Ok so first thing's first: Unreal Engine 3 still looks absolutely fantastic in 2023, especially this game. Just goes to show the longevity of strong art direction :)
Coming back from Catalyst this game does feel slower by comparison at first, and I definitely had some Catalyst-muscle memory which caused issues in the beginning (due to the fact I had to use slightly different keybindings to what I would've preferred), but it doesn't take long to get back into the groove of things anyway. The story is pretty straightforward, especially compared to Catalyst's... thing. It's simple, it's nothing special on its own, but at least it's not bad. You're here for the parkour movement system anyway, which: it's good. I like it. Not gonna lie tho, it can get a bit clunky and almost trial-and-error at times, but 99.99% of the time it works the way it should and is heaps of fun. I will say Catalyst at least improved to some extent in this regard compared to the original Mirror's Edge. But I've never thought this was an outright "bad" game.
Now, I'm no speedrunner by any means and hold no delusions to the contrary, but every time I can keep a momentum, or even get from one point to another even slightly faster than the beaten path would've gotten me, I get to feel a fraction of the pride that many speedrunners no doubt live for, which is nice. Genuinely. I don't strive to be the best and fastest but the adrenaline and sense of accomplishment is real.
And, I'd be remiss not to mention the stellar soundtrack by Solar Fields, which I actually still listen to semi-regularly! None of it is bad. All of it is good. Fits the atmosphere and mood perfectly. Even my least favourite level has an absolute banger of an accompanying score (which is almost evocative in my head of certain Unreal Tournament tracks?? Probably coincidence, but cool nonetheless).
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Favourite level(s): Flight, Heat, Kate, The Shard
Least favourite level: The Boat (edit: also FUCK that one section in Pirandello Kruger. If you know you know)
Coming back from Catalyst this game does feel slower by comparison at first, and I definitely had some Catalyst-muscle memory which caused issues in the beginning (due to the fact I had to use slightly different keybindings to what I would've preferred), but it doesn't take long to get back into the groove of things anyway. The story is pretty straightforward, especially compared to Catalyst's... thing. It's simple, it's nothing special on its own, but at least it's not bad. You're here for the parkour movement system anyway, which: it's good. I like it. Not gonna lie tho, it can get a bit clunky and almost trial-and-error at times, but 99.99% of the time it works the way it should and is heaps of fun. I will say Catalyst at least improved to some extent in this regard compared to the original Mirror's Edge. But I've never thought this was an outright "bad" game.
Now, I'm no speedrunner by any means and hold no delusions to the contrary, but every time I can keep a momentum, or even get from one point to another even slightly faster than the beaten path would've gotten me, I get to feel a fraction of the pride that many speedrunners no doubt live for, which is nice. Genuinely. I don't strive to be the best and fastest but the adrenaline and sense of accomplishment is real.
And, I'd be remiss not to mention the stellar soundtrack by Solar Fields, which I actually still listen to semi-regularly! None of it is bad. All of it is good. Fits the atmosphere and mood perfectly. Even my least favourite level has an absolute banger of an accompanying score (which is almost evocative in my head of certain Unreal Tournament tracks?? Probably coincidence, but cool nonetheless).
--
Favourite level(s): Flight, Heat, Kate, The Shard
Least favourite level: The Boat (edit: also FUCK that one section in Pirandello Kruger. If you know you know)
tox
5 months ago