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Mirror's Edge
You’ve never felt so free...
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Mirror’s Edge is a very cool game. I would say it invented a genre: first-person platforming, if Portal hadn’t done it before, and Jumping Flash before that. Other than those two examples, nothing else is coming to mind. Let’s just say it’s really frikkin’ rare that we get a game like this.
So what is first-person platforming? Well, it’s when you’re jumping from platform to platform but instead of seeing it from the side, or from an isometric angle in the 3D platformers, you’re looking right out of the hero’s eyes. Mirror’s Edge is the first title I’ve seen that really took this as far as they did, too, where the character is doing somersaults and bashing open doors and you actually see the chaotic nature of what it’s like. What I mean is that instead of just having the door open like any FPS would do you actually see your vision look down and to the right as Faith (the hero) puts her shoulder into the door and releases the latch with her hand. When you do a somersault the whole world spins for half a second.
In this game you run from rooftop to rooftop, playing a messenger in a time of authoritarian lockdown. Society has become a police state, and the rebels in the scenario are a group of “runners” who transport information between parties that can’t use official lines of communication due to they’re being monitored. You never do find out any of the details of WHAT they are transporting around, however, which is really where the story in this game falls flat. If you’re going to set up such an elaborate background for your character, it really doesn’t make sense to have the entire plot of the game revolve around some drama with her sister, never having her deliver a single package of import to anyone. The reason is probably because it’s difficult to imagine WHAT these runners could possibly be transporting that makes their story more interesting than the people they are transporting for. If they had focused too much on the occupation, the user would be left always asking “Well, what’s that going on over there? That seems cool...” Still, they could have at least found a (better) way for her occupation to work into the plot. I can’t say any more without spoiling what little story there is.
Who cares that there’s no fantastic story, though. This really is a game about time trialing and running and the window dressing is inconsequential to me. That comes from someone who usually cares a LOT about story, but honestly I didn’t buy Mirror’s Edge for that. I bought it because I wanted to have a first-person romp through a futuristic rooftop playground, and that’s exactly what I got. I’ve read a lot of complaints about the animation style that the story was told in as well, but I have no problem with it. It looked pretty cool, I thought, and did the job it had to do. I don’t even like modern abstract art, which is the kind of minimalism you’ll find in the Mirror’s Edge style, and I still didn’t mind.
One thing I really loved about the game was the way that music and sound accompanied the emotional feel of the scene you were in. Lots of games are doing this nowadays, and I love it. When you are soaring from rooftop to rooftop in serenity you get calming, surreal music. When someone takes a shot at you and the action starts then the pace of the music picks up into a techno beat. If you slide into an air vent and escape the blues for the time being, then a slight crescendo follows into a moderate beat. Lots of games have tried, but few have mastered this subtle art the way Mirror’s Edge has.
I’ll end on the ghost trials, which are really cool. The only way to ensure fair, accurate time trialing is to give the user the ability to see the ghost of the person he’s racing against. Yes, it gives away their secrets, but honestly if it was any competitive sporting event you’d be required to present the evidence in a live or video performance anyway. The fact of the matter is I can’t even keep up with the best times beyond the first 30 seconds anyway, so it takes a hell of a mastering for the game just to see what the player did for the rest of their 5 minute (or longer) run. |
Graphics
I really didn't care very much for the graphics in Mirror's Edge. I found the whites to be WAY over-exposed, to the point of blinding. The color palette, as well, was far too basic, consisting of mostly primary colors.
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6.0 |
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Sound
Really great music, sound, and audio atmosphere in this game. Surround-sound functionality worked like a dream and really added to the immersion.
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10.0 |
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Gameplay
Very intuitive controls. I just wish that disarming was a little easier without slowing down time.
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8.5 |
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Originality
Other than Portal and Jumping Flash, I can't think of any other first-person platforming games. I really wish we could see more of them.
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10.0 |
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Interface
No complaints. Everything worked for what it was intended to do. The B button to point you where you should be going was executed perfectly, allowing you to hold it down as objectives change.
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9.0 |
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Fun
I had a good time while playing, but a better story would have increased this score.
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8.0 |
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Lasting Appeal
I'll throw this game in every few weeks until a sequel is made. I just love the acrobatic nature of the game.
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9.0 |
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Overall
If you played the demo, and you liked what you saw, you are going to love what you get here. Just don’t expect the story to be anything beyond your average video game...
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8.6 |
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