Mirror's Edge Thread

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Catalyst is the Mirror's Edge game you always wanted

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[melancholy]

It's been delayed again, though luckily only by two weeks. June 7th release now.

[melancholy]

I'm in the Mirror's Edge closed beta! I also have been given 1 friend code, so if anyone here has a PS4 that wants in the beta, let me know.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Nice. Let us know what it's like.

[melancholy]

So the beta is pretty much the first part of story mode, which is surprising. I thought it would be more of a testing area, but so far it plays like the full game. The running is much improved, as Faith has been given a bit of an AI that can predict what you are trying to accomplish (similar to Assassin's Creed). In fact, the whole game feels like a first-person Assassin's Creed, only without people (there are other runners around, but it's sparse). It's an open world with collectables everywhere and mission markers littering the map. Combat is smooth and rewards parkour-inspired attacks more than fists, though you still can throw a punch in a pinch.

The only downside I've come across is visuals. When the game started its open cinematic, I was shocked at how realistic it looked. It was completely gorgeous. But once you get out on your own to explore, you see graphical issues everywhere. Shadows are all messed up when you are close to a wall, making this weird halo around your hands. Other people's reflections freak out when a light source is introduced. There are tons of flat white non-textured walls everywhere, which messes with your sense of direction. And if you look down at the ground, you see a 2D street with 2D cars that don't follow the roads, drive on sidewalks, drive through buildings, and just randomly spawn in and out of existence.

In all, I'm glad that Dice have nearly perfected the running portion, I just hope they spend some more time with the graphics. Playing this beta and knowing the game is only a month off, I'm almost hesitant to buy it at launch. I can just see a dozen patches coming out in the first couple of weeks, so I might just hold of a month until they get the bugs worked out.

[melancholy]

Oh, and another thing I forgot to add: I'm super annoyed that they decided to lock basic moves behind a skill tree. I spent 5 minutes jacking with the controls to find the 180 spin button, only to find out that it's considered a 'skill' that I have to unlock. Same with the most basic of Mirror's Edge moves, the front roll.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

The skill tree doesn't seem great but overall it sounds like the game is going to be pretty good.

They might have fixed some of the bugs and glitches for the final release already, depending on how old the beta build is.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Mirror's Edge TV show is in the works

It will be a "female-centered action series."

A Mirror's Edge television series is in the works.

As reported by Deadline, production company Endemol Shine Studios (The Biggest Loser, Big Brother, MasterChef) will adapt EA's parkour franchise into a "female-centered action series."

It will follow the adventures of Faith, a woman who fights corporate corruption by jumping around rooftops to steal things. She also has to rescue her sister, who's been framed for murder.

"We clearly see Mirror's Edge as a franchise for the global TV audience," said president of Endemol Shine Studios, Sharon Hall. "It has a strong female protagonist, a wildly rabid fan base and a worldwide brand that Electronic Arts and EA DICE have done an amazing job establishing."

Source: Eurogamer

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Mirror's Edge Catalyst Reviews

Destructoid - 8.5/10
IGN - 6.8/10
Polygon - 8

But once the story is done, Mirror's Edge Catalyst still has all the stuff left to do that makes it unique. This is a review-unique scenario — I have to play the critical path, and most people will never finish the game. Instead, I imagine most players will happily bounce from side mission to delivery to grid node and back again, content to do what Mirror's Edge has always been best at: constantly moving forward and up. And once you can focus on that, 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.

The Verge

Mirror's Edge Catalyst is the first game, but more so

Eurogamer

What a shame, then, that it's an all-too-familiar tale for this sequel. The original Mirror's Edge was always a great idea somewhat obscured - how frustrating to find Catalyst polishes the premise only to find itself burdened with a new set of shackles. It's a slight reward for those who've kept Faith, but this is a sequel that's too often lacking grace.

Cheat Code Central - 4/10
Push Square - 8/10
Gadgets 360 - 7/10
Attack of the Fanboy - 3/5

[melancholy]

Yeah, I've already decided to wait on this game. Between the weak beta and the mixed reviews, I'm not near as excited to jump in as I was a year ago. I'll probably wait a month or two and then come back after some patches (and likely prices) drop.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[melancholy]

I need to play Catalyst more. I bought it right after launch since it dropped 50% of its price within 2 weeks of launch. It's good, not great. I enjoy it, but it doesn't really have that addictive hook. Actually, I would be hooked on beating challenge times, but you can't really do that without upgrading your skill tree. What's the point of grinding out good challenge times if you will earn a skill an hour later that made all that work completely useless? I basically have to beat the game before I can play the part of the game that's the most fun.