Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a reimagining of 2008's Mirror's Edge, and retains its excellent parkour gameplay and art style, while transforming it from a linear experience into an open-world one. Unfortunately, some issues are present that mar the experience. Players once again fill the shoes of Faith Connors, fighting the corporations that rule her world and its people.

🎮Catalyst can be played with both keyboard/mouse and controller.🎮

Catalyst features the same excellent first-person parkour gameplay as its predecessor, and expands upon it with some new features and improved combat. Movement is based heavily on momentum; players must build and maintain speed in order to flow across obstacles, up vertical surfaces, and between buildings. A basic progression system is now present; combat, movement and gear abilities can be unlocked using skill points earned with exp.

The parkour feels good most of the time, but can be a little clumsy on occasion. I played some of the original Mirror's Edge again after I finished Catalyst, and I must say, parkour in the old one feels a little slower, but much more intuitive and precise. Frankly, it makes Catalyst's parkour feel sloppy by comparison.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155447559
Combat in the original Mirror's Edge was pretty awkward and unpleasant. Catalyst improves upon it considerably, adding more enemy variety, abilities and better synergy with the parkour system. That said, it still has some considerable flaws.

Fighting one or two enemies at a time is fun, but any more than three in relatively close-quarters is clumsy and frustrating, as Faith can be hit and knocked back repeatedly in quick succession, and the dodge mechanic forcibly turns the camera around whichever enemy she's currently engaging. Said dodge mechanic can also be irritating when trying to avoid conflict by running past enemies.

Catalyst is presented as an open-world game with all the collectables and small challenges one would expect from an open-world title. Unfortunately, it's a rather restricted one. Expect to be travelling the same paths several times as you move between story and side-missions, as world traversal is limited to specific ziplines, bridges and jump points.

I never felt as though I was really free to explore due to the aforementioned constraints. Thankfully, fast travel points exist. Aesthetic variation is fairly limited in the open-world, with the stark white rooftops and some small interiors making up the majority, plus one small, run-down area. More variety is seen in story missions, which often feature large, unique interiors.

Story levels are much like they were in the previous entry; linear levels involving a lot of vertical progression in indoor environments. Unfortunately, I feel they were not designed as well as those in the original game. Trial-and-error is required too often; when you're trying to maintain momentum and flow around the environment, not knowing where to go as you round a corner at high speed is a real fun-killer. That, and going the wrong way often means falling into a bottomless death-pit and sitting through a loading screen. Irritating.

The world overall feels more fleshed-out than in the previous game, with NPCs, airborne traffic and constant audio from loudspeakers now present. Buildings now feature more domestic areas, such as bars and apartments, rather than the largely empty, commercial aesthetic of the original.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155449794
Catalyst tries to tell a story of rebellion, drama and tragedy, but fails to execute it proficiently due to lack of character development and world building in its short 8-9 hour runtime. The story of the original game was not especially deep either, but it made better use of its time by having less characters, twists and turns and had a certain charm that Catalyst lacks.

A significant part of the problem is Faith herself; she comes across right from the start as an angsty teen, and her voice acting only reinforces this. Attempts at showing real emotion sound forced and artificial, and she doesn't come across as particularly clever. For example, at one point in the story, Faith's friends advise her to avoid the enemies in her area, to which she replies in edgy Hollywood fashion ”No, it's time to face them.” No, Faith. No it isn't. You have a job to do, and they aren't really in your way. They're just security guards anyway; killing them will not affect anything.

Overall, the story is an okay little adventure, but really just serves as a reason for the gameplay to exist.

This game was played with the following PC specs:
Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB
1680x1050 resolution
HDD
Windows 10

One of the original Mirror's Edge's most defining aspects was its crisp, bright white environment with occasional splashes of colour. Catalyst has kept the aesthetic while adding to it with brilliant, colourful lighting to reflect off of the polished white, giving it a stunning visual theme that contrasts with the dark, gritty aesthetic often found in sci-fi titles. I absolutely love the visuals of this game; and all the detail put into the environment.
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155466779
Unfortunately, the facial animations – lip sync, specifically – are really pretty bad on some characters.

Using the specs listed above, I got a fairly consistent 60fps on a mix of high/highest settings. The game would occasionally stutter, but not often enough to be an issue.

Sound effects in Catalyst are quite good – especially Faith's footstep sounds. Hearing her shoes squeak when she runs across a polished floor is very nice, subtle touch.

Catalyst doesn't have such a memorable track as the original's Still Alive, but the music is quite pleasant; the very subtle and soothing track that plays while exploring was one I particularly enjoyed.

Two or three times during my playthrough, the game would minimize when Origin popped an achievement.

Catalyst is, without question, a Mirror's Edge game, with the same great parkour system and visual style. Unfortunately, while certain aspects have been improved, many have suffered. The poorly executed transition to an open-world setting and the overburdened story have cost the game some of the charm that made the original special.

I would recommend Catalyst to fans of the original or the style, but with warning of its flaws, and preferably with a decent discount.

This review comes courtesy of the R³ curator.

[h1][i]The stark white rooftops return reimagined, though not all change is for the good.[/i][/h1] [h2][i]-[u]Overview[/u]-[/i][/h2] [i]Mirror's Edge Catalyst[/i] is a reimagining of 2008's [i]Mirror's Edge[/i], and retains its excellent parkour gameplay and art style, while transforming it from a linear experience into an open-world one. Unfortunately, some issues are present that mar the experience. Players once again fill the shoes of Faith Connors, fighting the corporations that rule her world and its people. [quote]🎮[i]Catalyst can be played with both keyboard/mouse and controller.[/i]🎮[/quote] [h2][i]-[u]Gameplay[/u]-[/i][/h2] [h3]Basics:[/h3] [i]Catalyst[/i] features the same excellent first-person parkour gameplay as its predecessor, and expands upon it with some new features and improved combat. Movement is based heavily on momentum; players must build and maintain speed in order to flow across obstacles, up vertical surfaces, and between buildings. A basic progression system is now present; combat, movement and gear abilities can be unlocked using skill points earned with exp. The parkour feels good most of the time, but can be a little clumsy on occasion. I played some of the original [i]Mirror's Edge[/i] again after I finished [i]Catalyst[/i], and I must say, parkour in the old one feels a little slower, but [i]much[/i] more intuitive and precise. Frankly, it makes [i]Catalyst's[/i] parkour feel sloppy by comparison. https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155447559 [h3]Combat:[/h3] Combat in the original [i]Mirror's Edge[/i] was pretty awkward and unpleasant. [i]Catalyst[/i] improves upon it considerably, adding more enemy variety, abilities and better synergy with the parkour system. That said, it still has some considerable flaws. Fighting one or two enemies at a time is fun, but any more than three in relatively close-quarters is clumsy and frustrating, as Faith can be hit and knocked back repeatedly in quick succession, and the dodge mechanic forcibly turns the camera around whichever enemy she's currently engaging. Said dodge mechanic can also be irritating when trying to avoid conflict by running past enemies. [h3]Level/World Design:[/h3] [i]Catalyst[/i] is presented as an open-world game with all the collectables and small challenges one would expect from an open-world title. Unfortunately, it's a rather restricted one. Expect to be travelling the same paths several times as you move between story and side-missions, as world traversal is limited to specific ziplines, bridges and jump points. I never felt as though I was really free to explore due to the aforementioned constraints. Thankfully, fast travel points exist. Aesthetic variation is fairly limited in the open-world, with the stark white rooftops and some small interiors making up the majority, plus one small, run-down area. More variety is seen in story missions, which often feature large, unique interiors. Story levels are much like they were in the previous entry; linear levels involving a lot of vertical progression in indoor environments. Unfortunately, I feel they were not designed as well as those in the original game. Trial-and-error is required too often; when you're trying to maintain momentum and flow around the environment, not knowing where to go as you round a corner at high speed is a real fun-killer. That, and going the wrong way often means falling into a bottomless death-pit and sitting through a loading screen. Irritating. The world overall feels more fleshed-out than in the previous game, with NPCs, airborne traffic and constant audio from loudspeakers now present. Buildings now feature more domestic areas, such as bars and apartments, rather than the largely empty, commercial aesthetic of the original. https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155449794 [h2][i]-[u]Story[/u]-[/i][/h2] [i]Catalyst[/i] tries to tell a story of rebellion, drama and tragedy, but fails to execute it proficiently due to lack of character development and world building in its short 8-9 hour runtime. The story of the original game was not especially deep either, but it made better use of its time by having less characters, twists and turns and had a certain charm that [i]Catalyst[/i] lacks. A significant part of the problem is Faith herself; she comes across right from the start as an angsty teen, and her voice acting only reinforces this. Attempts at showing real emotion sound forced and artificial, and she doesn't come across as particularly clever. For example, at one point in the story, Faith's friends advise her to avoid the enemies in her area, to which she replies in edgy Hollywood fashion [b]”No, it's time to face them.”[/b] No, Faith. No it isn't. You have a job to do, and they aren't really in your way. They're just security guards anyway; killing them will not affect anything. Overall, the story is an okay little adventure, but really just serves as a reason for the gameplay to exist. [h2][i]-[u]Technical[/u]-[/i][/h2] [quote][b]This game was played with the following PC specs:[/b] Intel i5-4440 3.10 GHz 16GB DDR3 RAM GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB 1680x1050 resolution HDD Windows 10[/quote] [h3]Visuals:[/h3] One of the original [i]Mirror's Edge's[/i] most defining aspects was its crisp, bright white environment with occasional splashes of colour. [i]Catalyst[/i] has kept the aesthetic while adding to it with brilliant, colourful lighting to reflect off of the polished white, giving it a stunning visual theme that contrasts with the dark, gritty aesthetic often found in sci-fi titles. I absolutely love the visuals of this game; and all the detail put into the environment. https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2155466779 Unfortunately, the facial animations – lip sync, specifically – are really pretty bad on some characters. [h3]Performance:[/h3] Using the specs listed above, I got a fairly consistent 60fps on a mix of high/highest settings. The game would occasionally stutter, but not often enough to be an issue. [h3]Audio:[/h3] Sound effects in [i]Catalyst[/i] are quite good – especially Faith's footstep sounds. Hearing her shoes squeak when she runs across a polished floor is very nice, subtle touch. [i]Catalyst[/i] doesn't have such a memorable track as the original's [i]Still Alive[/i], but the music is quite pleasant; the very subtle and soothing track that plays while exploring was one I particularly enjoyed. [h3]Issues:[/h3] Two or three times during my playthrough, the game would minimize when Origin popped an achievement. [h2][i]-[u]Summary[/u]-[/i][/h2] [i]Catalyst[/i] is, without question, a [i]Mirror's Edge[/i] game, with the same great parkour system and visual style. Unfortunately, while certain aspects have been improved, many have suffered. The poorly executed transition to an open-world setting and the overburdened story have cost the game some of the charm that made the original special. [b]I would recommend [i]Catalyst[/i] to fans of the original or the style, but with warning of its flaws, and preferably with a decent discount.[/b] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40044632/][quote]This review comes courtesy of the [b]R³[/b] curator.