10 Things We Know about Mirrors Edge Catalyst

10 things we know about Mirror's Edge Catalyst Intro: The original Mirror�s Edge was a creative take on action-platforming, combining parkour-style free-running with first-person-shooter aesthetics...and occasionally some FPS-style gunplay. The game didn�t make a major sales splash at first, but over the years it built up a big enough cult following to warrant a follow-up from developer DICE and publisher EA. The new Mirror�s Edge game, which is called Mirror�s Edge Catalyst, won�t hit shelves until later this spring, but here�s what we know about it so far. 1. It�s a prequel. In Catalyst, you�ll play as Faith Connors, the free-running courier protagonist from the first game. But the story of Catalyst will take place before the events of the original Mirror�s Edge, and players will get to learn a bit about how Faith became the high-speed parkour god we know and love. Details about the story are scarce, but from what has been released, it seems Faith gets the attention of the ruthless corporate leader Gabriel Kruger by stealing something of his, sparking a conflict between his security forces and Faith�s underground runner community. DICE Senior Producer Sara Jansson has also promised that the game will �dive deeper into the story behind our heroine Faith,� including some more details about her childhood. 2. It�s open world. For the prequel, DICE has done away with the level structure entirely, instead choosing to let players loose in the open-world city of Glass. Players can progress through the story at their own pace, and will also have access to side-quests, races, and other non-essential missions. Glass itself will feature a number of distinct districts to explore, including a high-rise district called Anchor, a bustling downtown area, and a prosperous seaside section known as The View. Each section has its own aesthetic and color scheme, although all of them maintain the color-saturated futuristic urban look that the Mirror�s Edge series has become known for. 3. Revamped, momentum-based combat. Catalyst, like Mirror�s Edge, is all about movement. But the free-running theme wasn�t well integrated into the combat of the original game, and that�s something that DICE is looking to change with Catalyst. The developer says the game will provide �advanced combat that is integrated into an improved fluidity of movement,� by making the hand-to-hand combat system more reliant on Faith�s momentum. Some attacks, for example, will require momentum to launch. And when Faith gets moving fast enough, she�ll actually become impossible for enemies to hit. The idea is that hand-to-hand combat will become a part of your free-running path, and you�ll chain attacks between wall-runs, pole vaults, and other acrobatic parkour moves for maximum damage. 4. No more gunplay. Speaking of combat, you�d better master the hand-to-hand system in Catalyst, because guns are gone�your enemies still have them, but Faith won�t wield firearms in this game. That might seem regressive, but it�s actually addressing a core complaint about the original Mirror�s Edge. Many players said the gunplay in the original felt clunky and out-of-place for a game that was meant to be about using movement and agility to evade enemies. Catalyst�s revamped, movement-based hand-to-hand combat is meant to remove the need for any gun battles, allowing players to take out troublesome enemies without forcing them to stop and pick up a gun. 5. The sound is supposed to be amazing. DICE is a developer that seems to pay particular attention to sound - in its latest Battlefront game, for example, it perfectly matched sounds from the Star Wars films to make players feel like they�re really immersed in the world of Star Wars. In Catalyst, the company is trying for that same level of immersion with a revamped set of sound effects designed to better replicate the real-life sounds of running, jumping, and swinging across an urban playground. The soundtrack has also been created with immersion in mind; it will automatically adjust the music�s tempo based on Faith�s pace, so that when you�re moving faster, the backbeat keeps up with your running rhythm. 6. Runner�s Vision is back, and improved. �Follow the red� was Faith�s mantra in the original Mirror�s Edge, and that Runner�s Vision system is back in Catalyst. Faith�s ideal path across obstacles will still be highlighted in red, but the system has been improved significantly to offer more options and to account for the open-world nature of the new game. Players will now have access to a GPS-like system that will let them set a destination and then highlight ideal routes. They�ll also have more choices than in the first game: runners who need a helping hand will be able to set Runner�s Vision to �Full View,� which will give a very obvious red trail to follow. Classic view will highlight some objects but leave connecting those dots up to the player. Hardcore runners will also be able to turn Runner�s Vision off completely if they want and navigate the city on their own. 7. Puzzles play a role. Movement is obviously the core of Catalyst�s gameplay, but Faith will stop every now and then to take on a new challenge: puzzles. Some of these puzzles will be the environmental, free-running kind that also appeared in the first game, but reports suggest there may also be some hacking puzzles and a few similar tricks to break up the free-running gameplay every now and then. 8. Faith is getting some new gadgets. Aside from her feet and her fists, Faith didn�t have much to work with in the original game. But in this one, she�s getting a little help in the form of some James-Bond-style gadgets. DICE has revealed two so far: a �mag-rope� that functions like a grappling hook, linking Faith to floating security cameras and allowing her to swing into otherwise-unreachable spots. The other is the disruptor, a high-tech part of Faith�s glove that can disable AI and computer systems. We haven�t seen much of how these will be used in the game yet, and it�s not clear whether those are the only gadgets Faith will have access to or whether there could be more. But at least this time Faith doesn�t have to take the rooftops with nothing more than her running shoes. 9. There are three factions. The original Mirror�s Edge was pretty binary: it was Faith versus the world as she fought to save her sister from a conspiracy. But the story of Catalyst promises to be a little less simple, with three major factions at play. There is the Conglomerate, the wealthy and controlling corporate rulers of the city of Glass. There is Black November, an anti-government resistance movement that fights the Conglomerate. And then there are the Runners, Faith and her partners, who may be caught in the middle...or perhaps playing both sides. 10. No VR support...yet. If you want to take Catalyst�s immersion to the next level with VR, it looks like you�re going to have to wait. The game won�t support any VR headset at launch and DICE boss Karl-Magnus Troedsson has said that he doesn�t think VR for a game that combines first-person and vertigo would have much mass market appeal. Then again, he�s also said that VR in Catalyst would be �cool� and �great.� And even if EA doesn�t spring for VR support, fans modded Oculus Rift support into the original Mirror�s Edge game, so PC players can likely expect a similar mod for Catalyst somewhere down the line. Don�t expect it on day one, though, or you�re going to be sorely disappointed. Outro: Mirror�s Edge fans have spent more than half a decade waiting for a sequel that improves on the great ideas found in the original game. DICE is taking some big risks with Catalyst, like switching to open-world and removing gunplay from the game, but it sounds like those bets might be paying off. We�ll find out on May 24, when the game releases on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. What are your thoughts on Mirror's Edge Catalyst? Let us know in the comments and subscribe to the skilled channel for more game previews.