Support NeoGAF

[orthodoxy1095]

OpenCritic - 71

Cheat Code Central - 4/5

Is there space in the gaming world for a first-person platformer? Absolutely, but I feel like the design decisions behind Mirror's Edge Catalyst limit the number of people it will ultimately appeal to.

Destructoid - 8.5/10

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.

IGN - 6.8/10

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.

Push Square - 8/10

Like Faith herself, this release is at its best when it's on the run, and while the combat, story, and characters do cause it to stumble occasionally, it never actually falls.

Gadgets 360 - 7/10

As long as your expectations are in check in terms of its open-world what with many a game sporting one, you'll be fine.

Attack of the Fanboy - 3/5

While DICE has certainly made a bigger Mirror’s Edge here with Catalyst, I don’t think they’ve improved it any ways that were really necessary. A checklist of familiar open world game features strip away most of the charm of the original.

Polygon - 8/10

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.

Digital Chumps - 7/10

When it's not trying to be like everything else, there's really nothing like it.

The Verge

But like a parkour run, the point isn’t really figuring out what lies past the finish line — it’s getting there with style.

Eurogamer

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.

Gamesradar - 3/5

Catalyst does some interesting stuff but doesn’t add enough to the mix. It’s a game I enjoyed but one that also left me feeling partly frustrated and sad.

Gameinformer - 6.5/10

Catalyst contains several exciting platforming moments, but most of them are buried under repetitive world traversal and a mundane metropolis. The original Mirror’s Edge is an overlooked gem from last generation, but even diehard fans will have trouble finding the diamonds in this rough.

Meristation - 7.5

Vandal - 7.8

The Guardian - 3/5

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.

Gamespot - 7/10

Yes, certain portions of the game are deeply unimpressive, but I rarely (if ever) found them frustrating, painful, or unavoidable, which allowed me to overlook those elements and enjoy the unique pleasures Catalyst provides.

Hardcore Gamer - 3.5/5

For hardcore Mirror’s Edge fans, Catalyst is a wonderful love letter from DICE that rewards the passion of this relatively small group.

Examiner - 5/5

Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a must-have experience that defies the doubters and makes those who had hoped now believe.

We Got This Covered - 3.5/5

Mirror's Edge Catalyst's unique take on first person parkour is something that no other game or series manages to deliver. Due to this, even when it stumbles, it's easy to look past its faults, simply because it's so damn unique and novel.

Arcade Sushi - 8.5/10

The wait for a follow-up to Mirror's Edge was certainly a long one, but now that Catalyst is finally here, we can say the wait has so been worth it.

GamingBolt - 6/10

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst isn’t a bad game. At times, it feels incredibly polished and at others, it could use more work.

TrustedReviews - 2.5/5

Catalyst’s direction feels like the opposite of what people have been quite explicitly asking for since the original game came out. As a result, while its breathtaking leaps and adrenaline filled ascents are great in their own rights, Mirror’s Edge feels like it has spent the last eight years standing still rather than moving forward.

PSU - 7.5/10

Catalyst sits in the middle of it all,imperfect, yet special in its own way.

VentureBeat - 80/100

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.

PC Gamer - 78/100

It’s annoyingly close to being the ideal Mirror’s Edge game, but retains a few of its predecessors’ issues, even if those problems have manifested in different forms.

Metro - 6/10

This in turn emphasises the overriding problem with the whole franchise: that Mirror’s Edge is a great idea that, while well implemented in most aspects, never pushes itself far enough to become the classic you feel it should be.

Twinfinite - 3/5

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst seems to suffer from the exact same shortcomings as its predecessor.

Gaming Trend - 70/100

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a gorgeous game that nails the free-running experience that fans want, but lacks an interesting narrative, compelling combat, and a fast travel system that will likely leave many fans disappointed.

Angry Centaur Gaming - Wait for sale

Shacknews - 8/10

Of course, Mirror’s Edge isn’t about the story, it’s about the immersion: the thrill of running, free, across the glass paved rooftops of a massive city. And that’s okay, because that’s exactly what the original Mirror’s Edge was.

Gaming Nexus - 8.5/10

But as it stands, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is pretty much everything gamers would have hoped it could be.

PSLS - 8/10

If you loved the original Mirror’s Edge, you will likely love Catalyst as well.

Financial Post - 6/10

However, as with the original Mirror’s Edge eight years ago, this reboot isn’t all that I imagined it could be.

TheSixthAxis - 7/10

At its best, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a joyous flight across the rooftops of a gorgeous city, with a grace that belies the weight and impact of Faith’s movement, but DICE seem to forget this on a few occasions, dragging it down with combat that brings the free running to a halt.

IB Times - 3.5/5

If you loved the original Mirror's Edge, or enjoy the concept of free-running around a beautiful city without the fear of falling off a skyscraper or crotching yourself on a railing, Catalyst is most definitely right up your alley.

ZTGD - 8/10

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is the follow-up no one ever thought would get made. It is clearly a passion project for the team at DICE, and it finally feels like it lives up to its ambitious design.

Game Revolution - 3.5/5

If you're a fan of the original Mirrors' Edge, this will probably be a no-brainer, but Catalyst would be an easier recommend even with the clunky controls if it had been sold cheaper, perhaps as episodic content.

Xbox Achievements - 75/100

It’s a solid game as far as playing the story missions are concerned, but ­like Faith herself ­ it can sometimes fail to find its legs elsewhere.

God is a Geek - 8/10

Playing Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is addictive, there’s no question about it. Making your way from the Anchor District to Ocean Glass View to Downtown is so rewarding and it never gets boring.

Areajugones - 8.8/10

IGN Spain - 8/10

JeuxActu - 15/20

Gameblog.fr - 6/10

Multiplayer.it - 8.3/10

Everyeye.it - 8/10

Hobby Consolas - 92/100

XGN - 8.5/10

LaPS4 - 82/100

Digital Spy - 4/5

Mirror's Edge Catalyst makes some major missteps in the story and character department, but hey, that's what the mute button is for.

More important is that when the action is go and Faith is in full stride, Mirror's Edge Catalyst is as thrilling and sure-footed as they come.

IGN Italia - 7.9/10

The Games Machine - 7.6/10

3DJuegos - 7.5/10

Gamekult - 5/10

Power Unlimited - 80/100

LevelUp - 8.5/10

Kotaku - No Score

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.

Action Trip - 6.5/10

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. It is sad to see the game released in this state, especially when it has been so eagerly anticipated.

NZGamer - 6.9

An okay storyline keeps you running, but ultimately, graphics that are above-average at best, and an open world that is essentially corridors stitched together means Mirror’s Edge Catalyst falls short of what we really want out of this franchise.

Digital Trends - 2.5/5

Catalyst will not make you feel the thrill of the original Mirror’s Edge, nor will it make you feel something new. The parkouring that Mirror’s Edge fans want is in Catalyst, but you’ll have to climb over a lot of steep problems to enjoy it.

CGMagazine - 7/10

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst represents a compromised vision. It’s one part exhilarating first-person platformer, one part bland open-world title. In a year crowded with great releases, not to mention last year’s Dying Light representing a much better open-world parkour experience, that’s a vision many people won’t want to put their money on the line for.

Pixel Dynamo - 7.5/10

Not only did Catalyst manage to capture the adrenaline rush that comes with performing parkour and unbelievable athletic stunts, it is able to do while surpassing the original Mirror’s Edge, which I felt is an enormous feat.

GameZone - 6/10

The only people I’d recommend Mirror’s Edge Catalyst to are newcomers to the franchise. The parkour, when it works, is still just as awesome, but the game has just too many detractors for the fans of the original.

EGM - 6/10

Though there are many parts of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst that fail, when it manages to fire on all cylinders, the game works quite well.

Atomix - 71/100

GRYOnline - 7.5/10

PCGamesN - 7/10

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is an exceptional sandbox. There’s nothing in the entire medium that feels quite as unique as being able to sprint, duck, and dive towards the horizon, making the most of the many varied paths on offer in this superbly sculpted playground.

Gaming Age - B

Overall, there is a lot to like with Mirror’s Edge and despite the bland story and characters, EA DICE gives you a large vibrant world with so much to do.

Game Over - 60%

I’d still argue that Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is a failure, but it’s an interesting failure. It started from an idea that nobody’s been able to make work, and it still didn’t make it work, but an attempt was made. I’ll take that over a game that’s simply mediocre any day of the week.

USGamer - 3/5

While it's great to see Mirror's Edge finally make a comeback after all these years, it seems the only way it can exist in the hands of a major publisher is to be just like everything else.

 

[sarcoa]

I gave it a high 7 at Digital Chumps. http://digitalchumps.com/game-reviews/351-xbox-one/mirror-s-edge-catalyst.html

I loved the original game, bought it day one, looked forward to a sequel forever, went on a total blackout, etc.

Catalyst is fine, but it's way better when the guide is turned off and you get to intuitively figure out how to get from point A to B. I think that playstyle demands a level of patience that's impossible for most people, which may leave their view on Catalyst as weird movement game with an overwhelming amout of collectables. I could be wrong though.

Also the story is hard to take seriously but the world, design, art, and general construction is great.

 

[LiK]

I have faith

 

[BiggNife]

Polygon - 8

 

[SpaceWolf]

Please be good.

 

[Floex]

Polygon - 8/10

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.

http://www.polygon.com/2016/6/6/118...xbox-one-ps4-playstation-4-pc-windows-ea-dice

The Verge

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

http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/6/11866262/mirrors-edge-catalyst-review-ps4-xbox-one


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.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-06-06-mirrors-edge-catalyst-review

 

[antitrop]

Eurogamer

"Mirror's Edge Catalyst fixes the original's problems then adds in plenty of its own."

 

[NotLiquid]

Scores/opinions so far seem to mirror the first one

 

[Izuna]

Scores are higher than I expected so far.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Gamesradar - 6/10

 

[karma2578]

Damn... First game got roughly 7s and I loved that so no doubt the same

 

[R3TRO]

Reviews all over the board.

I'll wait until it's cheap or free with Origin Access.

 

[Grim Patron]

Gadgets360 - 7/10

 

[BiggNife]

OpenCritic somehow already has 19 reviews

http://opencritic.com/game/1549/mirrors-edge-catalyst?tab=1

Current score is 75. Seems to be mostly 7s and 8s.

e: aaaaand it's already dropped to 72.

 

[Fdkn]

it was bound to happen.

 

[F0rneus]

Gameinformer 6.5

 

[Floex]

Gamesradar - 3/5

Catalyst does some interesting stuff but doesn’t add enough to the mix. It’s a game I enjoyed but one that also left me feeling partly frustrated and sad. While it has good ideas and mechanics, they peak early and, in such a sparse and minimalist space, struggle to carry the whole game.

http://www.gamesradar.com/mirrors-e...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Mdk7]

I heard pretty bad things about it, and I'm sincerely heartbroken.

 

[ezekial45]

Yeah, isn't this roughly what the first game got when it came to reviews?

 

[Guymelef]

I have faith

I had.

 

[NexusGamer]

im expecting scores all across the board

 

[Kaako]

I don't have the same excitement for this as the initial reveal. And deep down, I think it'll be an average game at best but really really hope I'm wrong.

 

[etta]

I really enjoyed the EA Access trial, it moved the purchase to a lot sooner for me than I initially wanted to after playing the beta. Looks really good too, the art design is absolutely fantastic.

 

[Theorry]

From the first reveal hype to this. Will pick it up tho after a while or wait for the vault.

 

[poros1ty]

So not so great reviews and Origin. I guess it is a game that many people will never even play.

 

[Audioboxer]

So as someone who enjoyed the original can anyone give me the quick and dirty run down on why this might not play or be as fun as the first?

 

[maquiladora]

Gameinformer 6.5

Gamesradar - 3/5

 

[sammyCYBORG]

All the footage I've seen looks uninteresting and from a technical perspective it seems dire on consoles.

I liked the original but will be skipping this.

 

[DR2K]

Hmm the reviews are faring a little better than the first one.

 

[Boke1879]

SO it'll be ok-good. Nothing mindblowing. If you liked the first one you'll like this one is what I'm getting.

 

[TM94]

Still picking it up day-one because I adore Mirror's Edge but damn.

 

[Panda Rin]

bargain bin it is..game always seemed like a step down from the original when looking at vids.

 

[Storm Raider]

Looking good so far!

 

[Shift Breaker]

Oh, that's mixed. Maybe a good thing that I didn't pre-order it, I've not played the original for a while. Could just go through that again.

 

[serenewarfare]

Seems good, not great. About what was expected, I guess. Though that complaint in the IGN review about "not enough smiles and jokes from the characters" is laughable. "Show some happiness and personality in your police-state!"

 

[F0rneus]

I think people are forgetting the reviews of the first game. This is reviewing better so far.

 

[Guymelef]

Meristation 7.5
Vandal 7.8

 

[LordOcidax]

After watching a few gameplay videos... as i expected.

 

[Nirolak]

I think people are forgetting the reviews of the first game. This is reviewing better so far.

It looks like it's slightly worse. The first game averaged a 79.

 

[Plinko]

Not sure why people are freaking out. These aren't bad scores.

 

[KingBroly]

Hmm the reviews are faring a little better than the first one.

That's not a high bar.

 

[Tuck]

Oh dear, scores are mixed. Thats unfortunate. Well, I'm getting the game either way so hopefully I like it. The original had mixed reviews too but I enjoyed it a lot, so fingers crossed.

 

[eFKac]

Disappointing scores tbh.

 

[Kenzodielocke]

That was my prediction from earlier today:

Mirror's Edge will also get reviews in the 6-7's.

 

[jett]

From my beta experience, I'm not surprised by these low scores at all. DICE screwed the pooch.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Hmm, I was fairly set on buying this, now I'm not too sure. I mean it's not like I don't have a ton of games to play at the moment....

 

[BoosterDuck]

ouch, will wait for $5 steam sale

 

[Vire]

Not really surprised at some of the more middling reviews.

I didn't enjoy the beta much at all.

 

[serenewarfare]

Not sure why people are freaking out. These aren't bad scores.

Don't you realize that we here on GAF operate on a 10 or 0 scale?

 

[GavinUK86]

God dammit EA. You had a chance and you blew it.

Seems very reminiscent of the original, just without the charm.

Which is how I feel after playing the Origin Access trial.