How To Win At Cheating: Game Console Edition

Most controversy about video games emerges from violent content. Catherine, the newest game for Playstation 3 and XBox 360, is sketchy for wholly different reasons.

The premise of this adventure game is that the protagonist, a thirty-something called Vincent, is unhappy in his five-year relationship with Katherine. She wants a wedding ring; he won’t give it to her.

One night, at a bar with his friend, he meets Catherine and sleeps with her. The point of the game is then for him to choose between coming clean to his girlfriend and trying to make it work or just ditching old Katherine for new Catherine.

To make his decision, he sees clips giving him glimpses of what the two relationships would be like from that moment on but he also needs to solve riddles and puzzles during potentially deadly nightmares, which are supposedly brought on by the rumors and guilt of cheating.

Not only does this game sound entirely nonsensical, it relies on the old cliche of the mysterious-yet-possibly-evil woman coming to scare a man straight, when all along he should have been the one dealing with his own commitment issues and having a serious talk with his lover.

Video games are not the place you’re expecting to find life changing romantic advice, but gamers already get unfairly made fun of enough for lacking social skills. The games they play shouldn’t work to confirm that stereotype.

Contact the author here: sedera@morningquickie.com