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I love seeing how open worlds fit together. Done right, they become hugely empowering spaces - you can go anywhere, interact with anyone and do pretty much anything. Most importantly though, you can do all of this at your own pace; Red Dead Redemption was my favourite game of the last console generation because it was such a fantastic world to potter around in, picking up little quests and (cow) poking around with a sometimes glacial tread. But what happens to the open world when the main purpose of your game is to go fast? How do you build a thriving, expansive city of possibilities when you know players will spend most of their time whipping through it at breakneck speed? If my recent hands-on time with Mirror's Edge Catalyst is anything to go by, DICE has thought carefully about this question and the trick is much the same as making a successful burrito: don't overstuff it.
The open world of Mirror's Edge Catalyst is deliberately barebones. That's not to say it isn't detailed; the City of Glass is undeniably beautiful. By necessity, however, it has to be more upfront about its purpose than, say, Grand Theft Auto 5. Los Santos is a city that functions of its own accord and, in many ways, it doesn't really need you. Every rooftop in the City of Glass, however, is built for free running; helping you find your own path as you cheese it toward the next mission objective. The living, thriving bit of the city is kept at a distance - about forty stories down, actually - contributing to a sense of isolation, but also one of focus. Mirror's Edge Catalyst doesn't bark at you like other open worlds - it just sits back and lets you get on with it.
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