Recent reviews by METKA WOŹOWA

Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a game of extremes. At times, it offers some of the coolest and most unique experiences I've had in a long time, but then come the "low" moments—and they are frustrating. DICE gives players the feeling of freedom and an (almost) flawless parkour experience, masking the nearly invisible cage they are truly in.

The City of Glass is a glorious utopia, beautiful in its simplicity and cleanliness. You can see the Conglomerate's hand trying to convince us that all this cold beauty must have been created by people with equally beautiful hearts. This stark visual contrast between the city's glossy perfection and the corporate control over the world accentuates the dystopian atmosphere, with its almost Orwellian undertones. It's not the largest or most intricately constructed environment (especially by today's standards) but it excels at evoking emotions in the player due to specific design choices. The color palette and general art style are a great choice—one look is enough to know what game you're in. The fact that the graphics still hold their own to this day is an added value, too.

There is an overwhelming sense of solitude in this world, further amplified by the soundtrack that fits the title perfectly, even though it can get a bit repetitive at times. The atmospheric electronic OST by Solar Fields perfectly complements the unnerving feeling of the futuristic, high-tech world and trouble waiting around every corner. Despite constant chatter in your earpiece and NPCs performing mundane tasks or walking in the buildings below, you still feel alone, yet the world doesn't feel hollow or lifeless. In my opinion, that is one of the strongest suits of the title.

In contrast to the first Mirror's Edge title, Catalyst gives the player access to a quasi-open world where you can go and explore to your heart's content. The only problem is that if freerunning alone doesn't bring you joy, there is little incentive to take the developers up on that offer. There are a ton of collectibles, some of which give additional bits of lore (and some that lock you in a cutscene every single time you pick them up), side quests, and other challenges, but none of them are memorable or worth the extra mile—if you don't enjoy the traversal system.

The story, while introducing some interesting locations, is rather short and uninspired. The big bad with a lot of money wants to have control. Your mission: prevent that from happening. There are a few rather interesting characters, unfortunately, most are quite bland. Kruger is a typical villain, whose whole gimmick is being bad because he wants to rule the world. Faith, in turn, must be the savior standing against everything he represents—though in her case, it's not that simple. She's still a good person trying to stop the big bad and uncover the truth about her past, but her fingers are dipped in the grey area, rather than pure white—which makes her relatable. The cast of side characters would be perfectly forgettable - apart from Plastic - if it weren't for their ever-present talking in my earpiece. Thankfully the voice acting of almost every person is at least decent, which makes it possible to survive this aspect. However, even if we consider all of the shortcomings and the completely underwhelming finale the game presents us with, I would still like to play a sequel and learn how this story ends.

Now, for the biggest downside of the title: even though it's sold as an Open World entry, that description is only a façade. There is no way to complete the game if you fail any of the Main Missions, and their outcomes and means of completion are entirely linear—no freedom here. You would think a game about parkour wouldn’t require you to fight hordes of enemies, right? Wrong. While you don't have to smash every single opponent present on your screen, there are moments when you cannot proceed in the game unless you do. And the fighting mechanics in this game are not it. The fighting is clunky, gets extremely tiresome very quickly, and feels unpolished (especially glitching executes). The biggest upside is how easy it is to complete this particular "chore". Thankfully the running and climbing feel fun and fluid. Okay, except for the fact, that sometimes you are certain you don't need to roll—only to find out that you do. And ladders. I hate the bottom parts of the ladders. When it comes to freerunning though, apart from small hiccups with some animations and Faith sometimes jumping off the buildings into the abyss for seemingly no reason whatsoever, running when you're in the flow state is pure bliss.

The game tries to delve into the slightly RPG-like area by adding skill trees that can provide you with extra abilities, fighting skills, or new parkour moves. Yet apart from a couple that are required by the main story, it can be finished without unlocking any of them and still not breaking a sweat. Although the skills that give you extra damage against specific enemy types are a blessing.

Unfortunately, EA has decided to shut down the game's servers, which means that user-made challenges, speed run leaderboards, and several achievements are no longer accessible, which is a pity because while not big, the community for the game is quite active.

To sum it up, while Mirror's Edge Catalyst isn’t the pinnacle of storytelling or worldbuilding, it’s a solid title with unique mechanics that make it stand out and claim the crown of the story-driven parkour genre. Ultimately, Catalyst is a good choice for players who don't mind form over substance. If fluid movement and atmospheric world are something in your ballpark and a mediocre story does not repel you, then this roughly six-hour journey is one, you should definitely give a shot. Especially considering it's on sale for $1 every couple of weeks, and is included in the Game Pass. Making your way from the top of The Shard to the promenade in the Ocean Glass View will never cease to evoke the feeling of freedom in me. Even with all its flaws, the good parts are simply rewarding enough to make me want to return to this world again and again.



My rating scale:
• 5 - A real gem: Excels in (almost) every aspect. Sets a new standard, innovates the genre, or elicits genuine emotions during gameplay. A must-play for most players.
• 4 - Great game: A highly enjoyable experience, worth every penny. Minor flaws don’t overshadow its strengths.
• 3 - Good game: A solid title with some flaws, but still a fun experience overall.
• 2 - Mediocre title: Does little to stand out from the crowd. Functional but forgettable, with few redeeming qualities.
• 1 - Just bad: Fundamentally flawed or unenjoyable. Avoid if possible.

I do not use decimals in my ratings.


My curator page: https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/curator/45342044-The-Game-Prophet/

-rep

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