New Mirror’s Edge will NOT be a sequel

Today, DICE posted an announcement on the official Mirror’s Edge webpage welcoming all of us to Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. While the details are a little fuzzy on what Catalyst actually is, one thing is made clear: it is not meant to be a sequel to Mirror’s Edge.

This is not a sequel, this is not Mirror’s Edge 2. We have landed on a vision that honors the first game — pushing the boundaries of first person movement and diving deeper into the story behind our heroine Faith — but also brings a lot of great new, interesting gameplay and features to the experience for our players.

– Sara Jansson, Senior Producer for Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

So… the game still features Faith, and you still do parkour. If it’s not a sequel, then what else could it be? There was already some buzz suggesting that the game might be a prequel to the original Mirror’s Edge, or perhaps even a reboot of the property. Considering that this series still only consists of a single game, I wouldn’t go as far as to call this new title a reboot, but I do think this new entry in the series may be intended as a sort of “jumping-on point” for anyone interested in trying Mirror’s Edge for the first time.

And then there’s this statement:

The first game had a lot of promise. It was unlike anything else in terms of the gameplay and style — it had a unique soul. But as much as we loved that game, we knew it could be more. So that’s what we have set out to do as we introduce Mirror’s Edge to a new generation.

Jannson seems almost regretful that the original Mirror’s Edge didn’t live up to its full potential. This could indicate a few things. Maybe the next Mirror’s Edge means to add a great deal more complexity to the formula. Maybe it’s hopping genres into foreign territory, while still retaining as much of the original charm as possible. It’s all still pretty up in the air at the moment.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is expected to release sometime in the first quarter of 2016. For more information, be sure to check out the official Mirror’s Edge website.