MIRROR'S EDGE CATALYST

Be careful Faith it look like Phil has entered the building and is rising at some speed, he must be taking the elevator, get the data you need from Noah's Arcade UK quickly and get out of there.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get on the Mirrors Edge Catalyst beta, this is a game I’m so excited about as Mirror’s Edge was one of the titles I loved most on the Xbox 360 back when it first came out in 2008, for me at the time it was a title that actually bought something new to the table.

It gave you the ability to seamlessly traverse areas that in real life most of us would be scared to even think of, especially people like me who have a phobia of heights.

Mirror’s Edge really managed to bring the full feeling and motion of parkour into a gaming world and I'm happy to say Catalyst has managed to keep this in mind whilst also make it just a tad smoother but after 8 years since the original I’m pleased.

The button layout felt a little more natural personally but as I've seen online a lot of people might hate upon me saying this, it just gives a fast feeling and reaction time especially when you are getting into it the flow of the game, but then layout is all dependant on what you can get used to and in Mirror’s Edge you do really need to pick it up quick as it could easily cause you issue's if you don't remember the button mapping, but I'm sure with the actual release it’ll include an original button mapping for anyone who wants it.

The environment in Mirrors Edge Catalyst is simplistic and enticing bringing a feeling of a world set not too far away from now with vast building's that have a mammoth feeling to them, really bringing you into the city as Faith is leaping from great heights and landing into a roll so you don't take damage like all those free-running video's you see people post on Youtube, not the one from the US office but to be honest who doesn't like watching this.

The game brings crisp visuals and vibrant colours into the mix so you can continue to focus and see where you need to run/climb to. The characters in the game look almost real with fantastic facial animations whilst talking and the detail in the faces and clothes really help to bring this world to life.

The game has such immersive quality of audio during the game not only in the cut-scenes but also when exploring high above the city, leaping from yet another roof, to grappling sprawling pipework, and climbing up the side of the many grand buildings that line the cityscape.

Personally I'm excited for June 9th when the game launches to find myself getting lost and exploring the world that lives within Mirror’s Edge Catalyst.