Mirror's Edge Catalyst Review: Must-See Details & Screenshots

Eight years after the dizzying parkour game Mirror’s Edge drew a passionate cult following, only to fade away as the years rolled by, the franchise is back with a follow-up that solves many of the issues that held back the first game while creating some new ones. Doing away with strangely confining linear level design for an open world romp that grants you freedom, as well as the tendency to get lost and frustrated, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a divisive adventure that will be a breath of fresh air to some and a strange, inaccessible curiosity to others.
Game: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst
Consoles: Xbox One (reviewed), PS4
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA DICE
Release Date: June 7
The story serves as a wholesale reboot, scooping up familiar parts from the previous game, including the cityscape, protagonist and gameplay mechanics, and retelling Faith’s story from her beginnings as a wall-climbing street rat who is recruited for a higher cause. The tutorial levels help you readjust to the jarring perspective of first-person parkour, zipline riding, pole swinging and bar vaulting. Combat is an exhilarating sequence of inept guards standing around waiting for you to jump them from above, take them out with flying kicks and topple them over like dominoes. Unlike in the first game, you won’t wield a gun, instead using your wits and reflexes to dodge bullets and take out armed enemies. The lack of weaponry feels more liberating — taxing you to get creative and keep moving — rather than a hindrance.
Ever since the game was revealed to be set in an open world, purists groused that developer EA DICE was sacrificing what made the game special in order to appeal to a wider audience. Devs addressed those concerns with ample handholding that will help newcomers stick to a tight critical path if exploration isn’t their thing. You can toggle on a “runner’s vision” mode that highlights a possible path to wall-run, jump and slide through whatever obstacles stand between you and your next checkpoint. The game is more fun if you turn that off and make things up as you go along. If you get lost, you can always snap back into the assist mode to scoot you back on track.

Although there is no true multiplayer, there are plenty of ways to interact with other gamers. Leaderboards keep track of speed run times, and you can map out free-form time trial challenges to challenge the community. The game’s open urban jungle network of rooftops, girders and overhangs is a high-stakes jungle gym that is just as much fun to mess around in for its own sake rather than blaze through in order to finish a level. The single-player campaign allows you to upgrade your abilities and gear, branching out your traversal capabilities.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst favors style over substance, running through an obligatory origin story that will make you roll your eyes often if you pay close attention. That doesn’t matter as much as it could, because this is an experience that is all about momentum. You can’t pause to enjoy the scenery, because you’re always scampering from one impossible nook to the next, harnessing your ability to run, flip and dive through your surroundings as an underpowered, lithe heroine. If you were intrigued by the refreshing ideas in the first game, you’ll be happy with the way this reboot explores those concepts more fully while getting rid of many of the technical hangups that stopped the original in its tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOe3ik_RViE

ORDER: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst here

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Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Reviews Around The Web:

“The most important aspect of the game, parkour, is still an absolute blast to mess around with.” –Tech Times
“Gameplay was sleek, and when jumping, ducking, sliding and drop-kicking in sequence, everything simply flowed together.” –PlayStation Lifestyle
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it — the story is horrible.” –Destructoid

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Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Screenshots

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The publisher provided a review copy. 

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