How does a game benefit from adding an open world?

The latest episode of the Game Makers Toolkit, which you can watch above, digs deep into the design of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst and explains why the addition of the open world was a bit of a miss. Specifically, the video brings up the superior design and implementation of an open world in Burnout Paradise as a way to critique what Mirror’s Edge does poorly.

After watching the video, it’s fascinating to think about how games are improved by open worlds, and what we expect from those worlds. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a fun game, but the video does a great job of explaining why it doesn’t quite all cohere.

If you’re curious about the game, and you can read our cover story, our review, or watch a chunk of gameplay below.