Mirror's Edge Catalyst Reviews
This genre-blender experiments with the traditional sandbox formula, but fails to encapsulate the fun elements of an open world
Mirror's Edge Catalyst isn't as good as it should be. It's maddening, because there's so much potential here for it to be a good game, but so many odd design decisions result in an experience that's actually less than the sum of its parts.
As much passion as I had for the continuation of the Mirror's Edge franchise, it seems like DICE has effectively robbed all of the wind from my sails. Though the game is fine as a mediocre playable experience, many of the things that made the original so special have been neutered beyond repair.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst has some great concepts going for it that are ultimately being held back by technical issues. I can't help but feel these could have been worked out. With no real multiplayer component, the single player experience needs to be wholly satisfying. Unfortunately, this game is way more frustrating than fun.
The overall rating might be harsh, it could have been a bit higher, but for a game that has "Mirror's Edge" in the title there must be consequences. The rating is more of a warning not to make the same mistakes again. ME deserves far more than average.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is an interesting game with some strong ideas but not enough variety.
A better game than the original, but it still suffers from many of the same problems – with desperately uninteresting storytelling and combat.
While Catalyst keeps up the great first-person parkour action of the first game, the awkward smashing of its parts into the ubiquitous, open-world model hasn't done Mirror's Edge any favors. The overall aesthetic and sense of momentum still have their charms, but it's disappointing to see EA Dice take such a safe, predictable approach with what once felt like a boldly unique property.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst rarely, if ever, makes as memorable an impression as its predecessor did. While it tries incredibly hard to do so, and succeeds in terms of world building and story development, it's all at the sake of nearly every other facet that players of the original may have held near and dear.
Sometimes it takes more than a great heroine, innovative action, and buckets of style to make a game truly great
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.
Faith is restored to a visually striking world she deserves in the return of the first-person parkour title – but, as with the original, niggles stop it achieving greatness
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.
It's like a giant schoolyard playground, in which players can freely explore and make their own adventures.
Mirror's Edge Catalyst seems to suffer from the exact same shortcomings as its predecessor. It has a weak supporting cast, a forgettable story, and it simply doesn't know how to engage its players on a narrative level.
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.
Faith has finally returned with Mirror's Edge Catalyst. Is it a return to form, especially when her "form" was never all that fleshed out to begin with? It's certainly a decent waste of time, worth visiting on and off through the months, but nothing spectacular.
With a lot of different side missions and player challenge runs, Mirror's Edge Cataylst has some things going for it, even if it limps along on some points. This is one you will either like a lot or have a real dislike for. It lets us down in some fronts, and delivers in others but overall, Mirror's Edge Catalyst can be a fun ride, and may be worth your time but just be ready on what you get!
Fails to find its flow or rhythm