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Bomba? Mirror's Edge Catalyst PS4/XB1 $40 ($32 with GCU) at Best Buy, $42 at Amazon

Kyrios

Member
My most disappointing game of 2016 so far sadly as I loved the original.

Just gonna trade it in for Pokken Tournament.
 

boltz

Member
So Mirrors Edge fans only want the game which is 90+ on metacritic? Original one didn't have glowing reviews either.

It all comes down to EA knowing the market much better than gamers, however, they succumbed to the vocal minority on the internet.

Sorry should've been more clear, but I didn't mean to say that the sequel had to be perfect, but a new set of issues was introduced in the sequel that's reflected in the so-so reviews. That's not going to help the series get any new fans either.

And I'd rather the big publishers listen to the vocal minority every once in a while. That gives us things like the Mirror's Edges and Dead Spaces of the world. Unfortunately, those niche series tend to crash and burn as the pubs try to push them into the mainstream.
 

SomTervo

Member
Do we know anything about sales properly yet?

Maybe. But a rather soulless open world with busywork tasks is not what I wanted from a ME sequel. To me it seems it is also missing that certain charm that the first game had.

Surely there must be a version of that duck comic strip with "everything was open-world"?

Have you payed it? It's great.

I remember calling this the instant I saw the first real unedited gameplay.

Absolutely not what this game needed. Was this DICE'S decision or EA's?

It's great. The only problem with the open world is that it's harder to bugfix – there are a handful of dead-ends/bits of geometry that you get stuck in.

It's great though. Better than the first, IMO.
 

eshwaaz

Member
I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but I have a feeling that EA's greenlighting of this game was on the condition that it be open world. EA doesn't have any open world franchises, and even if Mirror's Edge doesn't sell, at least the engine work is done and can be used for future titles.

Or, maybe it was purely DICE's decision and I'm full of it. I'm just surprised we got a new Mirror's Edge game at all when the first one underperformed, and I could see EA having some say in the direction in order for it to get made.
 

A-V-B

Member
I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but I have a feeling that EA's greenlighting of this game was on the condition that it be open world. EA doesn't have any open world franchises, and even if Mirror's Edge doesn't sell, at least the engine work is done and can be used for future titles.

Pretty sure that's it.
 

SomTervo

Member
Um... this sound rather horrible...

That person's experience is not my experience at all.

I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but I have a feeling that EA's greenlighting of this game was on the condition that it be open world. EA doesn't have any open world franchises, and even if Mirror's Edge doesn't sell, at least the engine work is done and can be used for future titles.

Or, maybe it was purely DICE's decision and I'm full of it. I'm just surprised we got a new Mirror's Edge game at all, and I could see EA having some say in the direction in order for it to get made.

Good analysis.
 

Kinsei

Banned
How, exactly, does it detract? The original Mirror's Edge campaign had a series of linear, well-designed story missions. Mirror's Edge: Catalyst has that too! If you just want that experience, well, just do story missions. Follow the red runner's vision for a linear path between them. If that's it, your complaint boils down to "In ME: Catalyst I have to briefly perform parkour inbetween story missions".

The fact that you need to follow the red line in order to easily get to the story missions is a problem. The game shouldn't have had an open world.
 

SomTervo

Member
The fact that you need to follow the red line in order to easily get to the story missions is a problem. The game shouldn't have had an open world.

You don't have to, though? It's 100% optional.

I've played it for probably 7 hours, and for 6.5 of those hours I played without 'runner vision' (eg red lines) at all.

Every half hour or so I'll get a bit too lost and turn on Runner Vision just to help me orient myself in the game world. But I'll turn it off again after, like, one minute.

It works great. I just wish the 'Hold Alt to turn on Runner Vision' worked for turning it off again, too.
 

thumb

Banned
The fact that you need to follow the red line in order to easily get to the story missions is a problem. The game shouldn't have had an open world.

I was pointing out the runner's vision option to highlight that you can play this as a linear game. But as the poster above me notes, you can also turn off (or turn down) this vision.
 

Kinsei

Banned
I was pointing out the runner's vision option to highlight that you can play this as a linear game. But as the poster above me notes, you can also turn off (or turn down) this vision.

I know. I'm saying that I think having to turn it on to find reach a mission, turn it off for the mission, and turn it back on once you finish the mission is bad.
 

thumb

Banned
I know. I'm saying that I think having to turn it on to find reach a mission, turn it off for the mission, and turn it back on once you finish the mission is bad.

You don't have to turn it on to reach a mission. You can look at your map and just go there. It's just easier with it.

And again, if the complaint is, "I must briefly travel to a mission by doing parkour" that's pretty small potatoes.
 

SlickVic

Member
I'll probably buy this knowing full well the valid criticism people have shared on this game. The first person parkour movement and animation of this series is something I've always found incredible. The way Faith moves around in the world of the first game (including animating the arms and legs while in first person) gives a very strong sense of being in the body of a different character. It's just something I don't often feel even in other first person perspective games, and I find it very impressive to see a conventional non-VR game pull it off as well as it does. It's not to say I didn't have issues with the controls at certain points of ME1, but when it flows smoothly, it just feels so good.
So if Catalyst is able to recapture at least some of my love for the parkour movement from the first game, I definitely want to experience it.
 

Gold_Loot

Member
Bought mine digitally on launch day. No regrets. Even with a few warts it has , the game is still a joy to play (and hear).
 
The aesthetic and music are indeed fantastic.

Best parallel I can think of is Remember Me. Some excellent parts, but mediocre overall.
 
Wow I didn't know this even came out... guess I was the only one...

..This launched?

It's out!?!?!?

(completely serious)

Wait, the game was released already?

wat

Wait, this came out already?! :eek:

I was unaware this game had already been released.

Wasn't even aware that the game was out and I only learned about it a few months ago i think.

Wasn't even aware this was released, to be honest.

I felt bad for being so hyped when this was announced but not buying it at launch. The problem is I didn't even know it launched!


I didn't even realize it was out. I thought it was a later release for the summer.

I guess that says something?

Wow, did EA even market this? I didn't know it was out. Way to go, EA.

Reading the comments here about its quality, though, I guess even the publishers couldn't get too excited pushing out a 'soulless open world'? EA...

Yeah I had no idea.

Holy shit this is out?!?

A friend of mine is a huuuge fan of the original. I'm shocked he hasn't even mentioned it yet.

I didn't even know this was out.

the fuck

when did the game release?

You know EA fucked it up when even GAF users didn't know it launched already.

Put me in the group of didn't know it released. Was there even an OT? I can't remember seeing one.

I had no idea this game even came out.

Or not. Jesus. How bad did they market this thing? I'm a big ME fan and had no idea. No buzz at all.
 
The game got delayed once or twice, even just a few weeks before its May launch date it got delayed to early June, right before E3.

The beta did it absolutely no favors, I played it and after an hour it was an easy decision to cancel my pre order. Boring, poor visuals, too much combat, and a bizarre move to an open world for a game that didn't need it in any way.

I don't buy the "no marketing" thing, there is a core of 1-2m people who will pre-order pretty much any new game if its fun. Those people will sell your game for you. Nowadays however the sword cuts both ways, if those people do NOT like your game they will definitely tell everyone else too, on forums, twitch, facebook, etc.

Battleborn, Homefront, and Mirrors Edge 2 all suffered from this, and the release of Overwatch and the hype surrounding it in the same window did them zero favors.
 

jem0208

Member
It's an okay, but soulless version of Mirror's Edge. The missions (so far, I am not too far into it) are good, but the open world does it no favors at all. I completed the first game like 5 times, got all achievements and competed in the Time Trials until the meta became bunny hops and kick-glitches, and I am very dissapointed.

The open nature of the world makes me more inclined to follow the red markers because otherwise I'll end up at a dead end or on the wrong side of the district. And half the time when I try to go freestyle mode, jumps that I feel like I should be able to make gets me killed.

And the first hours are boring because you have a god damn upgrade tree and XP is required to unlock basic moves that were in the first game.

And then the most dissapointing moment comes - you get a fucking grappling hook. I loved Mirror's Edge because it forced me to get creative to reach my destination. Now time trials just becomes "find the hidden grappling point" to get the fastest time.
Bullshit.

If the game had looked well designed I'd have bought it launch. Instead it's the Ubisoft (tm) open world drudgery with a dull skill tree that does little more than give you the false sensation of progressing and getting better at the traversal. The story also looks worse and the character and worlds aren't designed as well visually (seriously how do you make the world of Mirrors Edge drab? There's supposed to be a lot of colour). Dialogue is standard AAA over explained, over edgy rubbish.

This is the impression I've gotten from pre release media and YouTube impression videos.

The mechanics themselves look really fun but I just know the design of the game is going to bore me and that none of the tasks will have any meaning beyond filling a checklist or a bar or exp meter. I'll likely pick it up on a sale, but I can see why the game doesn't appeal to even people on this forum. There's too much unappealing baggage for me to care at the moment.
Your impression is straight up wrong.

The complaints about the open world baffle me. It's a massive and (for the most part) very well designed free running playground and it's awesome. That "open world drudgery" is actually a ton of time trials with some different variations. In no way is any of it just checklist filling (barring the completely ignorable collectables). Some of the comments I've seen are no different than complaining that a racing game has too many races in it. I feel like people take one look at a map filled with icons and immediately assume the worst which is a massive shame because of how excellent this game is. The world is also gorgeous and surprisingly visually diverse.

That said even if you don't like time trials, honestly you probably shouldn't be playing ME at all if this is the case, the main missions are still linear and extremely well designed.

The progression system is also pretty much a non issue. It is pretty pointless but you can unlock every base move in no more than an hour of so. To say the game is boring up until this point is also ridiculous. The grapple is another non issue, not once have I felt that the time trials devolved into a hunt for a grapple point and swinging between buildings can actually be quite exhilarating. The combat system is also actually not terrible, it's not amazing but there's only a few moments in the game where it's required. It can also be quite satisfying to run up a wall, 360 and then kick someone in the head.

Yeah the writing can be pretty bad and the characters aren't great but it doesn't matter because the game is just so good to play.
 

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
Bullshit.


Your impression is straight up wrong.

The complaints about the open world baffle me. It's a massive and (for the most part) very well designed free running playground and it's awesome. That "open world drudgery" is actually a ton of time trials with some different variations. In no way is any of it just checklist filling (barring the completely ignorable collectables). Some of the comments I've seen are no different than complaining that a racing game has too many races in it. I feel like people take one look at a map filled with icons and immediately assume the worst which is a massive shame because of how excellent this game is. The world is also gorgeous and surprisingly visually diverse.

That said even if you don't like time trials, honestly you probably shouldn't be playing ME at all if this is the case, the main missions are still linear and extremely well designed.

The progression system is also pretty much a non issue. It is pretty pointless but you can unlock every base move in no more than an hour of so. To say the game is boring up until this point is also ridiculous. The grapple is another non issue, not once have I felt that the time trials devolved into a hunt for a grapple point and swinging between buildings can actually be quite exhilarating. The combat system is also actually not terrible, it's not amazing but there's only a few moments in the game where it's required. It can also be quite satisfying to run up a wall, 360 and then kick someone in the head.

Yeah the writing can be pretty bad and the characters aren't great but it doesn't matter because the game is just so good to play.

To be fair here, the first few missions ARE shitty and soulless. And the pre-release vids didn't paint a pretty picture of the game.

It's still my game of the year though. Incredible experience through and through.
 

jem0208

Member
To be fair here, the first few missions ARE shitty and soulless. And the pre-release vids didn't paint a pretty picture of the game.

It's still my game of the year though. Incredible experience through and through.
The first few missions are effectively just tutorials and only last about 20 to 30 minutes, total.

Elysium labs onwards is all fantastic.
 

highrider

Banned
It's an okay, but soulless version of Mirror's Edge. The missions (so far, I am not too far into it) are good, but the open world does it no favors at all. I completed the first game like 5 times, got all achievements and competed in the Time Trials until the meta became bunny hops and kick-glitches, and I am very dissapointed.

The open nature of the world makes me more inclined to follow the red markers because otherwise I'll end up at a dead end or on the wrong side of the district. And half the time when I try to go freestyle mode, jumps that I feel like I should be able to make gets me killed.

And the first hours are boring because you have a god damn upgrade tree and XP is required to unlock basic moves that were in the first game.

And then the most dissapointing moment comes - you get a fucking grappling hook. I loved Mirror's Edge because it forced me to get creative to reach my destination. Now time trials just becomes "find the hidden grappling point" to get the fastest time.


Jebus. This is a dagger because it's so clearly a genuine feeling here. Guess I'll hold off lol.
 

Blizzard

Banned
I'm really happy with Catalyst -- over 50 hours played thus far. I 3-star'd all the time trials and am about 70% complete with the world collectibles.

The story is meh, but the movement is great, probably even better than the original game. The open world works well with time trials teaching you good paths, the graphics are decent, the art style is intact, and the puzzle / main missions are well done. The soundtrack is good too.

Mirror's Edge 1 was one of my favorite games ever though, so I'm biased.

I think it's well worth it for people who liked the original and played the time trials.


For more impressions, check the OT. There are both negatives and positives, but on average I feel like (unscientific impression) more positives have been posted.
 

Fox Mulder

Member
Not really a bomb enough price for me.

I loved the first but don't give a shit this one exists. May try it out someday.
 
It's an okay, but soulless version of Mirror's Edge. The missions (so far, I am not too far into it) are good, but the open world does it no favors at all. I completed the first game like 5 times, got all achievements and competed in the Time Trials until the meta became bunny hops and kick-glitches, and I am very dissapointed.

The open nature of the world makes me more inclined to follow the red markers because otherwise I'll end up at a dead end or on the wrong side of the district. And half the time when I try to go freestyle mode, jumps that I feel like I should be able to make gets me killed.

And the first hours are boring because you have a god damn upgrade tree and XP is required to unlock basic moves that were in the first game.

And then the most dissapointing moment comes - you get a fucking grappling hook. I loved Mirror's Edge because it forced me to get creative to reach my destination. Now time trials just becomes "find the hidden grappling point" to get the fastest time.
This game has an upgrade tree? That seems so unnecessary for a game all about running.
 
Best Buy has it for sale but it's a physical copy (digital download inside).

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/mirrors-edge-catalyst-windows/9626029.p?id=1219705742887&skuId=9626029

Since it's technically a "physical copy", does GCU 20% discount work on this?

Might double-dip if so.

I know, I know...rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and all. Love both ME and ME:C thought and feel bad about the apparent poor sales performance (evidenced by these sales; I haven't seen any numbers).

Since so many have mentioned Battleborn: that makes me feel really bad, since I live in the same town as Gearbox and they've clearly sunk a ton of money into their new headquarters. Plus they sponsored the National Videogame Museum which is also here, and is actually a pretty cool place that I'd hate to see get axed. But at the end of the day, I just couldn't force myself to care about Battleborn thanks to Overwatch, Mirror's Edge, Uncharted and everything else.

I think Battleborn and Catalyst were both victims of poor launch timing. Reminds me of when Alan Wake launched on the same day as Red Dead Redemption (except AW still managed to become really popular).
 

amdb00mer

Member
It's really good. I just beat it today. I think being open world turned some off, but for a traversal based game it makes sense. Also I think the game is more fluid than the original.
 

sn00zer

Member
ME2 is really.....odd.... feels like a step down from ME1 in every way but controls and story...sorta...story aint great either. The game feels surprisingly hollow given the heart behind the original one.
 

Dabanton

Member
I just can't get over how bad the graphics are. X1 version.

Usually I can deal with it but ME1 looked great for it's time, this just looks so bad.
 

thumb

Banned
I just don't understand how something that clearly must have been a passion project became a souleless openworld levelupathon.

Well, one possibility is that it is hard to understand because it didn't actually happen. Many people in this thread have testified to the fact that it's great, that's it actually a type of game well-suited to an open world. Very few of the people that are super down on the game have actually completed it.

Edit - I'm looking forward to a dominant theme for future LTTP threads on this game: "Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is actually good, why didn't anyone tell me?"
 

Lemstar

Member
Man, this is why I don't buy games day one. Even Nintendo games started dropping at lot sooner than usual.
but if you had bought it Day 1 from Best Buy you could just call them for a post-purchase price match for $20 back ($16 with GCU)

even without the extended return period from being an Elite member, you'd be well within the 15-day window

Since it's technically a "physical copy", does GCU 20% discount work on this?

Might double-dip if so.
yeah it does

you could have just added it to your cart to check
 

-Deimos

Member
Wow I didn't know this even came out... guess I was the only one...


Or not. Jesus. How bad did they market this thing? I'm a big ME fan and had no idea. No buzz at all.

I'd see articles on the game all the time on gaming news sites...

The problem is probably that nobody wanted another Mirror's edge, which is sad.
 

Reebot

Member
Well, one possibility is that it is hard to understand because it didn't actually happen. Many people in this thread have testified to the fact that it's great, that's it actually a type of game well-suited to an open world. Very few of the people that are super down on the game have actually completed it.

Uh, yeah?

Why would they?
 

Guess Who

Banned
Uh, yeah?

Why would they?

LECkXCd.jpg


Except video games.
 

thumb

Banned
Uh, yeah?

Why would they?

Completed is the wrong term, granted. I was trying to get at the idea that some of the criticisms feel like snap judgments that would be reversed or lessened with further play. But I could have expressed that better.
 
Well, one possibility is that it is hard to understand because it didn't actually happen. Many people in this thread have testified to the fact that it's great, that's it actually a type of game well-suited to an open world. Very few of the people that are super down on the game have actually completed it.

This is ridiculous.

I finished it. The game got more frustrating over time with the forced combat sections, trial and error traversal, and tacked on collectibles and side missions.

You like it? Great. Others like it? Awesome. But hand waving valid criticisms with "people must not have finished it"? Why don't you just add that the people criticizing it just aren't good at the game or maybe aren't smart enough for it?
 

GnawtyDog

Banned
You could mistake this game for a Studio Japan release by Sony.

If Gaf doesn't bring this up, I couldn't remember it was slated for this month.
 

thumb

Banned
This is ridiculous.

I finished it. The game got more frustrating over time with the forced combat sections, trial and error traversal, and tacked on collectibles and side missions.

You like it? Great. Others like it? Awesome. But hand waving valid criticisms with "people must not have finished it"? Why don't you just add that the people criticizing it just aren't good at the game or maybe aren't smart enough for it?

See my post immediately above yours. I agree, "completed" is totally the wrong word. Not my intent, it was poorly stated. There are, however, some people who dipped their toe in the game, or just played the beta, or just learned it was open world and heard other negative impressions and checked out. I'm saying, some of these criticisms would be addressed for some of these people. You can read the OT to also find skeptical people who came around on the game, it's not unheard of. I'm not saying it will happen for everyone, mind. The game is not for everyone. But I do think it is currently underrated.
 
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