A short, but solid game.
While playing the first Assassin’s Creed back in the day, I thought that it would be cool if a similar game could be made, but from a first person perspective. Mobility in games is usually an afterthought for most developers – sometimes it varies, with the ability to crouch, jump, lean, and prone, but for the most part, video games rarely ever emphasis movement. And then in walks Mirror’s Edge.
Released back in 2009, Mirror’s Edge is a video game about a “Runner” named Faith, a courier of packages and goods who lives within an oppressive, Orwellian police state. To deliver her packages, Faith must keep to the rooftops and use her parkouring skills to the best of her ability.
The game’s setting isn’t very original in of itself. Playing within a police state where every action is recorded and every word is censored and purified isn’t new within the video game world. The game’s plot unfortunately lacks substance and is, at times, confusing. I must admit that there were a few moments where I legitimately had no idea what was going on and what I was pursuing. However, strangely enough (at least coming from a person that loves good stories), I didn’t care. For the most part, I felt that the story was only getting in the way of the gameplay, and I was eager to get through cutscenes and return to the rooftops.
Mirror’s Edge makes up for its weak plot however by making the game world incredibly unique. To complement the squeaky clean police state, everything in the world appears to be just as immaculate as the oppressors claim it to be – everything is white, blue, or another soft and soothing color. This gives Mirror’s Edge a unique look, and makes it one of the most artistically recognizable games of the past decade. Not many games are able to produce their own graphical style and make it work so well.
Colors have another use in Mirror’s Edge, as they are often used as visual cues. For the most part, the only red to be found in the game is on the protagonist herself or on other objects when “Runner Vision” is enabled. Runner Vision allows the player to easily see what boxes, ledges, or doors should be used to reach the next part of the level by painting them red, and quite frankly, with how difficult some of the environmental puzzles can be, Runner Vision is a Godsend.
As for the gameplay itself, it can be both exhilarating and agonizing at times. Nothing feels so good as to jump across the rooftops of the cities, and nothing feels so terrible as to be caught in a small room and forced to jump, run, and climb through an elaborate puzzle. In short, Mirror’s Edge is at its best when it gives you the freedom to move, and at its worst when it puts you into a labyrinthian box and tells you to get out of it. Mechanically, the game can be hit and miss just as with its level design, and there are moments where everything is flowing beautifully, and then there are moments where you’re asking yourself, “Why didn’t she grab the ledge?!” as you plummet to your death. Unfortunately, the mechanics seem to miss more than they hit, but once you’ve got the pattern to the environment down, replaying levels can be a blast and a beauty to watch.
Unfortunately, replaying levels is the most value you’ll get out of this game. At only five hours long, Mirror’s Edge is an unbelievably short game, and for a product that once retailed for $60, that is simply unacceptable. I knew I was in trouble when the game told me that I first had to beat the game on Normal difficulty before Hard was available – most short games tend to lock away the harder difficulties in a weak attempt to add to the game’s replayability. The game also includes a time trial mode, in which you’re able to replay the game’s levels (but without the plot or enemies), and for what it is, it’s actually quite fun. Running through the city’s environments without any enemies or plot getting in the way is a lot of fun, and it can be an exhilarating challenge to beat your previous times and to get your running pattern down perfectly.
Speaking of the game’s enemies however, in-between climbing ladders and wall-running across ledges, Faith must occasionally outrun trigger happy helicopter gunships and increasingly armored police officers. The game’s fighting system isn’t very fleshed out and, quite frankly, isn’t much fun to use. Faith is able to throw punches with the right trigger (I used a controller to play the game), and can mix up her punches by jump kicking or slide kicking. Except for a button to unarm your opponent and a slow motion mode which makes unarming easier, that’s pretty much it. Guns can also be picked up from enemies, but with Faith’s inability to peer down the sights or to pick up additional ammunition, they’re of little worth and can be frustrating to use. In spite of all of this criticism however, it must be noted that combat was never meant to be a major part of what makes this video game unique, and its lack of functionality is certainly forgivable.
Music-wise, Mirror’s Edge has a good, but sadly forgettable soundtrack. The game blends techno with other futuristic sounding music, and it ranges from calm and content during free running sequences to hard and rocking when the guns start blazing. There were a few moments when the game’s soundtrack randomly stopped playing (usually during a reload after falling off a ledge), but these moments of silence were actually cherished, as it was quite the rush to jump around rooftops with nothing but the sound of wind and footsteps. The voice acting in the game is alright, but with the lack of plot and character development, none of the voice actors really get a chance to shine.
For a game that came out five years ago, Mirror’s Edge is still a unique experience and it earns my recommendation. I was able to purchase it for $5 during a Steam Sale, but even at its now standard retail price of $20, I find that, even for the small amount of content that it gives the player, $20 is still a fair price. Though the game’s plot may be shallow and the gameplay to be occasionally frustrating, the game’s unique environment and its take on in-game mobility is well worth experiencing and is worth the price of admission.
