Whereas the 2008 original opened up much of Faith’s skillset from the get-go, it’s been revealed that Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will task players with unlocking select abilities, including the quick-turn and skill-roll, via experience points.
Drawing the ire of fans, developer DICE has offered a response to the criticism, citing that the decision to lock some of those abilities is designed to encourage players to get to grips with Faith’s parkour.
Speaking to GameSpot, Senior Producer Jeremy Miller offered new insight into the RPG element to be introduced with next month’s Catalyst.
“The RPG element is really about allowing the player to engage in the tools, because it is a unique way of interacting with the world. We’ve got a different control scheme. It’s a little more intuitive and fluid. Part of having this progression in there is to allow you to be able to master your tools, and to give you a little bit of breathing room so you feel confident and excited about what you can do.”
In tandem with DICE’s response, new gameplay for Mirror’s Edge Catalyst also appeared online. Presenting a 17-minute reel of footage, YouTube user AFILLARI goes up close and personal with the sequel’s free-flowing movement system and exploration.
And finally, DICE has touched base on the possibility of one day developing a game for virtual reality. Mirror’s Edge, what with its first-person perspective, seems like a relatively good fit for VR — so long as the studio curbed Faith’s movement slightly to negate motion sickness – though Lead Producer Amo Mostofi noted that the developer wants “to build something specifically for VR.”
“You’re right. I think this game has so much potential, it’s the best and the worst, but from our end, we never specifically looked at Mirror’s Edge as a VR vessel […] I think if we are ever going to do anything with VR, we would want to build something specifically for VR.”
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will make a beeline for PlayStation 4 on May 24. Meanwhile, a closed beta gets underway on April 22.
