What is it?

The promotional art says sexy ladies, but the gameplay says puzzle platformer. Levels take place in the dreams of the main character, Vincent, and feature manifestations of his fears and anxieties. As for the bizarre bipedal sheep, rumor has it that they represent unfaithful men.

Why is it cool?

Catherine is its own creature and defies genre conventions. It's not trying to be something it isn't, even if that leaves people stumped when trying to compare it to other games. I can't say I was a fan of climbing towers of deadly blocks before, but this dark and quirky title is certainly helping me to reconsider my position.

At E3, we got to check out the multiplayer mode, which involved a race to the top of a tower while avoiding spike hazards. Of course, you don't have to actually make it to the end of the stage to win; you can always just pull the blocks out from under your competitors.

The moment I realized this game was deeper than blatant sex appeal.

Catherine grapples with issues of fidelity and doesn't impose a right or wrong answer on the player. Do you deflect the advances from the mysterious blonde-bombshell Catherine and make your significant other proud, or do you start corresponding with her via sexting? If you do decide to indulge in immoral behavior, be prepared for the consequences...in the form of an alternate ending.

Looking for more E3 news, previews, videos, and analysis? Check out our E3 2011 Coverage Hub.