Mirror's Edge Catalyst Reviews
A flawed but effective take on parkour
Catalyst is not a flawless reboot, but it remains a very deep experience, filled with well-designed quests and interesting secondary activities; most of all, the game takes advantage of the environment in a clever way, making it strongly interactive for the players.
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There's a clear set-up for more stories to be told with Faith and the runners of Glass with Mirror's Edge Catalyst, and while it isn't quite as shiny and perfect as the city of Glass, hopefully in due time we'll get to see more from Mirror's Edge and experience the series at its full, untapped potential. Though it trips itself up occasionally with combat and a lackluster story, at a full run few games can catch up to Mirror's Edge for pure exhilaration and Catalyst is more than ready for the race.
If you're a big fan of the first game, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. However, if you never played the original, you might want to take a test drive first to see if you want to commit to it.
It's like a giant schoolyard playground, in which players can freely explore and make their own adventures.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst still has fun parkour, but fails as a compelling open-world game.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst has a strong core built by its movement system, but when it comes time to do anything else than run from point A to point B, you'll probably be more inclined to run away.
The wait for a follow-up to Mirror's Edge was certainly a long one, but now that Catalyst is finally here, we can say the wait has so been worth it.
Having had a great chance to digest the experience of Mirror's Edge Catalyst, I'm left with an open-world experience that doesn't sit on the crutch of weapon-driven combat, and instead lends gamers with a robust parkour system that is extremely rewarding and satisfying, all of which is set in a city that is truly worthy of a screenshot at every turn. It's a story that is touching, powerful and will have you invested in its characters. Mirror's Edge is back and it is here to stay.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst's unique take on first person parkour is something that no other game or series manages to deliver. Due to this, even when it stumbles, it's easy to look past its faults, simply because it's so damn unique and novel.
If you loved the original Mirror's Edge, or enjoy the concept of free-running around a beautiful city without the fear of falling off a skyscraper or crotching yourself on a railing, Catalyst is most definitely right up your alley. As an open world adventure game however, it has some way to go. There are too many elements in the mix, and not all of them pan out.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is less 'Still Alive' than it is 'barely breathing', yet it retains a special place in my heart as a game that tried to offer gamers something a little bit different to the norm. Ultimately it's a failure, a broken game with repetitive action and a mechanic that lends itself far better to arcade like linearity rather than open world botch-jobbery. An admirable failure, but one that's left a huge cloud over this poor reviewers' head. I can only hope we eventually get the sequel we deserve that's tight, addictive and stunning. I know you've got it in you, Dice.
Catalyst introduces significant structural and design differences that don't fit with what made Mirror's Edge so special. Those decisions turn a tight, streamlined thrill ride into an overstuffed and undercooked bummer of a reboot. If another Mirror's Edge comes our way eight years from now, hopefully its designers will look back to the original game for inspiration and avoid the urge to fill it full of videogame clutter.
When allowed composure, Mirror's Edge Catalyst becomes the colossal free running daydream that never seemed tenable. When pushed into conflict, either with its own systems or the demand of "content" in 2016, Mirror's Edge feels anxious and frenzied. Separating wondrous substance from obliged distractions isn't a distinction the game is capable of making, leaving gratification to the will of the player.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is an impressive action game when it finds its legs (sorry). Slow to start with a mediocre plot, this is a worthy sequel overall.
The only people I'd recommend Mirror's Edge Catalyst to are newcomers to the franchise. The parkour, when it works, is still just as awesome, but the game has just too many detractors for the fans of the original.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a fun yet uninspired sequel to one of EA's most inspired titles, and a title that has no clear idea what it wants to be.
I really, really wanted to like Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, and when the game lets me run wild and focus on building momentum and stringing together parkour moves, I genuinely do. Then I'll be forced into some mandatory combat section or forced to sit through a monotonous cutscene and the entire game just grinds to a halt.
The open world design shows potential, but keep running: If you stop, so will the fun.