That is a bloody beautiful trailer, however much it might be packed with high drama and over-earnest extras. Some of that acting is of top calibre though, and the facial tech too, but as Samuel has just proclaimed "I don't want voice acting I want to run over shit." Mirror's Edge: Catalyst's success will hinge on its ability to balance open-world free-running with its more dramatic ambitions.

You'll be able to test that for yourselves: sign-ups for the closed beta are now open here, though curiously the beta itself will require a 'persistent internet connection'. DICE's Patrick Bach has previously revealed that Catalyst will incorporate asynchronous multiplayer, which might explain the need for a beta stress test. I could see the likes of Assassin's Creed's multiplayer or Hitman's Contracts mode working well for Mirror's Edge. Then again, EA might just like the taste of player data.

Here's what Phil thought of a behind-closed-doors demo last August.