Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Review: Glass Can Be Fragile

Game Reviewed: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

Release Date: June 7th, 2016

Developer: EA DICE

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Platform: [Reviewed: Xbox One], PlayStation 4, PC

Genre: Action-Adventure

Rated: T for Teen

EA and Dice has recreated, re-imaged and redefined their iconic heroine Faith Connor in the revamped Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. This time around her role is more in-depth than simply jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

With Faith finishing her time in lock down her guardian Noah immediately sends another runner named Icarus to bring her home. Although she’s not the most respected runner anymore, she’s still the best! As you travel through the city of Glass there are missions, side objectives, deliveries and more to complete. If that wasn’t enough, we also had the opportunity to free run and become one with your environment.

The combat system is fairly easy to get used to as you can engage in hand to hand combat, or utilize the environment while running and performing traversal attacks. In fact the overall experience felt more simplistic than the original title, making this installment more enjoyable, yet challenging.

Aside from the story you’re able to accept time trials and challenges from against other gamers, ranking in an online leaderboard. One of the biggest obstacles experienced was during one mission forcing me to outrun a chopper that was searching for me, with security on the ground. This isn’t Grand Theft Auto where you can jump in a car and find the nearest hideout, or Watch Dogs allowing me to simply hack the city and the helicopter with a cell phone.

Catalyst has a hefty amount of gameplay as you move throughout the city, enough to where in time you truly begin to feel like Faith herself with every jump, climb and wall run. As you complete each mission, objectives or collect various items on each rooftop Faith earns XP allowing character upgrades ranging from her running technique, combat which reflects health, the amount of damage you can dish out and Gear, which is earned throughout the campaign itself.

Mirror’s Edge looks beautiful when considering the environment. Character models were only as detailed when looking at the cutscenes, as for the citizens and other non-important henchmen/women they resembled what you may see on an older platform rather than new-gen, which was slightly disappointing.

Enforcers in Mirror’s Edge have an unfair advantage as they can shoot at you, bullets penetrating, even when aren’t looking in your direction. I’m sure this wasn’t meant to be so stay out of their line of sight because it does. The time trials and challenges can become intrusive as they appear almost everywhere. And last, Catalyst 15 chapter story can be completed in as little as 8 to 10 hours. Keep in mind that there’s so much that can still be done in the city of Glass but the campaign leaves you wanting more.