Mirror's Edge Catalyst

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 6,301 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Mirror's Edge Catalyst Game Cover
An open world gives Mirror's Edge Catalyst room to grow
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Mirror's Edge Catalyst follows Faith, a free-running protagonist, in her fight against oppression in the futuristic city of Glass. With a first-person perspective, players combine fluid movement and combat while exploring the city's vast, interconnected rooftops and tunnels. Uncover a conspiracy, experience stunning visuals, and navigate a high-tech world where every edge matters.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,301 reviews
story845 positive mentions
grinding64 negative mentions
  • The parkour mechanics are fluid and satisfying, allowing for smooth movement throughout the city.
  • The graphics and art style are stunning, creating a visually captivating environment.
  • The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the original Mirror's Edge, with improved gameplay elements.
  • The story is lackluster and predictable, failing to engage players on a deeper level.
  • The removal of online features and achievements due to server shutdown has significantly impacted the game's replayability.
  • Combat mechanics feel clunky and forced, detracting from the overall parkour experience.
  • story3,884 mentions

    The story of *Mirror's Edge: Catalyst* has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it predictable and lacking depth compared to the original game. While some appreciate the character development and the engaging themes of rebellion against a dystopian corporate regime, others criticize it for being cliché and poorly executed, often feeling disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, the narrative serves primarily as a backdrop for the parkour mechanics, which are praised for their fluidity and excitement, but the story itself is often deemed forgettable or unsatisfactory.

    • “Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is an amazing game with tons of things to do, absolutely amazing movement, and a very entertaining story that was easy for me to follow despite not having played the first game in the series.”
    • “One of the best cinematic and acting performances I've seen in video games with an unexpectedly solid storyline.”
    • “The story is wonderful, the graphics are out of this world, and Faith's attitude is spicy and I love it!”
    • “Ultimately, the story builds up to kinda...nothing.”
    • “My chief complaint with this game, however, is the story and pacing.”
    • “The story is extremely dull and predictable.”
  • gameplay1,391 mentions

    The gameplay of "Mirror's Edge: Catalyst" is widely praised for its fluid and intuitive parkour mechanics, which enhance the experience of traversing the beautifully designed open world. While many players appreciate the improvements in movement and combat mechanics compared to the original game, some express frustration with the introduction of a skill tree that locks basic abilities, as well as the repetitive nature of missions and combat encounters. Overall, the game is recommended for its engaging gameplay, though the story and some mechanics may not resonate with all players.

    • “The gameplay is where this game shines, everything great about the original Mirror's Edge (except the gunplay) has been revamped and also new gameplay mechanics have been added which makes the parkour even more fun.”
    • “The parkour mechanics are fantastic and invite you to optimize your movement to go a little bit faster.”
    • “The gameplay is fast, fun, and fluid.”
    • “The gameplay and the parkour mechanics are completely lackluster, and downright unacceptable as a sequel to a much better game.”
    • “The gameplay suffers too, instead of the genius tightly packed parkour levels of the original you just get a big open world full of so-so climbing.”
    • “The game tries to build upon the first, but half of the new mechanics stop your momentum, the point of the gameplay, dead.”
  • graphics1,030 mentions

    The graphics of "Mirror's Edge: Catalyst" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and vibrant aesthetic, with many players noting that the game still holds up well even years after its release. The minimalist design and futuristic architecture create an immersive environment that enhances the parkour gameplay, although some critiques mention that the graphics can suffer from occasional glitches and performance issues. Overall, the game's visual presentation is considered one of its strongest aspects, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

    • “The graphics and general art style are absolutely fantastic.”
    • “The stunning graphics paired with probably the most fluid parkour in any game provides the player with tons of freedom to find their own paths.”
    • “The visuals are beautiful, and the city looks even better than the 2008 setting.”
    • “The stylized graphics of the first game (that still look decent now; 13 years later) have been replaced with 'realistic' graphics which already don't look great and somewhat aged in this 2016 title. I also had quite a lot of objects randomly popping in and out too; changing graphical settings didn't help.”
    • “The graphics are an improvement but the art style has gotten a downgrade compared to the original Mirror's Edge.”
    • “The game is beautiful to look at but actually quite dull once you look past the graphics.”
  • music445 mentions

    The music in "Mirror's Edge Catalyst" has received widespread praise for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the contributions of composer Solar Fields. While some fans feel the soundtrack lacks the iconic impact of the original game's music, it is still regarded as beautiful and fitting for the game's aesthetic, enhancing the overall experience. The dynamic nature of the soundtrack, which adapts to player actions, has also been noted as a significant improvement, adding to the game's engaging parkour mechanics.

    • “The music now reacts to your every move, fading in and out different elements of the songs and applying different effects to them.”
    • “The electronic music perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, building tension during chases and providing a sense of flow during parkour sections.”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely sick, one of my all-time favorites.”
    • “The music is alright, but really only because it's essentially identical to the first game's soundtrack (minus the unique stuff).”
    • “The soundtrack wasn't as magical as the first (hoped the E3 trailer music would be there, but it wasn't), the story was meh, even though the gameplay was fun at first, it became repetitive and boring later.”
    • “It needed way more time in the kiln, shallow and boring world and characters, dogshit motivations, no OST to speak of to enhance the fun run.”
  • atmosphere106 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive sound design, and unique environmental details, creating a captivating experience that enhances gameplay. While some players feel that the atmosphere in the sequel, "Mirror's Edge Catalyst," does not quite match the original's charm, it still offers a vibrant and dynamic world that many find enjoyable to explore. Overall, the combination of music, art style, and environmental design contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms regarding the story and level design.

    • “Incredibly beautiful game with one of the best ambience and atmosphere of all time.”
    • “This cold and concrete atmosphere blends perfectly with the parkour mechanics, offering players an exhilarating exploration experience.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game alone deserves a round of applause.”
    • “The gameplay and story are improved, but the level design and atmosphere are very lackluster.”
    • “The story is not engaging in the slightest, and the Mirror's Edge atmosphere and art style are lost with giant flashy screens, loud noise, constant talking, and random modern decor everywhere.”
    • “Unfortunately, it doesn't capture the sublime atmosphere of the first game.”
  • optimization104 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and good graphics, particularly on high-end hardware. However, many users report significant issues such as stuttering, lag, and visual glitches, which detract from the overall experience, especially for those with mid-range systems. While some players have found workarounds to improve performance, the persistent optimization problems remain a common complaint.

    • “Good graphics, fun gameplay, good story, very well optimized.”
    • “The graphics are crisp, and the performance is smooth, delivering an immersive experience without any noticeable hiccups or technical glitches.”
    • “Optimization on PC deserves applause, ensuring that players can fully enjoy the breathtaking world.”
    • “This game has an awful hitching stuttering lag problem that I can't manage to resolve no matter what I do. I still played the whole game regardless because otherwise it was great, though the performance totally kills my desire for any future replays.”
    • “The worst issue is the horrible optimization; it lags terribly, especially for Mirror’s Edge. It completely breaks the flow to have a delay on every input.”
    • “Despite being well above the recommended system specs, the game suffers from frequent stuttering—approximately every 10-30 seconds—lasting anywhere between over a second to a fraction of a second; the game runs smoothly on both 'hyper' and 'low' settings with no changes in stuttering behavior.”
  • grinding98 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the lack of variety in combat and the abundance of monotonous side missions and collectibles. The open-world design, while initially appealing, often leads to a slog of backtracking and repetitive tasks that detract from the overall experience. Overall, players feel that the grinding mechanics are poorly implemented, making the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable adventure.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The game makes a good first impression in the first hour, but the minute the world 'opens' up, it quickly devolves into a very tedious game.”
    • “The combat can get tedious at times, but the open world is fun to run around in when you just want to play something relaxing.”
    • “The game is uninspired, bland, boring, and needlessly grindy.”
  • stability97 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, particularly with achievements and controls. While some users noted improvements over the original game, issues like unresponsive controls, visual glitches, and inconsistent framerates persist, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, while the game can be enjoyable, players should be prepared for a range of technical issues that may detract from the experience.

    • “Mirror's Edge Catalyst runs great and looks great on the Steam Deck.”
    • “It runs great, stable FPS on both my desktop on ultra and even my old laptop on low-medium. There's enough options to fine-tune it to run well even on hardware that shouldn't run it.”
    • “There are no glitches or issues in the game.”
    • “Only bad thing in the game is how buggy the achievements are - most of them you won't get for some reason, which makes achievement hunting in this game almost impossible.”
    • “This feels unfinished, buggy, and poorly designed.”
    • “The story was barely above average and pretty predictable, and there were just so many bugs/glitches which made gameplay very frustrating.”
  • replayability59 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is highly praised, particularly due to its engaging main story, diverse missions, and open-world design that encourages exploration and speedrunning. Players appreciate the ability to replay missions at any time and the presence of various challenges and collectibles, which enhance the replay value. However, some reviews note that the lack of multiplayer modes and certain design choices may limit replayability for some players.

    • “To its credit, the main story has good set pieces and unique action sequences that make them one of the most fun and replayable aspects of the game, and thankfully you can replay any mission at any time (a feature some open world games tend to leave out nowadays).”
    • “The game's impressive replayability, with its open-world design and diverse activities, ensures that you'll be hooked for hours on end.”
    • “There are plenty of races that will test your understanding of the game's mechanics, as well as user-created time trials and races, and after completing the story you can replay it from the main menu using your fully upgraded self, so the replay value is surprisingly high.”
    • “The game's replay value was destroyed because of the server shutdown.”
    • “Overall it's a good experience, but there's no replayability.”
    • “Without going on for too long about the broken movement, this game has a much lower skill ceiling for the average player, and has little replay value outside of doing story missions with new abilities that you unlocked with your stupid skill points.”
  • humor57 mentions

    The humor in "Mirror's Edge Catalyst" is often derived from its quirky glitches, amusing combat interactions, and hidden easter eggs, which provide a lighthearted contrast to the game's otherwise serious tone. Players find joy in the absurdity of parkour mechanics and character antics, leading to moments of unintentional comedy, particularly during combat and exploration. While the story and character development may fall flat, the game's humor shines through in its playful design and unexpected scenarios.

    • “Being able to kick enemies into each other, into walls, and off edges was *deeply* funny, especially when blended with the movement system.”
    • “[✔️] 👥 Humorous easter egg: the quirky easter egg hidden in one of Glass's skyscrapers adds a touch of humor to the game's urban landscape.”
    • “There was one hilarious moment where I unintentionally ran into a room of 20 soldiers and I just spam kicked to win the entire fight.”
  • emotional36 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding moments of genuine connection and hope, particularly in the character of Dogen, while others criticize the overall narrative as lacking depth and emotional weight. Many reviewers feel that the story is predictable and forgettable, with poorly developed characters and flat emotional moments, especially in comparison to its predecessor. Despite some players experiencing emotional highs during gameplay, the consensus suggests that the game fails to deliver a compelling emotional journey.

    • “It's all so mesmerizing that after every replay of the game, especially at the moment of faith's fracture, I cried and was immediately happy for her that the heroine was morally strong.”
    • “Story wise, it is emotional and gripping, and the ending leaves you with a bittersweet feeling of hope for better days.”
    • “The story is rich and heartwarming yet a little sad too.”
    • “A boring story that is impossible to follow.”
    • “Boring story and decently fun parkour, as long as it doesn't mess you over.”
    • “Boring combat, boring progression system, boring story, uninteresting new mechanics, boring collectibles.”
  • character development23 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the improved backstory for the protagonist, Faith, while others criticize the lack of depth and sudden personality changes among characters. Many feel that the short runtime limits meaningful character interactions and development, leading to a disconnect with the cast. Overall, while character design is often praised, the execution of character development and storytelling is seen as inconsistent and lacking substance.

    • “Unlike the first game, I believe that this game's story is a heavy improvement and has a lot more content than the original; it has good character development.”
    • “You play as Faith, the female protagonist from the original, but now with more backstory and character development.”
    • “Everything about this game is just perfect: the graphics, the plot, the character development.”
    • “The game makes a big deal of the finale with no character development or lore to give Faith's actions any weight.”
    • “I got to the point that I just want to see how the plot goes but not playing the game; even the plot is unreasonable, the character development was so sudden and there is no explanation for the characters' personality change.”
    • “[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.”
  • monetization12 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with many users criticizing the overwhelming presence of advertisements and the perception of it being a cash grab by EA. While some appreciate the absence of loot boxes and microtransactions, they still feel that the game's corporate aesthetic clashes with its intended counterculture theme, leading to a sense of insincerity. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as a significant detractor from the game's experience.

    • “No loot boxes or any microtransactions (it's sad that I count this as a positive, but it's EA, so for them it is).”
    • “For $10, it is well worth the money as it is one of the few franchises/titles EA didn't screw over with microtransactions or having a studio known for singleplayer make an MMO.”
    • “Seriously though; it's a mechanically fun, if aimless, open world game with cringy missions, unneeded RPG ability unlock mechanics that gate away most of the fun gameplay, and a publisher and monetization strategy that completely clashes with its counterculture aesthetic.”
    • “The game had me hooked right from the beginning, but then it transformed into a screaming ADHD nightmare filled with real-life spam mail and constant pop-up ads that make it impossible to focus on what's in front of you.”
    • “On top of the issues that other reviewers outline (half-baked open world, critical freerunning movement locked behind shoehorned-in 'progression', pointless collectibles, and terrible writing), there's a point at the beginning where your view is overloaded by AR HUD advertisements and other garbage in an attempted parody of corporate dystopia.”
    • “It feels like an insincere cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

66% average critic score

Buy Mirror's Edge Catalyst

Play time

8hMedian play time
53hAverage play time
8hMain story
31hCompletionist
4-17hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 35 analyzed playthroughs

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