Mirror's Edge Catalyst Reviews
Catalyst is as close to a definitive version of a Mirror's Edge game as we're likely to get, despite retaining some of the first game's issues.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst has some exciting and refined free-running mechanics, but the missions and modes that support the gameplay are content-thin and generic.
DICE's reboot of a flawed modern classic fixes old problems while introducing new ones all of its own.
The staples of Mirror's Edge remain refreshing and unique in the first-person genre in 2016, but Catalyst's attempts to keep up with the open-world Joneses don't always jive with its design strengths of movement and momentum. On top of that, muddy-looking console versions and a lame story filled with unlikable characters doom Mirror's Edge's return to fall short. I was so happy this game was being made, but in the end I'm just as disappointed in how it turned out.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is an interesting game with some strong ideas but not enough variety.
This genre-blender experiments with the traditional sandbox formula, but fails to encapsulate the fun elements of an open world
Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a flawed, but often great breath of something different and exciting in an open-world landscape full of the same old thing.
Catalyst's combat stumbles, but the fluid freerunning and enticing open-world challenges overshadow most of its shortcomings.
Catalyst is at its fleet-footed best when it barrels forward and sticks to the rooftops, but it never manages to fully shake the cookie-cutter corporate nonsense its rebellious heroes claim to despise.
For hardcore Mirror's Edge fans, Catalyst is a wonderful love letter from DICE that rewards the passion of this relatively small group.
So I'll end in the spirit of the game, with a refined version of what I said last time: Mirror's Edge Catalyst is good and you should probably play it, but damn, it could have been superb.
First person parkour is just as much fun in Catalyst as it was in the original. The new combat is a noticeable improvement, and the open world makes this a much longer experience than its predecessor.
If you can look past the weak story and the dull characters, Mirror's Edge Catalyst has some of the best gameplay mechanics on the current gen by far.
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.
Unfortunately, the open world of Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is a sad and disappointing one and if it weren't for the exciting parkour and constant running it would have been absolutely barren. A superficial story, weak characters, and okay visuals make Catalyst is less than stellar continuation of Faith's story.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Mirror's Edge Catalyst is quite a good game, but not the exceptional one we were expecting and looking for. The new open world scheme is good, while the main campaign is nothing to cheer for.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A better game than the original, but it still suffers from many of the same problems – with desperately uninteresting storytelling and combat.
DICE may have failed to address all of the problems of its predecessor, but it completely re-captured what Mirror's Edge was all about. Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a great way to bring new fans–and old fans alike–back into the world of Faith Connors.
But it's been quite the journey, as Mirror's Edge Catalyst is one of the toughest reviews I've tackled in some time. It was so hard to acclimate to the changes and suffocating AAA mentality after the original was near perfect, but I think once people get over that initial shock, they'll come to adore it in spite of that.