Forum Closure and Move to Answers HQ - read more here!
Story Review & Discussion (SPOILERS!)
June 12, 2016 9:20PM
edited June 2016
SPOILER WARNING: PLOT / ENDING DETAILS WILL FOLLOW
So first I’ll start by saying that I loved Mirror’s Edge and love Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. However, I feel like we got a mere portion of what the developers had intended to give us in this game. Let me explain while I run through the story.
We start out with an introduction in text form about the role of runners in Glass. I can’t help but think that there was a better way to start the game – like a cinematic maybe? With a little voiceover on top? Anybody remember “The city used to pulse with energy. Dirty and dangerous, but alive and wonderful. Now it’s something else” from the first game? Granted, I love cinematics and will complain that there aren’t enough throughout this review, but remember that this is meant to be a reboot, not a sequel. This means that you can’t gloss over introducing runners and expect people to already know about them.
Next we meet Faith after she’s released from prison. Wait a minute, why is she in prison? The answer to that question lies in Mirror’s Edge Exordium, a comic released and sold separately from the game that acts as a prequel to the game. Do I have to explain why this is a problem? While I’m fine with spin-off stories being sold in other mediums and as DLC, ripping out a portion of the game’s story (one that is repeatedly referenced in main and side missions) is completely unacceptable. Having Exordium’s content in game as a tutorial would’ve been great and extended the short story campaign.
Anyway, upon exiting the prison, we get a small taste of the street level, as well as a very underutilized rain effect. After taking in the environment for a while we meet Icarus, a character that feels like the developers had something big meant for him, but for whatever reason, couldn’t include it in the game. As it is, his whole character arch seems forced and pointless. They really build Icarus up from the start. First, there’s his name, which has some serious implications not only based in mythology, but also through project Icarus from the original Mirror’s Edge. Then Noah tells you that “He runs better than anyone”. All this, and his purpose is basically to introduce you to the MAG rope and get stuck in an electrified cage. Also, despite the fact that he hates your guts at the beginning of the game, somehow he does a complete 180 after you save him and Noah’s cabal gets destroyed. You’d think he would resent you if anything.
Upon returning to her cabal, which I guess is like a gang of runners – it’s never properly explained, we meet Noah. For those of you who played the last game, Noah is basically the new Mercury. He’s a father figure to Faith, taught her the basics of running, and talks her through missions - the whole deal. His character is definitely more flat than Merc, but I also felt his death was more impactful than Merc’s, so I can’t really say which character I prefer overall.
Next I’ll quickly go over my thoughts on Kruger, Rebecca, Plastic, Dogen, and a few others. For the most part these characters were all good and did their jobs well, but definitely could’ve been fleshed out more. The doctor lady you rescue in Kingdom and Nomad, on the other hand, feel more like plot tools than people and are entirely forgettable. And Nomad is supposed to be Faith’s best friend? Shouldn’t he be a little more involved in the main story? I get that he’s more of an activist than a runner, but still. The biggest loss is the Morgan-Freeman-esque runner Birdman, who gets too little screen time for the awesome Yoda moments he could have. You can’t build this guy up as the legendary first runner and then just use him for a pigeon fetch quest, I mean seriously, what were you thinking?
Finally, there is Kate (or Cait?), who is ridiculously portrayed as the brainwashed daughter of Gabriel Kruger. It’s good that they kept the dichotomy between Faith and Kate, but their bond was so much stronger in the first game. They were two sisters who took opposite approaches toward the same goal – Kate tried to change the system from within as a cop, while Faith fought the system as a runner. Catalyst warps this by first telling you that Kate is dead, then revealing her identity at last second and having her be an enemy. Then, she turns so fast that Icarus’s 180 looks reasonable. Granted, Kate maintains her position in the conglomerate in the end, but still. And for such a critical moment, they rush through the discussion between Kate and Faith like it was a time trial or something. Also, I was waiting for Warning Call by CHVRCHES to play at the end, but it never happened. Was the vocal version even used in the game at all? Because I certainly didn’t hear it.
Overall, it just feels like SO MUCH CONTENT is missing from ME:C’s story. If you go back and watch the story trailer, half of the scenes are end-game content, and you can actually find several pieces of cinematics that are nowhere to be seen in the final game. Combine that with the lack of development for Birdman, Icarus, Nomad, and Doctor-lady (still don’t remember her name), as well as the content that was (or had to be?) put into Exordium, and you can guess that there was some serious rushing with this game. They don’t even explain why the tattoo Faith gets is important. You can guess that it’s a reminder of her mother, but was the original drawing supposed to be like a key to reflection or something? Maybe you guys can fill me in.
Again, I loved playing Catalyst and I love the franchise. And there are a bunch of awesome things in this game that I didn’t mention because I was focusing on the story: the set piece moments, the references to the first game, the amazing design and architecture of the city, the beautiful visuals at night, etc. However, technical/graphic bugs and the story seem like evidence of a rushed game, and I thought that was more interesting to talk about.
Let me know your thoughts below!
So first I’ll start by saying that I loved Mirror’s Edge and love Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. However, I feel like we got a mere portion of what the developers had intended to give us in this game. Let me explain while I run through the story.
We start out with an introduction in text form about the role of runners in Glass. I can’t help but think that there was a better way to start the game – like a cinematic maybe? With a little voiceover on top? Anybody remember “The city used to pulse with energy. Dirty and dangerous, but alive and wonderful. Now it’s something else” from the first game? Granted, I love cinematics and will complain that there aren’t enough throughout this review, but remember that this is meant to be a reboot, not a sequel. This means that you can’t gloss over introducing runners and expect people to already know about them.
Next we meet Faith after she’s released from prison. Wait a minute, why is she in prison? The answer to that question lies in Mirror’s Edge Exordium, a comic released and sold separately from the game that acts as a prequel to the game. Do I have to explain why this is a problem? While I’m fine with spin-off stories being sold in other mediums and as DLC, ripping out a portion of the game’s story (one that is repeatedly referenced in main and side missions) is completely unacceptable. Having Exordium’s content in game as a tutorial would’ve been great and extended the short story campaign.
Anyway, upon exiting the prison, we get a small taste of the street level, as well as a very underutilized rain effect. After taking in the environment for a while we meet Icarus, a character that feels like the developers had something big meant for him, but for whatever reason, couldn’t include it in the game. As it is, his whole character arch seems forced and pointless. They really build Icarus up from the start. First, there’s his name, which has some serious implications not only based in mythology, but also through project Icarus from the original Mirror’s Edge. Then Noah tells you that “He runs better than anyone”. All this, and his purpose is basically to introduce you to the MAG rope and get stuck in an electrified cage. Also, despite the fact that he hates your guts at the beginning of the game, somehow he does a complete 180 after you save him and Noah’s cabal gets destroyed. You’d think he would resent you if anything.
Upon returning to her cabal, which I guess is like a gang of runners – it’s never properly explained, we meet Noah. For those of you who played the last game, Noah is basically the new Mercury. He’s a father figure to Faith, taught her the basics of running, and talks her through missions - the whole deal. His character is definitely more flat than Merc, but I also felt his death was more impactful than Merc’s, so I can’t really say which character I prefer overall.
Next I’ll quickly go over my thoughts on Kruger, Rebecca, Plastic, Dogen, and a few others. For the most part these characters were all good and did their jobs well, but definitely could’ve been fleshed out more. The doctor lady you rescue in Kingdom and Nomad, on the other hand, feel more like plot tools than people and are entirely forgettable. And Nomad is supposed to be Faith’s best friend? Shouldn’t he be a little more involved in the main story? I get that he’s more of an activist than a runner, but still. The biggest loss is the Morgan-Freeman-esque runner Birdman, who gets too little screen time for the awesome Yoda moments he could have. You can’t build this guy up as the legendary first runner and then just use him for a pigeon fetch quest, I mean seriously, what were you thinking?
Finally, there is Kate (or Cait?), who is ridiculously portrayed as the brainwashed daughter of Gabriel Kruger. It’s good that they kept the dichotomy between Faith and Kate, but their bond was so much stronger in the first game. They were two sisters who took opposite approaches toward the same goal – Kate tried to change the system from within as a cop, while Faith fought the system as a runner. Catalyst warps this by first telling you that Kate is dead, then revealing her identity at last second and having her be an enemy. Then, she turns so fast that Icarus’s 180 looks reasonable. Granted, Kate maintains her position in the conglomerate in the end, but still. And for such a critical moment, they rush through the discussion between Kate and Faith like it was a time trial or something. Also, I was waiting for Warning Call by CHVRCHES to play at the end, but it never happened. Was the vocal version even used in the game at all? Because I certainly didn’t hear it.
Overall, it just feels like SO MUCH CONTENT is missing from ME:C’s story. If you go back and watch the story trailer, half of the scenes are end-game content, and you can actually find several pieces of cinematics that are nowhere to be seen in the final game. Combine that with the lack of development for Birdman, Icarus, Nomad, and Doctor-lady (still don’t remember her name), as well as the content that was (or had to be?) put into Exordium, and you can guess that there was some serious rushing with this game. They don’t even explain why the tattoo Faith gets is important. You can guess that it’s a reminder of her mother, but was the original drawing supposed to be like a key to reflection or something? Maybe you guys can fill me in.
Again, I loved playing Catalyst and I love the franchise. And there are a bunch of awesome things in this game that I didn’t mention because I was focusing on the story: the set piece moments, the references to the first game, the amazing design and architecture of the city, the beautiful visuals at night, etc. However, technical/graphic bugs and the story seem like evidence of a rushed game, and I thought that was more interesting to talk about.
Let me know your thoughts below!
Post edited by HaraldHoerwick on
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Comments
As for the Warning Call song, it's only featured in the jukebox in The Lair. They made it out to be the key song for Catalyst as Still Alive was to the original.
The ending sort of leads people to think there will be a sequel to Catalyst. I hope it's true and they will take their time focusing on story now that the gameplay is pretty much good now. Cascadia is very huge so there's tons of opportunities for a next Mirror's Edge to take place in another location within the map.
I was thinking the same thing but at first I thought maybe I was wrong, the ending feels like "there will be another mirror's edge". It is good to see that I am not alone with this opinion.
The visuals are beautiful and the art style is amazing BUT i feel like they strayed too much from how it was in the first game (I'm pretty sure i saw flying cars?), It didn't quite give me the same atmosphere of a dystopian world like the first one did.
I kinda feel the same about the story regarding Merc getting replaced with Noah and Kate becoming Isabel/Caitlyn your evil martial arts expert twin.
That being said it was well worth the money and it was nice experiencing Faith again in a new story.
Not sure how they're gonna go from here, i'd rather they build further on the lore they set in the first game aswell as it's art style rather than Catalyst even though that's probably highly unlikely
I was really surprised we didn't get any cinematic intro or something similar. We were thrown right into the game without any explanation why Faith was in the juvie. People who read the comic book of course knew, but what about other people? That was just a very bad move, Dice. Very bad story telling.
Same with Exordium: We met Celeste in the comic book and then what? After what happened between her and Faith in the comic they should've at least once talk in the game! It wasn't just a small incident between them that could be forgotten and never mentioned between them. Come on.
I also don't understand why Dice wanted to introduce so many new characters. What for? Only Faith remained from the original game. I loved every single one from the previous ME. Merc, Celeste, Kate, ****, even Jacknife was more interesting than Icarus.
Yeah, speaking of Icarus... Sigh. Why? I haven't seen such horrible character in a game in a very long time. I've said it several times in different threads, but I guess it'll never be enough. If we get another Mirror's Edge or even a DLC, I don't want him anymore. Everytime I saw him, the cringe was real and painful.
Next is Birdman. Why introduce him as someone important in the comic book and then give him literally 5 minutes of screen time in the game and then make him gone? I don't even... what.
And now is Kate or Caitlyn/Isabel. Why change her name from Kate to Cat? This confuses the cra... outta me. I loved her relationship with Faith in the first game and while I prefer it like that, I don't complain about their relationship in the Catalyst. I think this can be very interesting with a DLC/another ME.
I won't write anything about Noah, because I was so indifferent about him he might as well not exist.
And speaking of the rushed story... We didn't have enough side missions with a real narrative. We also heard in the game about some secret Project Kruger was working on. I forgot the name, but it's either gonna Be a DLC or another ME. I also don't understand why Faith's tattoo was so important, like Harald. So we either missed something or it wasn't explained. Yet again, bad move.
Another thing that confuses me: From which group was the person we saw in the Elysium mission? It wasn't Black November, it wasn't a Runner and he/she didn't work solo for sure otherwise they wouldn't killed themselves to keep their mouth shut. My guess is, it has something to do with this mysterious cabal sign we saw in the side mission from Birdman. Yet another unexplained thing. I hate it when game does that and then throws paid DLC at my face saying: Wanna find out? Pay first.
Also, sorry for the spam, Harald. I just wanted to write my opinion as well, especially about the characters, since it was a very important part of Mirror's Edge for me ^^'
Towards the end of the game, a lot seemed to happen off-screen. Even just little things like Faith getting off the train and arriving at The Shard. Or bigger things, like... What the **** happened to Gabriel Kruger? I'm still completely in the dark on that one. It seemed like Cat went to go save him, but later we find out she is "in mourning" and took over the company. It's kind of hard to explain, but it just felt like they ran out of time and had to quickly wrap things up, like others have said -- or at least, it felt much more rushed than the first half of the game, which started off really strong.
I know this is an origin story, but I was shocked that Faith didn't get her tattoo until the game was over. And as others have mentioned, there was really no explanation for it other than it used to hang on her Mom's wall in the form of a piece of artwork. But then why did the Mom say "That (drawing) is your future..." -- it definitely made it sound like it was going to have some kind of connection to Reflection, like a secret code. Very confusing.
It's disappointing, because in many ways the game was so **** polished. The gameplay was really enjoyable. The missions were all really strong and fun to play (and replay). Everything was almost flawless in terms of how smooth it felt. And the story and characters definitely had potential.
But I feel like things started to fall apart (story-wise) around the time that The Lair was raided and Noah was kidnapped. After that, it started feeling very muddled. Icarus disappeared and became a minor character. And then other characters were introduced that I couldn't really care less about. Like the Random Doctor Lady. She suddenly became this huge focus at the end of the game, and none of us can even remember her name. That's not good...
Rebecca Thane was a really interesting character, but there didn't seem to be any kind of conclusion or climax to her part of the story. There was a lot of tension and build-up between her and other characters, but then no big payoff. Her story comes to a screeching halt around the time that Faith and Icarus casually mention that she's becoming kind of scary to work for and that maybe they should stay somewhere else. Was she the one who caused the explosion at The Shard? It wasn't really clear, and I'm surprised she wasn't around for the ending.
I wonder what happened during development. They obviously had some issues going on since the game kept getting delayed. I wish they hadn't rushed it. I wish they took even another full year to deliver the full story, because it's clear that they needed it to refine the story...
No problem, the point here is to discuss our thoughts. That's a very good point about the unexplained cabal sign. I'm not sure who the Elysium ninja was, but I think he was meant to be a generic spy for one of the other corporations. And I'm pretty sure the secret project they mention in Elysium is Kingdom.
Edit: reading back through the rest of the thread, it seems a lot of you didn't pay attention to the NPC chatter, or haven't listened to the majority of the recordings. Had to giggle a little at 'random doctor lady' - she's in the second mission, lol.
Tbh, it's kinda refreshing to play a game where the collectables are actually worth getting... There's a couple of minor potential DLC hooks left hanging, but otherwise, everything is tidied up nicely.
It speaks to my point that you have to look outside the game for this info. There's even of a lot of what some would consider to be 'critical' info that's hidden away in documents and recordings that players won't necessarily ever see.
I agree with most of the points you made, and while the gameplay was very solid, I think that were definitely other areas that needed polishing. Personally, I noticed some areas with massive amounts of flickering/pixelation in the shadows/reflections. I also know that Ash feels strongly that the graphics/textures were a letdown.
Do you know what mission that was so I can replay it because I don't remember that either. And while gathering recordings is fun for some players most won't even bother. If there are important things to know I don't see why you would put them in intel and recordings most players won't bother finding.
I'm currently taking my time collecting them and there is some good information in them - side note after listening to 1-3 of the "Subterranean love" tapes i'm kinda wondering who is this Tristan guy? Did I miss something in the story because even without the last 2 tapes I didn't find yet you see that these are recorded from during the games timeline as they mention the cabal getting raided, is he the guy with the burnt hand who never was explained?
As for Tristan, Aline, Rachel, Dogen, etc, just keep collecting. Between the stuff you'll read, and could have read in Exordium, there's nothing glaring that isn't also glaringly obvious as a DLC plot hook.
Ok so I listened and he was a spy thanks for telling me
Also some plot wholey parts I noticed (mind you I don't have all the tapes and intel yet) were what happened to Gabriel Kruger? he falls out of the Vtol and Cat goes to get him then she doesn't have him, I really doubt he's dead because in video games no one can truly be counted as dead until you get confirmation, so i'm just going to say he's missing.
Why did faith's mom say that tattoo was faith's future? And why does she want to get it tattooed onto her in the first place?(maybe comic book stuff but they could have bothered to have a in game comic we unlocked or something or preferably a cinematic)
Why is the burnt hand guy so important?and who is he? Did faith shoot him as a child?
What was the other runner tag Faith had never seen before?
and minor stuff - what happens with the cabal? are the other runners going to come back or do only Faith and Icarus live there now? Black November still exists what going to happen with them, the news says K-sec is going to "crack down harder in the outcasts" I know it's an open ending but I just didn't feel like it was complete
I would prefer more content in future games or DLCs that do NOT involve bloody time trials or somehow needing to avoid getting shot at by 5 soldiers at the same time, while climbing a pipe or ladder...cause i tend to die.....alot.
When it comes to the Focus Shield, i think they need to make it stay stored until you use it, not let it drain automatically when not running.
Also, i think the items you have to find like recordings, cases and bags and stuff, it should show up on the map if you have seen it during a mission or something, but didn't have time to collect it due to having hordes of enemies gunning for you.
The lack of being able to start a new game is disappointing, unless it is easily missed, cause i want to see the story again, cause the only thing left to do is time trials, which tend to be overly tedious and impossible to do, maybe have a new game + type of thing that allows you to play the game again with the gear unlocked, that would be fun.
You can replay any and all story missions (with all your gear & progression) through the missions tab in the menu.
This isn't a 50 hour RPG. Wrong genre. It's a (potentially serial) fringe racing title. Adjust your expectations more realistically.
I'm not at all offended in fact I loved the game and have gone on other websites to rate it a solid 8 i'm just saying some things that I thought felt a little vague, when i said" plot wholey" what i really mean is those parts felt vague to me, there was just a polish missing on the story that made it feel a bit incomplete to me personally.
I wasn't expecting a 50 hour RPG and I doubt adding just a tiny bit of more story would have added more then another hour to 30mins the game. I think it's important to flesh out certain things and yes it's up to the DEV's and they can add it they want to but those are in fact just things -minor things - i would like to see to add more immersion. I'm not looking to scold the game or "be offended" but even if you love something it's important to look at it critically and that shouldn't be "offensive" either. The game was awesome i'm pointing out things that would make it better imo not making it sound bad.
If we leave aside the comics and even the collectables, there are indeed several things that are left out. But I don't think they're important. It doesn't matter how Faith ended up in juvie; all that matters is that she's in trouble with the local crime boss, and that's conveyed clearly enough. The nature of the runners is explained better in the opening text of MEC than it was in the opening cinematic of ME, so I don't think we need anything more there either.
The story as it stands without comics or documents or audio logs is enough to get you through the game. That's its purpose. Remember that this is a game, not a film or a novel. For those who want to learn more there are the comics and such. Most of the extra lore is found in the game itself, hidden behind the mechanic of collecting documents and audio logs. Again, it's game: that sort of thing is fine.
As far as the characters go, very few ring wrong with me. Like others, I found Doctor Maera to be positioned a little oddly: we see her once early in the game, then three missions from the end she's integral to the team. It makes sense from a story point of view, but it's not told well. Birdman and Noman were sadly underused. Icarus I honestly had no problem with. It was nice to see someone you think is going to be the stereotypical d-bag actually turn out alright. His '180' didn't seem as sudden to me as it did to other people.
I especially liked the ending. You've got the (pretty obvious) build up that Isabel is actually Cat, but by the end she hasn't suddenly thrown off her brainwashing and embraced her long-lost sister; she stops Gabriel from killing her, then goes off to assume her father's role in society. She's still conflicted at the end, a deviation from the usual nonsense we see in films and videogames.
What I want to know is why so many people are keen to see the old ME characters crop up in MEC. The first Mirror's Edge can be completely dismissed as far as story goes. MEC is a complete reboot, set in a wildly different city and time (ME was near future, MEC is at least a century in the future). The fact that there's a character in the wider MEC lore called Celeste is more of an easter egg or homage than anything else, as are the appearance of names like Callaghan, Kruger and Pirandello. If Merc makes an appearance in a future Mirror's Edge game it won't be the same Merc from the first.
Pretty much my thoughts, exactly - particularly with respect to Isabel and Icarus.
Ah, the endless debate. While there is no "right answer" to it, I tend to favor the school of thought that games aren't simply interesting mechanics loosely held together by narrative elements. Instead, games are an art form and a medium of storytelling, where the gameplay and story must be of equal importance, and both enrich each other in order to succeed. Under this interpretation games could simply be seen as interactive versions of films or novels. If you ask me, poker is just a game. Basketball is just a game. But video games can transcend that form of existence by becoming art. And if we accept that Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is art, not simply meant to be enjoyed but also to convey a message, then we can acknowledge moments when the messages might have been better conveyed.
Of course, I don't think we need to have a discussion on the nature of games here. We're both entitled to our differing opinions. My review came from my perspective, just as your thoughts came from yours.
I had several glitches in the game including an invisible bar to nowhere. I wanted to like this game for sure! I loved the first one even with all those problems I walked away just not liking it instead of hating it. Graphics were great and honestly sound was just ok.
I will say I hated that it was night so much of my time for some reason I literally had to go on youtube for the last jump in the game because I had no idea there was a sandbag at that building and I was like its dark I don't see anywhere to jump here.
Finally I will say I believed Cat and thought she was great if she killed her father or tried to save him it doesn't matter because her whole life is strife internal and external she is a woman who I would figure to be unconventional and unpredictable by that standard she succeeds. I will say also Elysium was beautiful but you don't spend enough time seeing how the other half lives and developing different sub-plots with different concerns. My last comment is that you should have been able to control drones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG I would actually like the game again if I had drone missions,