- Mirror's Edge Catalyst before you buy: A first-person parkour adventure set in the city of Glass.
- Playtime: Roughly 10 main story missions plus 30+ side activities and races for completionists.
- Combat is optional: Faith uses momentum-based melee, no guns, and many fights can be outrun.
- Best for: Players who love fluid movement, time trials, and stylish traversal over heavy combat.
- Check first: It's a 2016 release — verify platform availability and pricing on Steam before purchase.
What Mirror's Edge Catalyst Actually Is
Mirror's Edge Catalyst is a first-person parkour action game from DICE and EA, released in 2016 as a reboot of the 2008 original. You play as Faith Connors, a Runner who carries uncensored information across the rooftops of Glass, a gleaming corporate city controlled by the Conglomerate and enforced by KrugerSec.
Unlike the original's linear level structure, Catalyst opens up the entire city of Glass as one connected open world. Once the early chapters are done, you can free-roam across districts like Anchor, Downtown, and View Gardens, taking on side missions, delivery runs, and time trials at your own pace.
Video Highlights:
- Official E3 2015 trailer showcasing Faith's parkour through Glass
- Introduction to the city's clean white-and-red visual identity
- Story setup: Faith, KrugerSec, and the Reflection project
The core loop is simple to learn and hard to master: chain jumps, wall-runs, slides, and coils into an unbroken Flow state. The better your line, the faster and farther Faith moves.
If you dislike first-person platforming or get motion-sensitive during fast movement, try the free demo footage or streams first — the first-person camera is central to the experience and cannot be switched.
Gameplay Systems: What You're Paying For
| System | Description | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Parkour / Flow | Chained wall-runs, vaults, coils; speed builds reach | ★★★★★ |
| Combat | Momentum-based melee, dodges, takedowns, no guns | ★★★☆☆ |
| Open World | Seamless city of Glass with fast-travel points | ★★★★☆ |
| Side Content | Dashes, time trials, deliveries, billboard hacks | ★★★★☆ |
| Collectibles | 700+ GridLeaks, documents, chipsets, gift bags | ★★★☆☆ |
| Skill Tree | Traversal / Combat / Gear branches via upgrade chips | ★★★☆☆ |
The traversal is the star. Runner Vision highlights the suggested path in red, while gadgets like the MAG Rope and Disruptor unlock new routes and combat escapes as you progress through the story.
Combat is intentionally lightweight: strikes from a full-speed run hit hardest, shielded and armored guards require flanking, and most encounters let you simply run past enemies. Buy it for movement, not brawling.
Learn Core Movement
One jump/attack button plus directional input covers jumps, climbs, wall-runs, and slides. Momentum is everything — hesitate and Flow breaks.
Master Flow
Chaining moves without stopping fills Flow, extending jump distance and unlocking otherwise unreachable ledges.
Dodge on the Flash
Enemies flash red before attacking; a last-moment evade opens a counter window.
Expand Your Kit
Story progression grants the MAG Rope and Disruptor; spend chipsets from side activities on Quick Turn, Fast Climb, and rope upgrades.
Content Volume and Replayability
The campaign spans roughly eight chapters and around 10 main story missions, from the Prison Break opening to the Gabriel Kruger chase and the finale atop the Shard. A story-focused run is relatively short; the real longevity lives in the endgame.
Story Runner
- ~10 main missions
- Focused narrative campaign
- One clean playthrough
Completionist
- 700+ GridLeaks
- Documents, chipsets, gift bags
- 49 trophies/achievements
Score Chaser
- Time trials & Dashes
- Player-made routes via Runner Tags
- Online leaderboards
| Activity Type | Count | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Main missions | ~10 | Story progression, gadgets |
| Side activities & races | 30+ | Chipsets, district completion |
| GridLeaks | 700+ | District completion percentage |
| Dashes (player routes) | Community-driven | Stars, leaderboard times |
| Trophies/achievements | 49 | Platinum roadmap available |
If you enjoy chasing leaderboards and shaving seconds off routes, Dashes and time trials give Catalyst a long tail well beyond the credits. Pure story buyers should expect a shorter campaign.
Strengths and Weaknesses Before You Buy
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Best-in-class first-person traversal | Lightweight, sometimes clunky combat |
| Striking white-city visual identity | Story beats can feel thin |
| Seamless open-world Glass | Some side activities get repetitive |
| Deep time-trial endgame | Online features depend on server status |
| Generous skill tree progression | 2016-era graphics and loading quirks |
Catalyst is a 2016 title. Before buying on Steam, verify current pricing in your region, check community hub activity for any online-feature status, and confirm it runs on your hardware — no next-gen remaster has been released.
Buyer Checklist
Before Hitting Purchase:
- You enjoy first-person movement and momentum-based platforming
- You want an open-world parkour sandbox with time trials
- You accept melee-only, optional combat with no gunplay
- You've checked current price and platform availability on Steam
- You're okay with a shorter story offset by 30+ side activities
FAQ
Q: Is Mirror's Edge Catalyst a sequel or a reboot?
It's a reboot that retells Faith Connors' origin story in the city of Glass. You don't need to have played the 2008 original, though fans will recognize the setting and themes.
Q: How long is Mirror's Edge Catalyst?
The main story covers roughly 10 missions across eight chapters. Completionists chasing 700+ GridLeaks, documents, chipsets, and all 49 trophies will spend far longer, and time trials add ongoing replay value.
Q: Should I buy Mirror's Edge Catalyst before you buy concerns about combat?
If you want deep combat systems, this isn't that game. Combat is momentum-based melee with dodges and takedowns, and many encounters can be skipped by running. Buy it for the parkour, not the fighting.
Q: Does it have guns or shooting?
No. Faith doesn't use guns in Catalyst. Combat revolves around light and heavy strikes, evades, focus attacks, and takedowns chained from movement.