The launch trailer for Mirror's Edge Catalyst is bright, minty, and cool—just like we expected. It sure looks neat. But this launch trailer, "Why We Run," is only a vague answer to its own question. Why are you running, Faith Connor? Because "Dogan sends his best"? Because "some runner got out of juvy"? Because Faith has to "save us all"?
That's fine. The story won't make or break Mirror's Edge Catalyst. A stronger hook would've been nice, but maybe it's enough to just run a marthon or two across the rooftops.
To this day, the world of Mirror's Edge is visually striking. Very few games have captured anything quite like it. But something that never got much applause was the story. It wasn't actively hated, just less remarkable. Mirror's Edge relies more on its aesthetic and admittedly rare first-person free-running antics. Sure, back in 2008, messenger bags and parkour were still a part of the future. Having a full-on Asian protagonist was (is) a rare sight, too. But those things alone won't turn a lot of heads nowadays. Getting a sweet theme song from Chvrches doesn't hurt, though.
All I'm saying is that Mirror's Edge Catalyst actually doesn't have much competition, but it's still going to be difficult to pull off sales numbers that will make EA greenlight a third game. Good luck, Faith. We'll see if gamers get the message (haha).
Mirror's Edge Catalyst launches in two weeks on June 7 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
