"Mirror's Edge Catalyst" is launching on June 7 for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. Set in the City of Glass, the game chronicles the story of Faith, a Runner "reluctantly drawn into an anti-Conglomerate struggle." Players of the original game would remember her character, but this time, she's been equipped with more open abilities that press for non-linear gameplay.
Whether you're a player of the original game or a newcomer, here are good things to know about the reboot:
The City of Glass
With about 14 million citizens, Glass is a city in the nation of Cascadia ruled by a ruthless Conglomerate. It is divided into three districts: (1) Anchor, which serves as the seat of powerful corporations; (2) Downtown, which stands as the city's center; and (3) The View, which houses residential areas for "upwardly mobile" citizens. What's interesting about these places is that they are visually connected in bright and shiny aesthetic, despite the differences that set them apart.
The Conglomerate
The Conglomerate is composed of 13 corporations that are each run by a powerful family. Together, they rule over Cascadia, but power struggle exists between them, for the purpose of advancing their hierarchical positions.
Faith Connors
Faith is the game's protagonist. She is among the most skilled Runners in the city. Runners are dubbed to be a "special group of voluntary offGrids who've decided not to be part of the Conglomerate machine." You can think of them as agents for hire - they do things out of Glass' conventions.
Faith is perhaps most-recognized for her speed, but this time, she goes beyond parkour skills through exploration, item search and side missions. As told by The Verge, she will have a wide range of abilities, such as running along walls, jumping over huge gaps and sliding under obstacles. She will also be armed with an AR feature called "runner vision."
Theme Song
Indie group Chvrches has debuted an original song for the game, titled "Warning Call." The band says the song identifies with the game's "minimalist sci-fi dystopia" setting, Polygon reports.
Closed Beta Impressions
A closed beta ran for the upcoming game last month. According to ExtremeTech, it garnered "something of a mixed reaction," being unable to run well on the PS4 and Xbox One. The outlet reports 60fps as the target frame rate. Still, this is only beta, so we could be hopeful for a better build at release date.
On the other hand, Metro praises the game's graphics. The outlet commends DICE's Frostbite 3 engine, calling it "capable of some of the most incredible graphics consoles have ever seen." The tech was also used for "Star Wars: Battlefront."
