Overview[]
"Mirror's Edge Catalyst" is an action-adventure platform video game developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in June 2016. It is a reboot of 2008's "Mirror's Edge" and revolves around protagonist Faith Connors' origin and her attempt to overthrow a totalitarian conglomerate of corporations who rule the city of Glass.
"Mirror's Edge Catalyst" is the most recently released game in the "Mirror's Edge" franchise for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One by EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE), published by Electronic Arts. It is a full reboot of Faith's history, taking place in a continuity separate from that of Mirror's Edge and presumably at an earlier stage of Faith's life. Despite taking place in an alternate continuity, Catalyst features recurring characters and factions, as well as maintaining the core themes of the series - freedom and civil liberties versus safety and security.
Returning characters include Celeste, who appears as a central character in the Exordium prequel comics. Similarly to her initial appearance, Celeste is a cocky member of a rival runner cabal whose skills are on par with Faith's own. Faith's parents having died in nearly identical circumstances as their original counterparts, Faith was raised by a man named Noah-leader of a runner cabal, who had a similar role in Faith's upbringing and training to Mercury in the original. Pirandello Kruger, the organisation at the heart of the conflict in the original game, exists as 2 separate companies, Kruger Security, the leading corporation in Glass and Pirandello Group, which specializes in fashion.
Production[]
The writer of the original Mirror's Edge, Rhianna Pratchett, was not the writer for the reboot. The senior producer is Sara Jansson. The game's score is composed by Solar Fields, who provided the track for the first game as well. Fields stated that the game would carry the "electronic soundscapes" of the original. The original theme song for "Mirror's Edge", "Still Alive", is not the theme song for "Catalyst"; instead the theme song for the reboot is "Warning Call" by CHVRCHES.
History[]
- October 2008 - the game's senior producer, Owen O'Brien, alludes to EA wanting to turn the series into a trilogy, stating: "The story we're telling at the moment is kind of a trilogy, a 3 story arc." President Patrick Söderlund in a June 2009 interview with VideoGamer.com.
- February 2011 - it is reported that development on the next Mirror's Edge has been "stopped" after EA rejects a prototype submitted for a sequel. EA later clarifies that they consider Mirror's Edge "an important franchise", but otherwise has no further announcements. It has been confirmed by Frank Gibeau that Mirror's Edge 2 will be built upon the Frostbite 3 engine, allowing for stunning physics effects and graphics.
- September, 05, 2012 - EA: No more only single-player games on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
- November 2012, a former executive producer of the Battlefield franchise tweets that the next Mirror's Edge is in production. No comment whatsoever from EA.
- May, 2013 - Amazon.de and Amazon.it lists Mirror's Edge 2 exclusive for Xbox One. Mirror's Edge 2 appears on EA Help Site
- June, 03, 2013 - Mirror's Edge 2 and 3 domains are registered by EA (mirrorsedge2.com/.net and mirrorsedge3.com/.net)
- June, 04, 2013 - DICE Vice-president Karl-Magnus Troedsson says in a video that "we have surprises" for E3 2013, along with Battlefield 4
- June, 10, 2013 - Mirror's Edge 2 is officially announced for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at EA's E3 Pre-Show, with the title being just Mirror's Edge.
- June 12, 2013 - EA Labels president Frank Gibeau states that Mirror's Edge (2) is an "open-world action adventure game" and is also a prequel.
- December 05, 2013 - DICE claims a halt on Battlefront and Mirror's Edge until the problems with "Battlefield 4's online mode are totally fixed."
- January, 2014 - A Microsoft Store listing states that the game will be available in 2015. The listing is promptly removed and altered.
- January 08, 2014 - Rhianna Pratchett announces that she will not return to write the game's story.
- March 12, 2014 - Mirror's Edge 2 details are leaked; new information such as the new 2016 release date is published.
- June 09, 2014 - Mirror's Edge 2 features on E3. A prototype-like gameplay is briefly shown. It is suggested the new Mirror's Edge will focus on Faith, and why she is who she is. Focus has been on more varied gameplay for the Runners. It is also suggested they serve a greater purpose than in the first game.
- May 05, 2015 - Engadget and Polygon report that Mirror's Edge 2 is coming in early 2016 after seeing a financial presentation that confirms a Q1 2016 release date. No official public word from EA DICE.
- June 08, 2015 - EA DICE posts their first tweet and Facebook post since January, with a picture of the word CATALYST in the Mirror's Edge font and a definition, and registers a trademark with the name "Mirror's Edge Catalyst". No other word.
- June 09, 2015 - EA DICE officially renames the game to Mirror's Edge Catalyst and publicly confirms a 2016 release. An update from Sara Jansson is added onto the official Mirror's Edge website.
- June 15, 2015 - Mirror's Edge Catalyst trailer and gameplay revealed at E3 gaming conference. Release date set for February 23, 2016. It is also revealed that the game will be more freeroam than the original, with added challenges such as races.
- June 17, 2015 - Mirror's Edge Catalyst is one of the 5 finalists in the E3 Game of Show competition! There is a banner in the right rail of the front page. If you click it, you'll go to the E3 voting page.
- August 5, 2015 - Pre-Alpha Gameplay footage released during EA's Press Conference in Gamescom. The video features Faith running towards the "Agricultural Division" at Elysium, possibly a Gabriel Kruger headquarters. She is guided via earpiece by Noah, a new character. Once inside, she discovers there is another person inside after the same goal as her, which she only describes as "not a runner." She makes her way into the same room as him and hides. Gabriel Kruger and his men enter and disarm the figure, and he drops a memory chip. Faith walks out from the shadows, grabs the chip and breaks into an escape. The video ends with her smashing a window onto a zipline and panicked breathing.
- October 29, 2015 - Mirror's Edge Catalyst's release date was delayed to May 24, 2016 in order to spend time on development.
- February 4, 2016 - DICE announced a closed beta for Mirror's Edge: Catalyst.
- April 21, 2016 - Mirror's Edge Catalyst is delayed to June 7th in NA regions and June 9th in EU regions to "give ourselves a bit more time to perfect the game"
- April 22, 2016 - The game's closed beta opens.
- June 7, 2016 - Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is released in North America.
- June 9, 2016 - Mirror's Edge: Catalyst is released in Europe.
Collector's Edition[]
The game has a collector's edition option. In addition to the game itself, the collector's edition includes a 14" Adult Faith/Young Faith diorama, an exclusive steel book and steel lithograph, concept art, and temporary Faith tattoos.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
External Links[]
- http://web.archive.org/web/20181011170913/http://www.mirrorsedge.com/
- http://uk.ign.com/articles/2015/08/07/gamescom-2015-mirrors-edge-catalyst-is-a-reboot
- http://au.ign.com/articles/2015/09/30/mirrors-edge-catalyst-composer-announced
- http://gamerant.com/mirrors-edge-2-writer-rhianna-pratchett/
- http://kotaku.com/5962580/mirrors-edge-2-is-being-made-right-now-according-to-ex+ea-developer
- http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/05/battlefield-4-problems-force-stop-to-battlefront-and-mirrors-edge-2-4216422/
- http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mirrors-edge-catalyst-delayed-ahead-of-closed-beta/1100-6439061/
- http://www.gamespot.com/articles/original-mirrors-edge-composer-returns-for-sequel-/1100-6431032/
- http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/09/mirrors-edge-catalyst-subtitle-is-official
- http://www.me2-countdown.com/
- http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55312
- http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/15/8773199/mirrors-edge-2-catalyst-trailer-e3-2015
- http://www.videogamer.com/news/ea_confirms_small_team_working_on_mirror_s_edge_2.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror%27s_Edge_Catalyst
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2993846/