Mirror's Edge Catalyst Launch Trailer Is Pretty Talkative
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Mirror's Edge Catalyst [official site] might not be out for another two weeks, but that's not stopping EA from showcasing some cryptic cutscenes in this suave new launch trailer. It's got the standard dramatic swell of music punctuated by all-too-serious clipped together dialogue, but I actually like the way it blends in with the serene ambiance of the first game. You should probably just watch and see for yourself.
Confusingly enough, Mirror's Edge Catalyst is actually a reboot of the first game and it focuses more on fleshing out the heroine, Faith, as a character. That's well and good, but what has me more interested is the refinements to the traversal and combat system. DICE decided that guns were kinda lazy and so, in Catalyst, Faith won't be able to pick them up or use them. Instead, she puts her momentum and flow into melee.
In an interview with Polygon last year, senior producer Sara Jansson had this to say: "Now the fighting is more of an extension of the movement. It builds on the flow. It fits a lot better with the game mechanics. When Faith is in flow, when she stitches together move after move without failing and keeps her momentum going, she's actually invulnerable to bullets. That can keep her out of harm's way. It's only when she stops that she can get hurt."
Like the first Mirror's Edge, Catalyst looks like quite the stunner, but I'm a little worried that the new emphasis on story is going to push it in a different direction I was hoping for. I would rather see improvements to the running than get to know what dumb thing Faith did to get herself locked up in juvy. I supposed Catalyst could have its cake and eat it too.
MIrror's Edge is out on June 7 for North America and June 9 for Europe, and can be purchased with real money or earned as a reward for surviving any one of the ridiculous stunts seen in the trailer. Just kidding, don't try that. I can't have that on my conscience.