Mirror’s Edge Catalyst: 3 Time Trial Tips for Getting Record Speed

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a fairly difficult game, as one wrong step can send you plummeting to the cold streets below. One of the most challenging aspects has to be the variety of time trial runs scattered throughout the City of Glass. Each one is a unique race that will require players to reach the end point in the fastest time possible. Doing so will reward players up to three stars and a place on the global leaderboards. Getting three stars is no walk in the park, as the time constraints for some of these runs are extremely brutal.

While it is possible to get three stars on every single run, achieving such a feat will probably take quite a bit of practice. That being said, here are our tips to speed up the process and make you the best free runner in the entire city.

Don’t Rush Through At First

Yes, the name of the game here is speed, but sometimes that’s not always the best option. Don’t try to beat the clock your first time through, as usually the path is incredibly complicated and requires a variety of moves to traverse. Just trying to rush through it will surely just end in frustration, since many of these time trials are fairly specific with where you need to go.

When walking explore the race’s path and make sure to practice your techniques again and again. A single failed jump could force you to reset the entire ordeal, so having the movements down to a muscle memory is incredibly important. Make sure to plan your route accordingly and practice different ways to clamor through certain areas. Sometimes the game will tell you to simply jump over a fence when wall running past it is way more efficient.

The Red Trail Is a Lie

Runner’s Vision is an incredibly useful tool for discerning which path you should take and how you are able to get to a general area. What it’s not great for is showing you the fastest path to the finish line in any time trial, as it seems to usually take you along a far slower route. See, for these time trials it doesn’t matter how you get to the end, all that matters is that you reach it. This will allow you to go off the beaten path and explore other ways to reach the finish line.

This is arguably the single most important factor when it comes to shaving down your time. There are a lot of paths and places to run in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, so finding the best one is key. Once you have a general idea where the exit is located, try working your way to it in various different ways. Much like the first tip, take your time and explore a variety of different ways to reach one area, as some may be far faster than you previously thought.

Cut Corners

This seems like a fairly simple concept, yet it is one of the best ways to slim down your timer when trying for those elusive 3-star awards. When you are actually running your route, always try to cut as many corners as you can both literally and figuratively. Try always to land as close to the next jump as possible, as you want as little downtime as possible. Avoid staircases to the best of your abilities and above all else – Avoid. Climbing. Up. Ladders.

Ladders will kill any run you have and if there is one in your way, chances are you can find a way better route to where you need to go. The same goes for just trying to scale a high wall since Faith’s climbing animation is fairly slow at times. Try to always wall run or jump into a wall climb as that will drastically speed up your scaling speed. As ridiculous as it may seem, shaving even a second off your overall time can mean the difference between a new high score or having to just hit restart again.

In the end, the easiest way to get three stars in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is just mastering all of Faith’s techniques. This is a game that rewards practice and patience, so always make sure to scout out your terrain first. If you keep hitting low times, try returning to the time trials once Faith is fully upgraded, as you may need one of her locked skills. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a game about speed, but sometimes it pays off to have the patience to slow down and map out a route.

For more on Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, including our review, guides, tips, and tricks, check out our wiki.