lumina realizes that Romana wouldn’t want that and wants her to enjoy it. After the chat, Lumina will feel much better and thanks you for listening to her.

Lumina cutscene 2:

Triggered at 2 hearts, walk into her room whilst she is in there alone. This can be triggered either in the morning between 8am and 9am or after she has finished playing the piano after 12pm. I triggered this at 12:45pm. Upon entering the room Lumina will be thrilled to see you and tell you she was looking through an art book given to her by Romana, she’ll ask you if you want to talk, reply with ‘with pleasure’ and she’ll talk about how much she likes paintings before telling you they give her a warm feeling, you can reply with, ‘what kind of paintings are they’ or ‘are they paintings of fires?’ you can reply with either answer and she’ll go into detail about the paintings. There will be another option between asking whether she wants an older sister or somebody to play the piano with, you can pick either option for this one also and she’ll tell you that you feel like a big brother to her. I presume that this feeling changes when you eventually marry the girl. At the end of the scene she’ll thank you for the conversation and show you out of the mansion, mentioning she’ll go play with some random ‘Liz’ and ‘Tanya’ type characters who I can only assume are the cats.

Lumina cutscene 3:


3 red hearts are needed to trigger this cutscene and, oddly, it focuses on Sebastian. Enter the villa foyer after 7pm to be greeted by a surprised Sebastian. He wants to show you about a new dinner he’s been preparing and wants to hear you opinion on how it tastes. As you go to the kitchen you’ll hear Romana and Lumina talking in the next room about something that sounds suspiciously like you. Before you can hear too much, Sebastian ushers you into the kitchen and scolds you for listening at their door. In the kitchen, you’ll be presented with a dish and the option to tell Sebastian, “Delicious! Or ‘It’s… terrible!”, tell Sebastian it’s delicious and he’ll be overjoyed. He’ll explain why he’s come up with the new dish and tell you that Lumina has become beautiful recently and will hint that she’s in love with somebody. He’ll reminisce about Romana and his unrequited love, finally Sebastian will thank you and you’ll leave the kitchen.

Lumina cutscene 4:

At 4 red hearts you can access the final Lumina cutscene. Leave the mansion sometime after 7am to have Lumina stop you as you leave. She’ll invite you for a walk down to the ocean, you have the options to say ‘Sure…’ or, ‘Sorry, I’m busy…’ agree to go with her. You’ll go down to the beach together and talk, soon she’ll ask you about the first person you fell in love with. You can choose between ‘I haven’t fallen in love yet’ ‘I forget’ or ‘What about you?’ ask her about her first love by picking ‘what about you?’ and she’ll talk about a conversation between her and Romana. She’ll say she feels differently about you to other people before asking you that, if she had a big brother, would she feel the same. Reply with ‘I don’t think so’ and Lumina will realize that she’s fallen in love with you. At this point, 
Sebastian interrupts and Lumina will leave with a final invite for you to visit her at the mansion.

Proposal:



Celia: 

 
You’ve probably already met her; she lives at the neighbouring farm and is shy and childish. She talks to plants, which is a little odd, but sweet. She often comments on the surrounding nature of the valley and has a very appreciative, carefree attitude. Vesta often speaks for her but Celia does raise her voice against Marlin when necessary, so she’s not a complete pushover. Celia is often the obvious choice for a farmer’s wife because she knows everything there is about crops and trees. Don’t expect this to give you an advantage however because she won’t help with your farm, like all of the wives. She currently lives with her aunt, Vesta and Vesta’s younger brother, Marlin. There’s an odd thing going on here because Marlin and Celia are some kind of unofficial couple; so yeah, make of that what you will. 



If you don’t marry Celia she will continue to live with Vesta and Marlin and not much seems to come of Marlin’s infatuation with her. Celia gets a little stricter and sterner with him though. There’s a cutscene with Marlin concerning this change in her.

If you marry Celia she’ll adopt a red dress instead of the green one and will mostly stay inside the house. She will want your child to take over the farm. Celia will continue to wake up at 6am; the earliest of all the brides.

Schedule: Wakes up at 6am, leaves house at 9am. Sometimes Celia will walk to the shops, across the bridge, and on Van days she can often be found near Vans store or near the pond by the Harvest Sprites house.

Celia cutscene 1:

Celia’s first cutscene is a little odd. To trigger it you’ll need 1 or 2 red hearts and you should go into the house at Vesta’s farm then go back out again whilst Celia is outside. Celia will be out tending to the crops and you’ll walk over to her. She’ll tell you how much she loves working on the farm and ask you if you feel the time, tell her you do. Celia will then disclose that she thinks working in the field gives her extra strength, then she’ll laugh and ask if you if that sounds childish. You don’t have the chance to tell her it’s a little unusual because your character will automatically shake his head no.

Celia cutscene 2:

This cutscene can happen at any time between 2 to 4 hearts. When you leave your house sometime in the evening you’ll see Celia walking up to the Spring, she’ll call out and ask how everybody’s doing then continue on her way. You’ll automatically follow her and Celia invites you to spend some time with her, asking you not to move so as not to disturb the surrounding nature. You don’t want to annoy her so don’t move and wait for a minute. Celia will then ask you if you feel better now that you’ve relaxed a little. You should say that you do feel a little better and she’ll be pleased but go home anyway, leaving you standing there.

Celia cutscene 3:

Again, this cutscene can happen with either 2 or 3 hearts in the diary. Generally it seems as though Celia’s cutscenes are almost random. You can trigger this scene by trying to enter Vesta’s house when Celia is inside. Around about 10am works for me. Celia will exit the house before you have the chance to enter and will be startled to see you standing there. She’ll walk off and you’ll automatically follow her. Your first option is between ‘yep’ and asking her if she’s free right now. Ask her that and Marlin will come out the house and spy on your conversation. He’ll interrupt your plans for a date and will be rather unexpectedly angry.

Marlin will remind Celia that she’s supposed to be shopping today and Celia will apologize for forgetting. You should offer to go with her and Celia will be happy to hear that, Marlin will interrupt again saying you can’t go and imply that you’re a womanizing jerk. Celia will be, naturally, rather furious with him. At this point Vesta will come and join the party. Vesta will also want to know why Celia isn’t shopping and Marlin decides now is a good time to lay the blame on you. You can blame Marlin or apologize; apologize for delaying Celia and Celia will defend you then ask you to escort her partway to town. You do so, and she’ll apologize for Marlin’s behaviour and overall rudeness.

Celia cutscene 4:

3 hearts needed. Try to enter the house (not the produce room) in the morning when only Celia is inside. This worked for me at 8am just after Marlin had left and Vesta was already outside. Before you can enter Celia will leave the house and invite you to go with her on a walk. You can choose to go or not go, go with her and she’ll be super pleased. You’ll both go to the spring where Celia will appreciate nature for a bit before turning away, sad, you can tell her to cheer up or to confide in you. Ask her what’s wrong. Celia will reveal that Vesta wants her to have an arranged marriage but Celia doesn’t want to; she wants to marry for love. You can tell her to refuse the marriage or to try it out. You can actually pick either option; it doesn’t seem to make much difference.

Celia cutscene 5:

To trigger this one you need 4 red hearts in the diary and you must enter the house at the produce farm when Vesta, Marlin and Celia are all downstairs. This might be tricky to do but it triggered for me around 11:30am. Once you’ve got the event you’ll see Marlin shouting at Celia for meeting with the guy she’s supposed to be marrying without telling him. Vesta tells Marlin off, since it’s none of his business, and Marlin will continue demanding things of Celia. He wants to know whether she will marry him or not. Before Celia has a chance to answer, Vesta will answer for her; once again telling Marlin it’s none of his damn business. When they finally realize that you’re in the room you should pretend that you didn’t hear anything. Marlin will continue acting like a jerk and Vesta will explain what’s going on. Celia will hint that she likes you more than the man she is ‘engaged’ to.

Celia cutscene 6

At 4 hearts you should exit your house to trigger the event. This seems to come at any time as I’ve read people getting it in the evening whereas I got it on the 1st day of Fall at 6:30am. You’ll see Takakura and Vesta at the door. They’re extremely worried because Celia cannot be found, Marlin will show up and say he can’t find her either. Vesta will look really down and depressed whilst you go to the spring, her favourite spot, to look for her but she’s not there either. You’ll spin around some, looking sad and eventually shake your head before returning home. Upon turning the corner you’ll see Celia standing there, talking to your dog. She’ll turn and see you standing on the other side of the field, you smile at each other then you go over. You’ll talk to her and find out she turned down all the previous arranged marriages. She’ll then quite bluntly confess her love for you. If you say that you love her too then it’s essentially an unofficial proposal. You can still propose with the blue feather afterwards though, if you’d like. You can also say “I’m sorry…” if you want to reject her.

Proposal cut scene: Offer Celia the blue feather when you have four hearts. Celia will tell you that her Mum got a blue feather from her Dad and that she doesn’t know anyone else who’s ever got one. She’ll tell you how happy she is and agree to marry you. 




Muffy


She’s the eldest out of the four girls and wants a serious, committed relationship due to having a lot of bad experiences in the past. She works at the bar with Griffin, their relationship is strictly surrogate father-daughter. She’s often considered to be easy or ‘loose’ but it seems a little unfair as she’s about as easy to wed as any of the girls, if not harder than Celia. Muffy is flirty, very girly and bubbly and doesn’t know much about farming or animals. She used to live and work in the city and is struggling to adapt to the slow country life of the Valley. 


 
If you marry her she’ll place an emphasis on how she wants her child to be intelligent, change her outfit into a blue one and in later chapters will continue to work at the bar. Despite her original reservations, once married, you’ll often find her walking about your farm and exploring the rooms and field. Muffy will sleep in later than the other brides; until 9am.

If you don’t marry her you’ll watch her live out her life lonely and alone, slowly going grey whilst staring out at the ocean. She will often confide in you about how she was cheated on/dumped etc and in the final chapter of the game, when she's grey, she'll reflect on how she wished she'd married and had children like you did. But don’t let that influence your decision.

Muffy cutscene 1:

Exit out of your house sometime after midday but before 5pm. Takakura will come up to talk to you about shipping items but will be interrupted by your dog barking at something, or someone. Turns out, Muffy has just met your dog. She’ll be backed up against the barn and you’ll run over to help her. After you explain to her why the dog was getting so defensive she’ll freak out a little, Takakura will look kind of irritated and unimpressed, and Muffy will begin to feel self-conscious. She’ll apologize for interrupting your discussion and you can tell her not to worry about it or that Takakura’s always angry. Tell her not to worry about it then ask her if she’s hurt. She’ll make some flimsy excuse as to why she’s come along then ask if next time you can show her around the farm, you’ll automatically agree. She’ll then leave with a “bye bye”.

Muffy cutscene 2:

Try and enter the bar sometime in the evening whilst Muffy is working inside, I trigged the event just before 8pm. Before you get a chance to enter Muffy will exit and be surprised to see you, she’ll then confess that she broke some plates that day. She’ll condemn herself for being a clutz then hint that she’s thinking about something important; you’ll get the choice to go inside with her or talk to her out here. Talk to her and she’ll feel better but go inside with you anyway without actually talking.

Muffy cutscene 3: 


After Muffy has 3 red hearts, or more, exit your house after midday, around 2/3pm. It can be triggered surprisingly late; I triggered it after 8pm when it was dark. You will see Muffy standing on the bridge, looking rather depressed. When you go over to her to see what's wrong she'll explain that she went to a friend's wedding recently but that it wasn't very fun as everybody wanted to know what she was up to these days. When Muffy told them she was a barmaid in Forget-Me-Not valley they found it funny, despite living in the city for so long she no longer feels like she belongs there. Muffy is upset because she feels like she doesn't  belong here in the valley either. When she asks for your opinion, tell her you think she does belong here and this will cheer her up as she vows he'll stay here until she's an old woman and get married and be happy.

Muffy cutscene 4:

To trigger this cutscene try to go to bed between 6pm and 8pm, after achieving 4 hearts, rather than the usual sleeping scene y
ou'll be interrupted by a knock at the door. Upon answering it you'll find a very frightened Muffy and Takakura, who's not so frightened, Muffy will explain to you that she's being stalked by somebody. As she's so frightened she asks if she may stay the night at your house, agree to this and she'll join you inside your house. Inside you'll talk for a short while before there's another knock at the door which turns out to be Carter, Griffin and Kassey. They'll explain that the whole situation is one big misunderstanding and that it was actually Griffin who was following Muffy and not an actual stalker, once everything's calmed down Muffy goes back to the Blue Bar for the night, somewhat irritated at Griffin for scaring her.

Muffy cutscene 5:

This cutscene is also only available at 4 red hearts and is optional. Enter the Blue Bar between the hours of 12pm and 1pm, once inside Muffy will invite you to go into the back room of the bar with her. Go with her and Muffy will explain that she's been having a bad day today and doesn't really feel like working the rest of the day. You can choose between telling her you're going back into the bar or inviting her on a date; invite her out and she'll be thrilled. You'll go out for a date together and, upon returning, Muffy will thank you for taking her out and tell you that she had a lot of fun and hopes you'll invite her out again soon. 

Proposal: 

Depending on whether you've seen the date cutscene or not you will get a slightly different proposal scene. If you did then Muffy will not ask any questions upon being given the blue feather as she already knows how much you like her whereas if you did not take her out on the date she will ask you if the blue feather is for her. After telling Muffy that the feather is for her she will, presuming she accepted your proposal, take you to the back room of the bar for some privacy. Once there she will tell you how happy she is that you proposed even though she doesn't understand why you would want to be with her, despite this, she's incredibly glad about it. After you leave Muffy will look to the blue feather with intense joy, unable to believe that she's getting married. If any of the girls have confidence issues, it certainly seems to be Muffy. 

Jumat, 31 Oktober 2014

The Cat Lady - Halloween Special Review (PC game)

Susan is no longer with us; she’s gone to the world and, even before her suicide, she’s been gone a long time from society’s apathetic eye. But even after taking copious amount of sleeping pills Susan is still unable to escape her miserable existence as she awakens in a field, unsure of whether this is life, death, or somewhere in between you take control of her life and guide her staggering footsteps through the world, searching for a way out; of where, neither you nor Susan truly knows. Whereas death is supposed to be the end of a story for Susan Ashworth, it’s the beginning.

Developer:
Harvester Games

Genre: Adventure/Horror/Point and Click
Release date:
December 1st 2012
Platforms:
Microsoft Windows
ESRB:
M - Mature

The Cat Lady’ follows Susan’s journey back to life after she meets an old woman who wants to strike a deal with Susan to allow her the peace she longs for. Susan is instructed to seek out and destroy several monsters that lurk in the world of the living on behalf of the old woman. Despite Susan’s misgivings she finds herself powerless to resist and, after a brutal and bloody way of sealing the deal, finds herself transported back to ‘life’ but with a catch; she’s now temporarily immortal. For many, this would be a wondrous gift but for an exhausted, suicidal woman it’s an ironic curse that points and laughs in Susan’s face as she treks on with her journey and seeks to complete her task just so she can rest her weary soul and finally be allowed to die. 




It’s a cryptic, surreal and often disturbing journey that encourages you to lose yourself in the darkness of depression before guiding you out of it again. This is a game where the monsters are not aliens with guns or gloomy figures lurking down the other end of a corridor, this is a game where you are the monster in the dark as Susan is flung between anger, doubt, regret, fear and anxiety as she longing for death yet craves revenge. The creatures you encounter are reflective of the demons of Susan’s soul that, as anybody who has suffered from depression will tell you, are not easily vanquished. There will be a blood, and not just a little bit, the game is unashamedly macabre and Susan is forced to undergo several brutal deaths only to be cruelly resurrected again. The imagery of the game is morbid as well and at least every single chapter has a way in which the player may allow, or actively encourage, Susan to kill herself. There’s plenty of black humour in the game as well which I found appealing as, though this game touches on very serious subjects, it’s easy to become jaded to the horrific nature of things when you’ve lived with them for so long. Whilst the game has some extreme scenes of gore these tend to be offset by slower, storyline focused cutscenes so it’s not just a blood-fest, it’s a very well written and intelligently explored blood-fest. If anything, I would describe this as a game that is beautifully horrific. 




Whilst the narrative is by far its strongest point the puzzles are actually fairly good, though not extremely difficult, if anything they are there to provide you with a means to an end rather than as something to frustrate you and slow your progression. Since the game is mostly about atmosphere and storyline I didn’t mind that the puzzles were a little easy but, saying that, they were no walk in the park either and I had several moments of backtracking and getting confused as to what I had to do next. Importantly, the puzzles didn’t feel repetitive and the constant switching of environments helped in this aspect as nothing ever felt like a chore to proceed and it was all very much necessary and interesting. Some puzzles feature some obscure clues about how to complete them that are not just restricted to visual ones, there’s a fair few aural cues which are great for the atmosphere of the game. Generally, I found the audio very good even though the voice acting came across as a little stiff now and then and there’s a very irritating sort of static noise that’s quite loud and intrusive yet entirely intentional. I would have preferred that to have been either non-existent or with the option of turning it off as it was distracting and often made the characters hard to hear. The musical score is brilliant and I have no complaints there and, whilst I said the voice acting could be a little wooden at times, it occasionally did suit the atmosphere and I get the feeling that the developers wanted everything to be very drab and unemotional. Unfortunately at times this style did not suit the on-screen events. 




The beautiful horror of this game is wrapped up in its storyline but enhanced by the unique art style that is a cross between animated newspaper cuttings and old Polaroid photographs giving the entire game a gloomy yet striking appearance. Just like Susan’s life, everything feels a little pasted together but despite this the animations are smooth, the facial expressions are detailed and everything just flows so perfectly. Visually, the game feels very much like a 1990s game which for a point and click puzzle game is just the perfect era for me, especially with it being a horror game as it reminds me strongly of much beloved games such as ‘I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream’, ‘Sanitarium’ and ‘Phantasmagoria’. Amusingly, the game also feels quite 1990s due to the very low resolution that it plays in but this doesn’t bother me so much. There are a couple more problems with ‘The Cat Lady’ though that does tend to spoil the experience a little; the controls for instance are fairly unresponsive, especially during dialogue when you’re trying to skip lines you’ve already read. Susan also does walk incredibly slowly and at one point I was quite sure I had time to go make a cup of coffee in the time she walked from one side of the screen to the other. When you’re lost and backtracking to find things, this is extremely irritating though it may just be my own impatience. Simply, a ‘double clicking to skip to the next screen you clicked on’ feature may be good as I recall several point and clicks doing this in the past. 




Complaints aside, I was utterly entranced by this game and it’s by far one of my favourite point and click adventure games, even with the huge spattering of horror and gore that’s been slapped all over the place. It’s a brilliant example of mature themes that have been done right in a way which is thoughtful, sensitive and intelligently where it doesn’t shy away from controversial issues yet doesn’t make a mockery of them either. If themes such as suicide, mental illness, depression and death offend you then this is not a game you’re going to get on well with as it is utterly unashamed in its approach to the reality of how some people want to die and will go to any length to do so. Whilst the gore side of things can be sometimes a little over the top I found it shocking yet, oddly, refreshing as there have been plenty of these sorts of games that never go too far and tend to pull back before things go too far. ‘The Cat Lady’ never pulls back, it’s in it to win it and I love that about it. The story is fantastic, full of emotion, suspense and drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat and second guessing yourself the entire way through. Susan herself is a brilliant character with genuine character development as you see her go from shy, meek and weary to a woman with a purpose, confidence and strength and quite simply it’s a pleasure to guide her through these changes. If there’s one game you play this Halloweeen, make it ‘The Cat Lady’, you won’t regret it.

The Good: 



  • Strong character development
  • Interesting, captivating storyline that keeps you guessing
  • Mature themes done right
  • Striking yet low-key appearance is very appealing
  • Decent inventory/dialogue puzzles that challenge but don't frustrate
  • Very surreal and disturbing atmosphere
The Bad:
  • Some audio issues such as hit and miss voice acting/distracting static
  • Some may find the use of gore over the top
  • Controls can sometimes be unresponsive, Susan walks too slowly
The Score: 9/10 

Final thoughts: "This has definitely become one of my most beloved point and click games, everything about it feels a bit 90s adventure game which I love and frankly it's been too long since I played something this surreal and this creepy."

Minggu, 19 Oktober 2014

Lovely Planet - Review (PC game)

Who said twitch shooters had to be set in grisly wartime settings or cerulean alien worlds? Lovely Planet may look incredibly sweet in its 'Katamari', chibi style dressings but underneath it all is a game that will beat you mercilessly into the ground with its rainbow encrusted, spiked, bouncing apple type, addictive thing that will quite literally drive you to madness. Let’s try this again. Lovely Planet is an FPS that’s set in a rather cute looking world where you must have a stunning set of reactions and the ability to memorize pathways to perfection in order to get through the extremely challenging levels. Sounds easy? It’s not, it’s far from it, it’s quite possibly the first twitch based FPS that’s genuinely addictive and also so punishing and cruel that it doesn’t mind coming across as a bit airy fairy and cutesy because it knows it could totally have you if it wanted to. You will lose at this game, many many times, you will become so familiar with the game over screen that you’ll be able to recite it from memory years after putting away this game for good. Quite simply, this game is a lying bastard that tries to convince you it’s totally approachable and easy to get into then floors you with the first punch. Now that you know how difficult it is, let’s examine it in a bit more detail. 



Developer: QUICKTEQUILA 

Publisher: tinyBuild
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Action
Release date: 31st July 2014
Platforms: Windows, Linux and Mac
ESRB: Unrated (involves shooting enemies but the bullets are cubes)

Lovely Planet is a first person shooter where you must complete a series of short levels that are no longer than one minute long and which typically last about 30 seconds. There are initially over 80 levels but there are more once you complete all of them; typically this serves as an additional stab to the side considering how long it takes to complete those ones in the first place. In order to complete each short level you must navigate platforms, avoid hazards and defeat all of the enemies presented to you and by missing just one you will have to restart that level. The courses are extremely challenging and this is partially due to the constraint of having to hit certain things before you hit the ground which results in a great deal of trying and failing to aim in mid-air. Thankfully you’re granted an infinite number of ‘bullets’ with your one and only weapon but there’s little use just spraying the screen with the purple cubes that you shoot. The key to mastering this game is to know the course by heart and to act with speed and precision which is not an easy task due to the sheer number of levels and the seemingly impossible situations the game puts you in. The slightest mistake will kill you whether that’s being hit by a single bullet, falling out of the world or touching anything that’s red there are so many ways to end up restarting the level. It’s basically one of those games where you master a small part of it, then get stuck on another bit, then creep a bit further along as you overcome that particular challenge, and then get stuck on another bit… and so on. 



To ramp up the pressure the game encourages a healthy dose of competitiveness among its players through leaderboards and record times which serve to constantly remind you at how much you suck compared to the rest of the world. Not that that’s a bad thing, in fact it’s a very appropriate feature because part of what makes this game so addictive is seeing yourself improve, whether that’s in comparison to others or not. Critically, the controls of the game can sometimes be a little ‘off’ where inputs aren’t always recognized but this is a fairly rare occurrence and is not frequent enough to impact on the overall game. Strangely there’s no actual aiming cross-hair either so firing shots is harder than in a usual FPS game but, after some practice, you’ll find yourself firing with accuracy you didn’t even know you could manage as everything becomes almost instinctual. Besides, at a mere £3.50 you can excuse a couple of blips on what is otherwise a fantastic game. 



Considering I don’t usually enjoy anything of an FPS nature this is genuinely a fun, albeit frustrating, little game that may attract all sorts of gamers to try it out either for a quick blast about or for some seriously dedicated gaming to get through all of the courses. Either way, it looks and sounds great, with adjustable sensitivity in the controls and plenty of features to keep you occupied for hours. Whilst the sound effects aren't exactly the best they're overwhelmed by a very upbeat music track that reminds you that everything's going to be ok, even when you die for the 100th time. If you fancy a challenge, check this game out now by purchasing it on Steam here.

The Good: 

  • Fast and crazy funtimes
  • Good for those who enjoy a challenge
  • Nice escalating level of difficulty
  • Unique art style for this genre
  • Decent soundtrack that's surprisingly not annoying
  • Simple mechanics
The Bad:
  • Lacks some variety in terms of gameplay
  • Occasional lag with the controls
  • Incredibly frustrating game that may put off many people
  • Unable to compare yourself directly to friends is disappointing
  • Sound effects aren't very good particularly enemies 'dying' noise
The Score: 8/10

Final thoughts: "I suck so much at this genre of games that I'll likely never get to see the ending or the later levels. I tried, I failed, I moved on with my life. That doesn't stop it from being an amazing game, I'm just awful at rote memorization of levels." 

Rabu, 15 Oktober 2014

Catherine - Achievement/Trophy Roadmap

Catherine, an unusual puzzle/interactive fiction game that puts you in the position of a man who is cheating on his girlfriend, has a large number of achievements and trophies that can only be gained by performing specific actions throughout the entire game from beginning to end. 


Your progress tends to carry between saves such as your level on Rapunzel, accessed in the bar. This means you don't have to complete Rapunzel all in one game and can keep coming back to it through multiple saves. Other things which carry between saves include trophies obtained, explained in further detail below, and the number of endings you've unlocked which effects things like pictures from the girls.


There are 11 missable achievements/trophies. These ones require specific actions throughout the game where, if one action is missed, the entire achievement/trophy will be forfeited.This guide will cover all actions required to obtain all of them. All missable achievements are listed below.


Read All About It!Get Justin Out Of His Jam10GBronze Trophy
A New LookHelp Todd Out Of His Trouble10GBronze Trophy
Mother InferiorHelp Archie Work Through His Quandary10GBronze Trophy
Love Is Patient, Love Is KindResolve Daniel's Dilemma10GBronze Trophy
One Last CaseHelp Morgan Clean Up His Mess10GBronze Trophy
Everyday HeroHelp Everybody Out Of Their Predicaments50GSilver Trophy
Sake SenseiListen to all the sake sound bites10GBronze Trophy
Beer BaronListen to all the beer factoids10GBronze Trophy
Whisky WisemanListen to all the whisky minutiae10GBronze Trophy
Cocktail ConnoisseurListen to all the cocktail trivia10GBronze Trophy
Text JunkieReply to 20 text messages by the end of the final day20GBronze Trophy

Several achievements/trophies require you to view the eight different endings and in order to obtain all of these you need to play the last segment of the game multiple times. 

Each individual ending has its own individual achievement and, after unlocking all eight seperate achievements/trophies, you should get a ninth; 'Dreams Come True' worth 100G or a Gold Trophy.

In order to view these endings you need to obtain maximum chaos karma, maximum law karma and then a neutral karma which will require different playthroughs as karma is built up over the course of the game. The easiest way of gaining law/chaos karma points is through answering mail in the game in specific ways as well as choosing particular responses in the confessionals after each landing. Below I have broken down each mail you receive and which replies you should pick to receive the desired result of a maximum karma or neutral response. When detailing responses or answers that you must pick from all Chaos karma responses are red whilst Law karma responses are blue, answers which have no effect on karma will be simply grey.

Note: By completing the game once with gold trophies (in either Normal or Hard)  on any of the stages, those same stages will be able to be skipped entirely during further playthroughs. This is an easy way to unlock additional endings as it means you only have to play through the days, not the nights, of the game and earn your desired Karma rating. 

Example: I beat the game on Normal but had started a Hard difficulty playthrough and obtained gold trophies on Night 1 and Night 2. By starting a new playthrough in Hard I could skip Night 1 and 2 entirely (by pausing the game and selecting skip) despite having not completed the game in Hard difficulty.

Confessionals:

Whilst I have listed some of the known questions that you may receive for each night of the game the questions are mostly random and some which you don't receive early on in the game you may receive at later stages. If you don't see a question listed on one of the specific night's confessional you may find it in another confessional list at a different part of the guide.

Night 1: Underground Cemetery


Nothing can be done during Night 1 that affects any achivements or the story in general.



Day 1: The Stray Sheep Bar


Start by answering Katherine's mail 'Checking in' before saving your game, otherwise you may not get a second mail.


Reply:
‘Does it bother you?’ (+1 law point) then ‘I worry about it too sometimes' (+0.5 law points), 'Maybe we should talk about this' (+1 law point) then finally 'Drive home safe, okay?' (+1 law point) for the maximum law response (3.5 law points)
Reply: ‘Does it bother you?’ (+1 law point), 'Is this some kind of test?' (+0.5 chaos points), 'I think we're ok as we are.' (no change), 'It'll just stress you out more.' (+0.5 chaos points), 'Let's catch a movie sometime. See ya!' (no change). for a neutral response (no change).
Reply: ‘Sorry can't think right now’ (+1.5 chaos points), ‘it's important to be comfortable in life’(+1 chaos point), 'I'm pretty tired right now' (+1 chaos point) then finally 'So...yeah...' (+1 chaos point) for a maximum chaos response. (4.5 chaos points)

If you obtain at least three law points during this text Katherine will respond with the text 'Wait a second...', be sure to do this immediately and not save first otherwise you will not receive this second one.

Reply:‘Guilty as charged.' (+1 law point) then ‘I'll make sure I don't drink enough to get a hangover' (no change) then finally 'Good night, Katherine' (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (1.5 law points)
Reply:'No I'm not there' (+0.5 chaos points), 'I don't need that place.' 'Good night, Katherine' (+0.5 law points) for a neutral response (no change).
Reply: ‘You don't own me’ (+1.5 chaos points), ‘Sometimes a man needs a drink, you know?’(+1 chaos point), then 'L8r' (+0.5 chaos points) for a maximum chaos response. (3 chaos points)

If you reply with at least 1 law point during this mail then Katherine will call you. Reply with 'I don't mind' during the phonecall for additional law points.

Night 2: Prison of Despair


Landing 1:


Talk to every sheep here, if when sheep do not have conversation choices you still need to talk to them for the 'Everyday Hero' achievement/trophy.
Talk to the sheep sittong on the pew and when they say, 'Aaahhh I don't want to die!' pick 'Calm down ('Everyday Hero') this also gives law points.
Talk to the sheep with regent hair and pick: 'Yes, tell me!' then 'I didn't know...' ('A New Look' Achievement/Trophy)

Landing 2:

Again, talk to every sheep here.
Talk to the sheep standing to the right on the edge and when they say, 'News flash: FUCK YOU! I need to make sure I survive!' pick 'That's not right! ('Everyday Hero')
Talk to the sheep with regent hair and pick: 'Teach me something else' then 'No...' ('A New Look' Achievement/Trophy) 


Potential confessional questions:


Question
Law answerChaos answer
Does life begin or end at marriage?
It beginsIt ends
Do you prefer being in quiet or loud places?I like it quietBring in the noise!
Which is a better life?
Long and dullShort and full
Is it ok to live with your partner without ever intending to marry them?
Not a chanceYes indeed
Do you prefer to stand out from the crowd or fit in?Fit inStand out
Which makes you more nervous?
Being aloneBeing with others
Prefer an older or younger partner?
OlderYounger
Does your job always come first?
NoYes
Is romance annoying?
I wuv it!I hate it
Do you like the words 'world domination'?
This is stupid!Yessssss
You must kiss one of these. Choose.A cephelopod-like alienA beautiful corpse


Day 2: The Stray Sheep Bar.


D
rink all 4 alcohols: Cocktail, Beer, Whisky and Sake. (Cocktail Connoisseur, Beer Baron, Whisky Wiseman and Sake Sensei Achievements/Trophies.)
Watch extra scenes with Erica after the first drink.
Talk to Orlando and pick 'Don't say that...' for law points or 'That's only if I don't get caught' for chaos points.
Talk to Jonny
Talk to Toby twice
Receive mail 'Congratulations!'
Talk to Jonny
Talk to Orlando
Answer mail 'Are you are SS again?' from Katherine.

Reply: 'Sorry I wasn't home' (+0.5 law points), 'What did you want to talk about?' (+0.5 law points), 'I think I know what you're gonna tell me...'(+1 law point), '...I understand (+1.5 law points), 'Good night, Katherine' (+0.5 law points)
Reply: 'Sorry I wasn't home' (+0.5 law points), 'We'll talk tomorrow' (+0.5 chaos points), 'I bet you're tired too' (+0.5 chaos points), 'Bye' (no change) for a neutral response (no change).
Reply: ‘Don't touch my stuff’ (+1 chaos point), ‘Sorry I'm too tired to talk right now’(+1 chaos point), then 'Man, I'm sleepy...' (+1 chaos point) for a maximum chaos response. (3 chaos points)

If you reply with at least 1.5 law points during this text then Katherine will respond with another text entitled, 'About tomorrow'

Talk to Erica three times
Talk to Boss and answer with 'I'm telling the truth' for law points or 'I actually don't remember' for chaos points.

Receive the text 'Is this reaching you' from Catherine, answer with:

Reply: 'Who is this?' (no change) then 'Do I know you?(+1 law point),' for the maximum law response (+1 law point)
Reply: 'Who is this?'
(no change) then 'Don't message me again' (+0.5 law points). for the most neutral response (no change) 
Reply: 'This is Vincent' (+1 chaos point) then 'PIX NAO PLZ!' (+2 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (+3 chaos points) 

If you obtain at least 2 chaos points Catherine will respond with the text 'YAY' whereas if you ignore this text and don't reply she will respond with the text 'R U getting these'. 

After you've replied or ignored Catherine, talk to Boss again.
Receive mail 'The Passage of Time' and 'About tomorrow' if you met the requirement in Katherine's earlier message.

Reply: 'Huh, what happened?' (+1 law point), 'Sounds important I'll definitely be there' (+1 law point), 'Go easy on yourself, okay?' (+1 law point) then 'Well, goodnight, Katherine (+0.5 law points),' for the maximum law response (+3.5 law points)
Reply: 'Okay I'll try to make it' (no change) then 'See you tomorrow then' (no change). for the most neutral response (no change)
 Reply: 'Well, I'll go if I can' (+0.5 chaos points) then 'Bye' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (+1 chaos point)

If you reply with at least 1.5 law points then Katherine will now call you. There's no Karma choices here.

Talk to Lindsey and Martha sitting down, then standing up. 
Talk to Todd, Archie and Justin standing up then sit down and talk to them. Reply with 'Maybe...' for both conversations ('Mother Inferior', 'Read all about it!', 'A New Look' and 'Everyday Hero')
Stand up and talk to Todd/Archie and Justin again
Sit back down at the booth with Orlando, Jonny and Toby. Orlando will go to the bathroom.
After the conversation, talk to Orlando.
Talk to Jonny.
Receive either 'YAY' or 'R U getting these' from Catherine depending on how you answered earlier. 

Reply to  'R U getting these' with either:

Reply: 'Uh... Who are you?'(+0.5 law points) then 'Can I have your name?' for the maximum law response (+1.5 law points)
Reply: 'Uh... Who are you?' (+0.5 law points) then 'You're bothering me.' (+0.5 law points) OR 'I got your message.' (+1 chaos point) then 'Don't talk to me' (no change) for the most neutral response of either +1 chaos point or +1 law point there's no way of getting no change.
Reply: 'I got your message.' (+1 chaos point) then 'What do you want?' (+1 chaos point) for the maximum chaos response. (+2 chaos point)

If you respond with at least 2 chaos points with this text then Catherine will respond with 'YAY'.

After the text, talk to Toby
Talk to Boss
Receive the 'YAY' message if you responded positively to the last one.

Reply: 'Don't send me this stuff!' (+0.5 law points), 'Aren't you going to get in trouble if someone see's that?' (+0.5 law points), then finally 'I'm tired. Bye' for the maximum law response.

Reply: 'That's it?' (no change) then 'Seeya' (no change) for the most neutral response (no change).

Reply: 'Wow, nice' (+1 chaos point) then 'Not quite revealing everything makes it even better...' (+1.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (+2.5 chaos points).

Finish up the night however you want; wash your face in the bathroom, watch TV, save your game and play Rapunzel.
Talk to Boss to advance time until Catherine arrives, talk to her twice then leave.

Night 3: Torture Chamber


Landing 1:


Talk to every sheep on the landing

Talk to the sheep with glasses and pick 'I'll join you' ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with regent hair and pick: 'Please tell me' ('A New Look' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with sunglasses and pick: 'I'm clueless, too!' ('Love is patient, Love is kind' Achievement/Trophy)

Landing 2:

Talk to every sheep here
Talk to the sheep and pick 'What do you mean, terrible?' ('Everyday Hero' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with glasses and pick 'I'll join you' ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)

Potential confessional questions:
 

Question
Law answerChaos answer
Who would be responsible if you cheated?
It'd be my faultThe person I cheat with
Are you a pervert?I don't think soNo use denying it
Which is more like "paradise"?
A beautiful countrysideSomewhere I can get a drink
Do you talk back to the TV?
No way!Maybe...
Are all men stupid?Not all men...That's right
What do you think of actors in sex scenes?
It's just a jobLucky!
Have you ever gotten a bloody nose from excitement?
No...Well...
Which is more cheating?
An emotional trystA physical fling
Is popping bubble wrap fun?
What a waste!Hell yes!
Which of the following would you bring to a deserted island?
A compassA piano
You must kiss one of these. Choose.A cephelopod-like alienA beautiful corpse
Could you have sex with an attractive ghost?No ghosts, pleaseI'm not picky
Has being embarrassed ever turned you on?No!Yes.
Can money buy you love?
No.Yes.
You find your lover's kink horrifyingly unsexy. What do you do?I'll try anything once.The relationship is over.
Do you have to carefully choose which underwear to wear each day?
Not reallyYes
What are your thoughts on underpants?You wear it... under your pants.It can go anywhere

 

Day 3: The Stray Sheep Bar. 


Drink all 4 alcohols: Cocktail, Beer, Whisky and Sake. (Cocktail Connoisseur, Beer Baron, Whisky Wiseman and Sake Sensei Achievements/Trophies.)
Talk to Lindsey and Martha and reply with 'I write them down' for a law response or 'I remember it' for a chaos response. Talk to them again whilst standing.
Talk to Orlando and pick 'I know... but' for a law response or 'W-wait a minute' for a chaos response.
Talk to Jonny and pick 'Well I need some sort of direction' for a law response or 'That's true' for a chaos response.
Receive mail 'Congratulations'
Talk to Toby twice until Jonny goes to the bathroom, watch the scene.
Receive and answer mail from Katherine 'Are you drinking?'

Reply: 'Sorry...' (+0.5 law points), 'But it's important to be with my friends too' (+0.5 law points) then 'Why, what's going on? Is there something wrong?' (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (1.5 law points)
Reply:'Sorry...' (+0.5 law points),'Can't I at least hang out with my friends?' (+0.5 chaos points) then 'Stop assuming the worst about me.' (no change) for the most neutral response of (no change)
Reply: 'I'll do what I feel like' (+1 chaos point), 'I don't need you on my back every second' (+1 chaos point) then 'I'll talk to you later' (no change) for the maximum chaos response (2 chaos points)
 
If you obtain the maximum law response then Katherine will reply with the text 'I'm sorry.'

Talk to Orlando
Talk to Jonny
Receive and answer a text from Catherine entitled 'Hey!'

Reply: 'Sorry I'm still at work' (no change) then 'Sorry, gotta run' (no change) then 'Bye'
(+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (0.5 law points)
Reply: 'Sorry I'm still at work' (no change) then 'Sorry, gotta run' (no change), then either 'Bye' (+0.5 law points) or 'Good night, Catherine' (+0.5 chaos points) for the most neutral response available. 
Reply: 'Yeah, I'm done (+1 chaos point), 'I can't see you today, though, I'm busy (no change) then 'I'll text you again later' (+1 chaos point) for the maximum chaos response (2 chaos points)

If you obtain at least 1.5 chaos points Catherine will respond with 'Okies' whereas if you respond with at least 0.5 law points then she will respond with 'Oh...

Talk to Erica twice
Talk to Daniel and Anna whilst standing
Sit down and talk to Daniel and Anna again, make sure you pick 'I think so, too...' ('Love is patient, love is kind' achievement/trophy) 
Receive mail 'Okies' or 'Oh...' from Catherine depending on how you responded to 'Hey!

In response to 'Okies':

Reply: 'Don't send me pictures!' (+0.5 law points), 'You can't just send me stuff like this without any warning' (+0.5 law points), then 'Let's stop right here' (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (1.5 law points)
Reply: 'Hehehe? Do I want to know?' (no change)
then 'What are you planning...?' (no change) for the most neutral response (no change)
Reply: 'Hehehe? Do I want to know?' (no change), 'What have you got in mind? (+1 chaos point) then 'Heh heh' (+1 chaos point) for the maximum chaos response (2 chaos points)

In response to 'Oh...':

Reply: For the maximum law response, just don't reply to the text

Reply: 'Good' (no change) then 'Well, good night' (+0.5 chaos points) for the most neutral reply (+0.5 chaos points) alternatively, just don't reply.
Reply: 'Thanks'
(+0.5 chaos points), 'It's not like we're never going to see each other again...' (+1 chaos point) then 'Good night, Catherine. (+1 chaos point) for the maximum law response (2.5 chaos points)

Talk to Boss
Stand up and talk to Daniel and Anna again
Talk to Justin standing up
Answer a phone call from Catherine if you responded positively to 'Okies
Receive and answer mail 'I'm sorry' from Katherine if you responded positively to 'Are you drinking?

Reply: 'I'm sorry too' (+0.5 law points), 'You don't have to apologize' (+0.5 law points), 'I'll definitely think about' (+0.5 law points) then finally, 'Well good night' (no change) for the maximum law response (1.5 law points)
Reply: 'I know' (no change), 'Don't worry about it' (+0.5 law points), 'Bye' (+0.5 chaos points) for the most neutral response (no change)
 Reply: 'I know' (no change), 'I'll get around to it' (+1 chaos point) then, 'Bye' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (1.5 chaos points)

If you obtain the maximum law response you will receive a phone call from Katherine. 

Talk to Morgan whilst sat down, then once again standing up
('One Last Case' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to Erica
Sit down and talk to Justin then pick 'Men, of course' ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)
Stand up and talk to Justin again
Talk to Todd and Archie whilst standing
Talk to Jonny, Orlando and Toby
Talk to Erica twice
Sit down and talk to Todd and Archie and pick 'Lots of money'  ('A New Look' and 'Mother Inferior' Achievements/Trophies)
Talk to Boss twice
Talk to Catherine when she arrives and pick 'That's not what grown ups do' for a law response or 'That's true' for a chaos response

Night 4: Inquisition


Landing 1:

Speak with every sheep on the landing

Talk to the sheep in the police hat and pick: 'I think so...' ('One Last Case' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with the long-haired sheep and pick: 'Join the conversation' ('Mother Inferior' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep and pick 'Come on, get a hold of yourself!' ('Everyday Hero Achievement/Trophy)

Day 4: The Stray Sheep Bar.


Drink
all 4 alcohols: Cocktail, Beer, Whisky and Sake. (Cocktail Connoisseur, Beer Baron, Whisky Wiseman and Sake Sensei Achievements/Trophies.)
Watch a scene with Erica when she comes over.
Talk to Lindsey and Martha sitting down to be asked: “Would you rather watch baseball/golf at home?” Pick golf for chaos and baseball for law. 
Talk to Lindsey and Martha standing up. 
Talk to the couple by the arcade machine twice. 
Talk to Morgan sitting down then standing up. ('One Last Case' Achievement/Trophy)
Receive four mail, none of which you can reply it. 
Talk to Justin sitting down. ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)

Reply to the mail from Catherine: ‘Heyyy

Reply: ‘Why do you care’ (+0.5 law points) then ‘I can’t see you today'
(+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (1 law point)
Reply:Why do you care’ (+0.5 law points) ‘Grownups have to work for a living’ (+0.5 chaos points) and ‘we’ll talk later’ (no change) for a neutral response.
Reply: ‘I’m drinking with friends’ (+1 chaos point) and ‘we’ll talk later’ (no change) for a maximum chaos response. (1 chaos point)

If you reply with a chaos response you’ll receive mail from Catherine titled ‘You meanie!’

Talk with Jonny at the bar.
Talk to Justin standing up. 

Reply to the mail ‘About this morning’ from Katherine. 

Reply: ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to chase you away’ (+0.5 law points), ‘I wanted to protect you…’ (+0.5 law points), ‘I want to talk to you too’ (+1 law point), ‘I really care about you’ (+1 law point) and finally, ‘Good night Katherine’ (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (3.5 law points)   
Reply: ‘I can't get that stink out of my room…’ (no change) ‘Come see me another time’(no change) ‘We can talk about the details the next time we see each other’ (+0.5 chaos points) then finally ‘Well, good night, Katherine’ (+0.5 law points) for a neutral response (no change)
Reply: ‘It’s okay’ (+1 chaos point) ‘But you did surprise me, too’ (+1 chaos point) and ‘actually I’m too tired to talk, so I’ll see you later’ (+1 chaos point) for the maximum chaos response (3 chaos points)
 

If you ignore the mail or reply with at least 2 law points Katherine will send another mail entitled ‘I…

Talk with Jonny at the bar again.
Talk to Erica.
Talk with Daniel and choose the 'Forget about it' option for the achievement. You can otherwise pick 'It was never a competition' for chaos points and no achievement. ('Love is patient, Love is kind' Achievement/Trophy)
After the conversation, talk to Daniel standing up. 

Reply to the mailYou meanie!’ if you met the above requirements.

Reply: 'Don't call me' (+0.5 law points) then 'I mean it, stop calling me' (+1 law point) for the maximum law response (1.5 law points)
Reply: 'You're so persistent...'  (no change) then 'We've got nothing to talk about' (no change) for the most neutral response.
Reply'You're so persistent...(no change) then 'I've got to run, no time to talk.' (+1 chaos point) for the maximum chaos response (1 chaos point)

If you reply with at least 1 chaos point during this mail Catherine will phone you. If you answer it, you'll receive +1 chaos points. If you instead reply with at least 0.5 law points then you'll receive the mail 'Re:Re:You meanie!'

Talk to Boss.
Talk to Erica.
Talk to Archie and reply with 'Of course' to both questions he asks you ('Mother Inferior' Achievement/Trophy)

Reply to the mail 'Re:Re:You meanie!' from Catherine if you met the above conditions.

Reply: 'It's not like you have anything interesting to say' then 'Bye' for a law or neutral response, there is no change here.
Reply: 'Next time, ok?' (+0.5 chaos points) then 'Good night' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (1 chaos point)

Reply to the mail 'I...' from Katherine if you met the above conditions.

Reply: 'Yeah, I'm sorry about that' (+0.5 law points), 'I need to make sure I'm ready emotionally.' (+0.5 law points) then 'Let's get together and talk things out soon.'
(+1 law point) for the maximum law response (2 law points)
Reply: 'Stop worrying so much' (+0.5 chaos points), 'I really care about you' (+0.5 law points) then 'See ya' (no change) for the most neutral response.
Reply: 'Stop worrying so much' (+0.5 chaos points), 'I'm tired...' (+0.5 chaos points) then 'Don't drink too much. It's not that good for you. Take it from me.' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (1.5 chaos points)

If you reply with at least 1 law point Katherine will call you. If you choose to ignore it you will receive +1 chaos points.

Stand up and talk to Archie. 
Talk to Erica. 
Talk to Boss twice.
Receive mail 'Your fellow customers...
Finish up the day however you like, Catherine won't be along tonight. Wash your face in the bathroom, maybe check out that mail from Catherine or play some Rapunzel. 

Night 5: Quadrangle.


Landing 1:

Talk to every sheep here.
Talk to the sheep with glasses and pick: 'Teach me a technique!' ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with regent hair and pick: 'The pregnancy was a lie?' ('A New Look' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with sunglasses and pick: 'By the way, there's this technique...' ('Love is patient, Love is kind' Achievement/Trophy)

Landing 2:

Again, talk to every sheep here.
Talk to the sheep with regent hair and pick: 'That's your Dad's fault!' ('A New Look' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with sunglasses and pick: 'I'll find a way for both of us.' ('Love is patient, Love is kind' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep in the police hat and pick: 'Let's work together.' ('One Last Case' Achievement/Trophy)
 

Day 5: The Stray Sheep bar.


Drink all four alcoholic drinks; Cocktail, Beer, Whisky, Sake. (Cocktail Connoisseur, Beer Baron, Whisky Wiseman and Sake Sensei Achievements.)
Watch an extra scene with Erica
Talk to Jonny twice, pick 'Who knows what's happening' for chaos points and 'I believe in her' for law points then 'I never give up' for law points or 'I always quit in the middle' for chaos points.
Talk to Orlando twice
Receive the mail 'Congratulations'
Talk to Archie ('Mother Inferior' and 'A New Look' Achievements/Trophies)
Reply to the two mails 'Eat your cake' and 'Some good medicine'

Reply to 'Eat your cake' from Katherine with: 

Reply: 'Sorry, I've been busy, too' (+0.5 law points) 'But… I have something that I need to talk to you about, too' (+0.5 law points) and 'I need to think some more before I do, though' (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response
(1.5 law points)
Reply 'You surprised me when you came over so suddenly' (no change) 'So, are you home alone right now?' (no change) then finally, 'Not that I'm implying anything…' (no change) for a neutral response.
Reply: 'Please don't come over without calling me beforehand.' (+0.5 chaos points) 'Is work really keeping you so busy?'(+1 chaos point) 'Ugh… That's not the way I meant it.' (no change) then 'I'm pretty tired, so I'll talk to you later.'(+0.5 chaos points)for the maximum chaos response (2 chaos points)

Reply to 'Some good medicine' from Catherine with:

Reply: 'I told you already! You can't keep doing this!' (+0.5 law points) and 'Please stop sending me these pictures.' (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response. (1 law point)
Reply: 'This is crossing the line… '(no change) 'These pictures are going to make things really complicated for me' (no change) then 'Well, whatever… See ya.' (no change) for a neutral response.
Reply: 'Niiiiiiiice' (+1 chaos point), 'Have I ever mentioned my perfect 10' (+1 chaos point) then 'Don't go overboard, ok?' (+0.5 chaos points)for the maximum chaos response. (2.5 chaos points)

Tal
k to Lindsey and Martha and reply with 'Woof' for law points or 'Meow' for chaos points.

Reply to 'I'm wondering' from Catherine:

Reply: 'Does it matter?', (no change) 'I just can't see you today.' then 'I'll see you later' for a neutral/maximum law response.
Reply: 'I'm not lying!' (+1 chaos point) 'I've been really tired lately.' (no change) 'Come on, cheer up.' (+0.5 chaos points) 'I wish I could see you…' (+1 chaos point) then 'Good night, Catherine.' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (2 chaos points)

If you answer positively then you will later receive another mail from Catherine entitled 'Oh...'

Talk to Lindsey and Martha again.
Sit down and talk to Daniel and Anna ('Love is patient, Love is kind' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to Justin whilst still sat down and select 'It's not your fault' selecting, 'What's done is done' may work for the achievement/trophy ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)
Stand up and talk to Daniel and Justin once more 

Reply to Katherine's mail, 'Hey...

Reply: 'Sorry, it's nothing' (+0.5 law points), 'Thanks for worrying about me' (+0.5 law points) and 'Good night, Katherine' (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (1.5 law points)
Reply: 'Sorry, I'm just tired...' (no change), ''Maybe it's because I'm drunk (no change), 'Well, good night' (no change) for a neutral response.
Reply: 'Does it matter?' (+0.5 chaos points), 'I have a lot on my mind, too.' (+0.5 chaos points) then 'I'm going to drink a little more here, so I'll talk to you later.' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (1.5 chaos points)

Sit down and talk to Morgan, select 'If I have to choose, yes' ('One Last Case' Achievement/Trophy)

Reply to Catherine's mail 'Oh...' if you answered positively to 'I'm wondering'

Reply: 'You're starting to bug me' (+1 law point) then 'No matter what you say I still can't see you tonight' (+1 law point) and finally 'So that's it, see you' (no change) for the maximum law response (2 law points)
Reply:'I'm only trying to make sure...' then 'But I can't see you tonight' then 'Let's discuss this some other time, okay?' for the most neutral response (no change)

Reply:'I didn't say you were the bad guy' (+0.5 chaos points), 'In fact, I'm the bad guy' (no change) then 'I'm sorry if I made you mad.' (+0.5 chaos points), 'Come on, don't be mad.' (+0.5 chaos points), 'Absence makes the heart grow stronger, right?.' (+1 chaos point) then finally 'You don't need me tonight, stop causing trouble.' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (3 chaos points)

If you reply with the maximum law response then you will receive a phone call from Catherine.

Talk to Toby, Jonny and Orlando
Talk to Erica twice
Talk to Boss twice
Watch television, talk to Boss until everybody else leaves
Stay in the bar when all the other patrons have left to unlock 'You don't have to go home...'  which is worth 5G or a Bronze Trophy.

Night 6: Clock Tower.


Landing 1


Talk to all the sheep on the landing.

Talk to the sheep and select, 'I've been answering honestly... ('Everyday Hero')
Talk  to the sheep with glasses and select, 'Let's do it' ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)

Landing 2 

Talk to all the sheep on the landing.

Talk to the sheep with the police hat and select, 'What kind of training?' ('One Last Case' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk  to the sheep with glasses and select, 'That's a lot!' ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)

Landing 3 

Talk to all the sheep on the landing.
Talk to the long haired sheep and select, 'Come on, don't think like that.' ('Mother Inferior' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with sunglasses and select, 'Join the meeting' ('Love is patient, Love is kind' Achievement/Trophy)
Talk to the sheep with the police hat and select, 'Are you really going to give up here' ('One Last Case' Achievement/Trophy)

Day 6: The Stray Sheep Bar.


Drink
all four alcoholic drinks; Cocktail, Beer, Whisky, Sake. (Cocktail Connoisseur, Beer Baron, Whisky Wiseman and Sake Sensei Achievements.)
Talk to Orlando twice
Talk to Jonny twice
Receive mail 'Congratulations'
Talk to Toby twice
Receive and answer the mail 'What's going on?' from Katherine.

Reply: 'Don't worry about it' (+0.5 law points), 'You don't have to worry about anything.' (+0.5 law points), 'Sorry, I'll explain everything to you when it's all over.' (+1 law point), then finally 'I love you, Katherine.' (+1 law point) for the maximum law response (3 law points)
Reply: 'You're worrying too much.' (no change) 'It was just a misunderstanding' (no change) 'I'm sorry you're worried about me' (+0.5 law points) then finally 'Bye' (+0.5 chaos points) for the most neutral response (no change)
Reply:
'You don't believe me?'(+0.5 chaos points) ,'Why are you telling me this?' (+1 chaos point), 'It's not a big deal (+0.5 chaos points), then 'Bye' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response (2.5 chaos points)

If you obtain at least 1.5 law points during this text then Katherine will answer with the mail 'Can I trust you?' later on.

Talk to Lindsey and Martha, answer with 'I hate politics' for law points or 'I hate economics' for chaos points.
Receive and answer the mail 'I'm so excited!' from Catherine

Reply: 'I told you to stop sending me pictures' (+0.5 law points) then 'I didn't mean to commit to anything this morning' (no change) for the maximum law response (+0.5 law points)

Reply: 'I.. uh.. still haven't decided if I go' (no change) then 'I didn't mean to commit to anything this morning' (no change) for the most neutral response (no change).

Reply: 'Is it... going to be a date?' (+0.5 chaos points) then 'Anyway, i'll see you tomorrow' (+1 chaos point) for the maximum chaos response (+1.5 chaos points)

Talk to Lindsey and Martha again
Talk to Anna at the bar twice
Receive and answer the mail 'Can I trust you?' from Katherine if you met the requirement earlier.

Reply: 'I'm really settled now, trust me' (no change) then, 'There's really nothing for you to worry about' (+0.5 law points), then 'You're the most important thing to me, always (+1 law point), then finally 'Thank you for worrying about me' (+0.5 law points) for the maximum law response (2 law points)

Reply:'I'm really settled now, trust me' (no change) then, 'I'm not going to cause you any trouble' (no change) then 'You can relax' (+0.5 law points), then finally 'Thanks for messaging me' (no change) for the most neutral response of (+0.5 law points)

Reply: 'Quit grilling me...' (+0.5 chaos points), 'Even if I told you you probably wouldn't understand' (+0.5 chaos points) then finally 'Hasn't this been enough? Good night.' (+0.5 chaos points) for the maximum chaos response of (1.5 chaos points)

If you respond with at least 1.5 law points to this text then you will receive a phone call from Katherine.

Talk
to Justin and pick 'Is there a reason?' ('Read all about it!' Achievement/Trophy)
Receive mail 'The Rapunzel Puzzle'
Talk to Justin again
Talk to Orlando
Talk to Toby
Talk to Boss twice
Talk to Erica twice

Night 7: Spiral Corridor


Landing 1


Talk to everybody that's left.
When talking to the sheep with glasses pick 'Let's work together.'
Speak to the sheep with sunglasses and pick 'Don't give up, follow me!

Landing 2

There are no dialogue options but you must talk to everybody here, especially the Long Haired Sheep, Sheep with Glasses, Sheep with Sunglasses, Sheep with Police Hat and the Sheep with Regent Hair

Landing 3

This is the last landing but again there's no dialogue options. Talk to everybody again, in particular the Long Haired Sheep, Sheep with Glasses, Sheep with Sunglasses, Sheep with Police Hat and the Sheep with Regent Hair

Day 7: The Stray Sheep Bar


Drink all fou
r alcoholic drinks; Cocktail, Beer, Whisky, Sake. (Cocktail Connoisseur, Beer Baron, Whisky Wiseman and Sake Sensei Achievements.)Talk to the couple twiceTalk to Lindsey and Martha twice
Receive mail 'Congratulations'
Talk to Lindsey and Martha
Talk to Boss
Receive and answer mail 'Hey' from Katherine

Reply: 'Thanks for texting me' (+0.5 law points) then 'It makes me realize just how important you are to me...' (+1 law point) for the maximum law response (1.5 law points)
Reply: 'I guess we just missed each other'
(no change) then 'I'm so sorry for everything...' (no change) for a neutral response (no change).
There is no reply for a chaos response so just reply with the neutral one, it will not affect a 
'chaos' ending.

Talk to Boss twice

Talk to Erica twice
Receive mail 'The Experience Enigma'
Talk to Boss/Erica to advance time, finish up in the bar and save your game.

Day 8: The Stray Sheep Bar


Drink all of the alcoholic drinks to finally unlock the following four achievements/trophies: Cocktail Connoisseur, Beer Baron, Whisky Wiseman and Sake Sensei.
Talk to Daniel and Anna to unlock 'Love is Patient, Love is Kind'
Receive mail 'Attachment Issues' - depending on how many endings you've viewed, you can exit in and out of this mail for additional pictures.
Talk to Justin to unlock 'Read All About It'
Talk to Morgan to unlock 'One Last Case'
Talk to Toby twice
Talk to Orlando twice
Talk to Jonny twice
Talk to Erica
Talk to Todd and Archie for the achievements/trophies 'A New Look' and 'Mother Inferior'
Talk to Erica twice
You can leave now, or talk to everybody once more. Upon leaving the bar, provided you've replied to at least 20 texts during the game you should now unlock the 'Text Junkie' achievement/trophy. 

Night 9:  The Empireo


So, we're almost at the end of the game. Night 9 will be where you make the final decision on which of the 8 endings you'll end up seeing. Not all 8 will be available to be unlocked by this point in the game and it will depend on your Karma meter but you can see how to answer the questions during the landings of Night 9 to achieve the different endings by consulting the chart below. You can view details about the specific endings by clicking their links to a post about Catherine's storyline. 

Bear in mind that the first question, "Are you prepared to risk your life to get back together with a former lover?" asked on Landing 9-1 has no bearing on the ending you receive, so answer it how you wish. 

Stage 9-2 question: Do you wish for a peaceful life?
Stage 9-3 question: Do you wish for the excitement of chaos?
 

Achievement
Ending
Karma MeterStage 9-2 AnswerStage 9-3 AnswerStage 9-4 Answer
Starting A New Life
Katherine True
(True Lover Ending)
Max LawYesNoLeft
Just Like Old Times
Katherine Good
(Normal Lover Ending)
Mostly LawYes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Left
Right
Right
Right, Left
Nighty Night
Katherine Bad
(Bad Lover Ending)
Mostly ChaosYes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Left
Right
Right, Left
Lord of the Night
Catherine True
(True Cheater Ending)
Max ChaosNoYesLeft
Sleepless Nights
Catherine Good
(Normal Cheater Ending)
Mostly ChaosYes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Right
Right
Right
Right, Right

Hit The Road, Vincent
Catherine Bad
(Bad Cheater Ending)
Mostly LawYes 
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Right
Left
Right, Right
Whatever, buddyFreedom GoodMiddle, partially law/chaos.NoNoYes, Left
A Life Without Regrets
True Freedom
Middle NeutralNoNoYes, Left