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# Why Mirror's Edge Catalyst FAILS

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# Why Mirror's Edge Catalyst FAILS

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Ninja_Devi1
✭50 posts
June 24, 2016 6:40PM
Let's be clear, I LOVE Mirror's Edge, but Catalyst was a utter disappointment. As an Xbox One player, graphics were horrible, rendering was terrible and there were frame rate issues throughout gameplay. Constant flickering, glitches and insulting AI also plague this game.
How the game manages to maintain its fun factor is impressive however. It seems like EA/Dice left this game for the interns to develop while their REAL talent worked on Battlefront and Battlefield unfortunately.
This game has enormous potential to be a massive money-maker but it needs to be respected, given priority and re- imagined.
There's no reason why most 4 year old games looks and performs better than this game. "Copy and Paste" vehicles driving in predictable yet illogical pattern fill the streets. The moon looks like a cardboard cut-out. Building windows are nothing more than static pixelated images. Character animations are limited and repetitive, drones suddenly appear and disappear, while exploring rooftops I would glitch through windows and wall and fall to my death....the list goes on.
Catalyst feels rushed and underdeveloped. The campaign is incredibly short, while side missions all remain repetitive. This game should rival that of Dishonored and Assassin's Creed. Lord knows the company had enough time to do it. It's embarrassing that they released this game. I, alone, can give an incredible amount of valuable ideas/ concepts and direction, moving forward, for this franchise (I would love to, given the opportunity).
I hate writing all this but it needs to be said. I also filled out the survey the company emailed me ,regarding my thoughts of this game, but I wanted to share it as well with this community.

## Comments

- ME_wifu22
  31 posts ✭
  June 24, 2016 7:38PM
  *claps* thanks for not being blind to these things. It needed to be said. I filled mine out too but it was very short like three sentences short.
- nag
  23 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 1:20AM
  Of course the size of the MEC team isn't the same as the Battlefield team. EA knows this kind of game doesn't sell that well and that's why they didn't invest that much into it. Can you even be more self-entitled than this? If you actually love Mirror's Edge, you should learn to appreciate the fact that this game even exists.
- silentmike03
  1 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 2:17AM
  Loved the original despite its flaws. I'm really curious about the team's thoughts because it seems like they don't have a clear vision for what the series should be and what people liked about it. When ME is at its best, it's when you never stop moving. It's when you're able to seamlessly able to string together your wallruns, walljumps, slides, and everything else and keep your momentum going. When you're able to do those things the game feels great, but in both games the developers keep putting in all these blocks to your progress. I get that the open world and the improved combat is to appeal to a wider market, but those things both hurt the game. The open world is lifeless and adds nothing to the game but performance issues. The combat is better than the first game, but the focus on it is completely missing the point. You should never stop running. Nobody comes to Mirror's Edge for the combat, they want that sweet, sweet, parkour.
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 5:20AM
  @silentmike03 Yeah the flow of the game is addicting and you nailed it with, "the open world is lifeless and adds nothing to the game but performance issues." You also see that the game has a bit of an identity crisis. Good response.
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 5:27AM
  @nag Really? You would seriously defend this game? I paid hard earned money for this product that apparently took 4 years to develop and its simply not worth it. Self-entitled? Your response is insulting. EA not pouring money and talent into this game is criminal. I would have gladly waited another half a year while they polished the game before releasing it. How can I appreciate something when I don't see the game getting the respect and investment it deserves?
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 5:30AM
  @ME_wifu22 I wanted this game to be so epic. We waited SO long for this and it's such a weak offering. But like I said, I'd be willing to get involved with its future development conceptually if the franchise continues to even be supported.
- Bird_Of_Faith
  161 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 7:23AM
  I understand your opinions completely, but at the same time, as Mirror's Edge fans, we need to except the fact that Catalyst is only one game, after the first, that Dice has given to us. its like a new path into a franchise that they can make better. This was not an easy job for Dice, and whether people dislike how they have confronted it, they need to realize that this is like a learning curve for future game creators, a sequel or a prequel, reboot or rebirth, will be built more upon someday, we all just got to be happy that they actually tried, and in my personal opinion, they did a fantastic job... but everyone has their own views...
- philsym7
  13 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 7:56AM

  > Bird_Of_Faith wrote: »
  > I understand your opinions completely, but at the same time, as Mirror's Edge fans, we need to except the fact that Catalyst is only one game, after the first, that Dice has given to us. its like a new path into a franchise that they can make better. This was not an easy job for Dice, and whether people dislike how they have confronted it, they need to realize that this is like a learning curve for future game creators, a sequel or a prequel, reboot or rebirth, will be built more upon someday, we all just got to be happy that they actually tried, and in my personal opinion, they did a fantastic job... but everyone has their own views...

  Yeah I agree. I would hate to see such a great franchise with a ton of potential go down the drain because of a few things done wrong. It took eight years to get from ME to ME:C, and I'd like less for a sequel to this, if they can even make one.
- tinypanmilk
  130 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 10:14AM
  I agree with a lot of your points, especially about the character animations, cars, etc. It feels like the game just didn't have as much effort put into it as four years would warrant.
- ninemil
  218 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 11:14AM
  You're a bone player, making commentary on graphics and effects, and gameplay elements tied to CPU power?
  Um?
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 3:10PM

  > ninemil wrote: »
  > You're a bone player, making commentary on graphics and effects, and gameplay elements tied to CPU power?
  > Um?

  @ninemil Your comment means what exactly?
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 3:14PM
  @Bird_Of_Faith You know what I expect? A game that EA/DICE respects and actually invests in. They have no excuse and an enormous amount of time to put out a solid product. We waited this long for another Mirror's edge... whats another year or few months of development going to make at this point?
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 3:22PM
  @philsym7 What I don't get is how players are defending this game and justifying the end product. It hurts that I can't recommend this game to any of my friends because the market/industry is loaded with AAA title games... how's does the MEC team even compete?
- Merc
  19 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 4:22PM
  I don't really care about all of that. For me, the biggest problem with the game is how it completely ditches the incredible atmosphere and aesthetics of the original. The original Mirror's Edge was breathtaking. Catalyst doesn't even look like Mirror's Edge at parts. The underground drains in Catalyst look like something out of Infamous as opposed to Mirror's Edge. In fact, the game as a whole feels like a first person version of Infamous with elements of Mirror's Edge scattered throughout. There's a clear lack of cohesion across the different districts with none being visually striking and none creating an atmosphere like in the original.
  It's a decent game, but it does not hold up to the original. I became a Mirror's Edge fan because of the atmosphere and beauty of the game. Catalyst has none of that. The parkour gameplay is better than in the first, but that's not what made Mirror's Edge so incredible.
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 5:41PM
  @Merc Absolutely. I didn't want to bring in the original Mirror's Edge because it's actually a better game in many respects, which is embarrassing , considering. I think the term, "Subtraction by addition" is applicable here. Catalyst is indeed a decent game and the running mechanics is more solidified than the original but this was a huge opportunity to knock this game out the park and establish itself as a must have game and grow a culture around a "new" IP.
- Merc
  19 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 7:44PM
  @Ninja_Devi1 The original 2013 announcement trailer for Catalyst looked incredible and actually seemed to nail everything. The atmosphere, aesthetics, tone, music, designs, etc all looked perfect. It seemed that they were going for an even more minimalist style which looked perfect. I can't quite grasp why Catalyst changed in every aspect.
  One of the biggest problems with Catalyst is how it ditches many elements which made Mirror's Edge so great and replaces them all with generic garbage from Infamous and other recent adventure games. Faith herself has been given a more "Hollywood" design. Her face and body were drastically different in the 2013 and 2014 previews of the game.
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 25, 2016 8:14PM
  @Merc Agreed. Furthermore, Catalyst simply lacks depth and philosophy. "Why should anyone play this game?" Is a question I would ask the developers. Arguably there isn't anything original in Catalyst.
  If a "Special Edition" of the original Mirror's Edge were released with deleted content and enhancements, that probably would've been a better offering. Catalyst feels shallow. Maybe EA/Dice can layer and refine Catalyst moving forward? There are an incredible amount of ways to make the game a blockbuster.
- ME_wifu22
  31 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 12:53AM edited June 2016

  > Ninja_Devi1 wrote: »
  > @ME_wifu22 I wanted this game to be so epic. We waited SO long for this and it's such a weak offering. But like I said, I'd be willing to get involved with its future development conceptually if the franchise continues to even be supported.

  Agreed. ill still support if there is a sequel but ill wait for a sale.
- ninemil
  218 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 2:11AM

  > Ninja_Devi1 wrote: »

  > > ninemil wrote: »
  > > You're a bone player, making commentary on graphics and effects, and gameplay elements tied to CPU power?
  > > Um?

  > @ninemil Your comment means what exactly?

  That everything you're complaining about is symptomatic of the wretched piece of hardware that you're using to play the game. My experience has been the complete opposite - the graphics are jaw-dropping, animation smooth and fluid, AI smart and challenging, (particularly if you do a run with no combat upgrades, where one misstep will absolutely punish you.)
  You're not in a position to criticise the game in a generalistic fashion. Your experience is limited to your platform's port, and your platform's port is limited by your platform. You should acknowledge that in your feedback, rather than waxing lyrical on the broader situation in a manner that you're unqualified to back up.
  In short: Mirror's Edge does not fail. Your budget-tier hardware hamstrings your experience of it.
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 4:08AM
  @ninemil so it's my xbox one's fault that catalyst isn't a great game? lol
  Just skimming the forums here, everyone on every platform is having technical problems with Catalyst. You're simply wrong and your argument is fundamentally flawed. How is it that a game like Destiny is an incredible flawless game on 4 platforms equally?
  Catalyst's AI is smart? That's a flat out lie, I can post multiple videos from industry leading gaming critics/reviewers/gamers that all correlate the identical things I've written about and SHOW them.
  I'm not in a position to criticize the game? I'm a customer who purchased the product and beat the game...that qualifies me.
  Your argument is illogical and your condescending tone is beneath me. If I had to guess from your defensive replies and blindness I'd assume you think Catalyst is the greatest game of all time lol
- ninemil
  218 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 4:59AM
  Yes, it's your bone's fault your experience of the game has been poor. The same way a PS3 player's experience of Destiny is poor.
  And no, you're not in a position to criticise the game generally. You're in a position to criticise the port you play, nothing more.
  The majority of whining on this forum is from people trying to play the game on substandard hardware for the settings they're using, or from people using graphics cards that AMD dumped for being too old. This is 2016 Frostbite 3, not 2014.
  Everything else is from people and media outlets that can't cope with originality, and games that do not fit their small-minded categories. Remember, the original Mirror's Edge reviewed just as bad. Basing an argument on review scores is ill-advised.
  I'll say it again. Your experience has been poor because of your platform. If you were in Hong Kong, I'd happily welcome you to come try it under ideal conditions instead.
- Teto
  137 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 6:54AM
  You both are right, imho.
  - Whatever platform you play with, you should have the same experience, if technically hardwares are equivalent.
  - Yes, most of people who are playing on PC don't have the hardware to play MEC, but in the same time the others are legitimate to whine, as Frobite3 has problems that would be fixed if there's someone available for.
  I have a not so top-of-the-top hardware (i72600K, HD7950 3Go, 16 Go ram, screen 1680x1050, game on SSD) and I can tell you that the game runs smoothy on Ultra, with many things on hyper (except textures and models which need 4Go for GPU at least). Sometimes, after a death, Faith moves in slow-motion. But it's the only complain I can have.
  Anyway, there's another fact: PS4 and X1 aren't good enough to run MEC as intended. Period. And it's not because developers are incompetent, it's just because with Frosbite3 you need a high-end computer to run the game the way it was developed. And by the way, you can thank the team to give us the Hyper quality, because I think that it's the quality the used in intern to make the game.
- ninemil
  218 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 7:03AM

  > Teto wrote: »
  > PS4 and X1 aren't good enough to run MEC as intended. Period. And it's not because developers are incompetent, it's just because with Frosbite3 you need a high-end computer to run the game the way it was developed.

  This.
  Most '15 graphics cards aren't good enough either. If Catalyst's performance is bugging people, they're in for a shock in November.
- Bird_Of_Faith
  161 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 7:30AM

  > Ninja_Devi1 wrote: »
  > @Bird_Of_Faith You know what I expect? A game that EA/DICE respects and actually invests in. They have no excuse and an enormous amount of time to put out a solid product. We waited this long for another Mirror's edge... whats another year or few months of development going to make at this point?

  if you haven't realized, Dice has got so much more respect for this game then you think, you may think other wise, but if they didn't respect it then why did they bother to make a new game? they worked so hard, people need to cut them some slack or you might never see an improvement on it or even a sequel... if you want to see improvements, make your feed back less bagging out feedback, and more constructive feedback whether its negative or not...
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 3:11PM
  @ninemil I'm victimized by my xbox one because Catalyst is designed for advanced/future hardware? Smooth. I own Battlefront too, runs superbly on the xbox one and looks incredible. I don't get the stagger of consistency for a game put out by the same company on the same platform.
  Now I have to fly to Hong Kong to see how the game is supposed to look and function? You see the issue here? This is an industry based solely on one thing, the gaming experience. Priority is placed on optimizing on that principle.
  Whoever decided to build Catalyst, where it only functions as intended on hardware that only a small percentage of gamers worldwide actually own -- but sthen releases it on multiple platforms -- opening themselves (and the game) to detrimental criticism, didn't exercise discernment. That move simply doesn't make sense. It leaves the vast majority of opinions and reviewers with a dissatisfaction of the game which explains Catalysts reviews.
- ninemil
  218 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 3:18PM
  Like I said before - if it irritates you now, wait till November.
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 3:26PM edited July 2016
  @Bird_Of_Faith My feedback is legit. Catalyst remains short, repetitive and "empty".
  There's zero customization within the game. I can't change Faith's shoes or unlock any outfits, I can't play as any other character, it may be open world but the game is still linear. All side missions are either going to point A to point B or finding something randomly in the world (security chips, documents etc.) And there are no maps for any of it but the glypths. The game limits you to unoccupied rooftops. No street level running? Eh, fine but where the world is the life of the city?
  There's zero interaction with anyone except those random place holding people scattered on rooftops (nothing weird about that).
  How is that Kruger Sec shows up immediately (closest door bursts open) on whatever skyscraper building I'm on within seconds of getting scanned by one of the millions of rooftop security cameras?
  Black November nor runners have access to drones or use them even though Glass's skyline is littered with them. Plastic uses one briefly for a mission but you don't even get to interact with it.
  No weather changes in Glass. I can continue but my feedback is legit.
  This game is begging for re-imagination and expansion. Like I stated, it has enormous potential but there's simply nothing original about this game. Thank God the fun factor keeps it playable with the mechanics and parkour theme.
  Post edited by EAMod_Mike on July 2016
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 3:28PM
  @Teto I appreciate your response and I understand but I refuse to accept blame and fault for my experience of a game I purchased. That's simply the fault of the developers/publisher of said product. I'll continue playing Catalyst because it's the only game of its kind but I really hope the franchise continues.
- ME_wifu22
  31 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 3:35PM
  The game isn't good. Period. I know my opinion is subjective however this isn't about which platform runs better or blah blah it's a bad product and yes the team tried really hard I'm not denying that but I feel a lot of you guys are in denial because you wanted it so bad and we have one,cool but lets not pretend. We all have a right to our opinions but pls don't clamp on others because you feel catalyst is perfect. Anyway this is my last time on these fourms because I feel like you guys aren't as welcoming as I hoped; anyway have fun runners.
- Ninja_Devi1
  50 posts ✭
  June 26, 2016 4:14PM
  @ME_wifu22 don't leave me alone!! Your reply is %100 man. It doesn't matter that everyone here violently defends Catalyst or justifies it to the end. You and I both know this game is forgettable and worth maybe half the price tag is sold for. All the best to you if you leave.

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