Frustrating trial and error, but first person parkour works.
Mirror’s Edge is a platforming game done exclusively from a first person perspective. End result is frustrating trial and error gameplay. This is basically a game based on one idea.
IRRELEVANT STORY
In the near future everything is clean and controlled in cities. There are no crimes, but also no freedom. A group called runners deliver messages personally so officials don’t get to inspect them. Faith is one of those runners, but soon she finds herself framed to a crime and she has to run, for that is what she does best. Story is told by simple animations between missions, but it’s not interesting by any means. Also the cutscenes and the actual gameplay are too different and they seem like they belong to another game entirely.
FIRST PERSON PLATFORMING
Gameplay is very simple and linear: just run and navigate through different platforms until the end. Everything is done in a first person perspective, but surprisingly it all works. If you get stuck (and you will) just look for bright red spots: they show you where to go. This jumping gets boring very quickly, but the worst thing is the trial and error gameplay. You might have to do the same two jumps a dozen times before you figure out how to continue.
Interesting thing is that Faith can disarm her enemies from guns and then use the gun against them. This makes the game a first person shooter for a brief moment, but there’s only something like five bullets in each gun. There is an option to play through the entire game without shooting anybody.
CLEAN GRAPHICS AND SOUND
Graphics are clean and bright. Mostly there are only a few different colors in use like bright blue and bright green or white. The level of detail is not very high, but considering the art style I would not need more than what Mirror’s Edge has to offer. Sound design is mostly the sound of Faith jumping and running, but the music is something that you would expect to hear during a flight in an airplane. All of this helps to create a distinct feel to the game that you can’t find elsewhere.
UNIQUE BUT BORING AND FRUSTRATING
Mirror’s Edge is a unique game based on one idea and that is first person platforming. End result is functional, but frustrating, repetitive and boring. There is still some fun to be had here, if you are interested in first person platforming.
