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    Mirror's Edge

    Game » consists of 13 releases. Released Nov 11, 2008

    In a futuristic totalitarian dystopia, a master courier (in a group of renegade "runners") investigates a conspiracy, while outrunning the deadly government military, in this parkour-inspired first-person action game.

    ping5000's Mirror's Edge (PC) review

    Avatar image for ping5000

    Its strengths far outweigh its many problems.

    Or you can just watch my video review -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBdR-X3dj18

    Yes, it is a shameless way to garner hits.


    Mirror’s Edge is first and foremost, a platformer. Sure, you can shoot a gun, but for the most part, it’s all about jumping over and across stuff, hoping you don’t miss your mark and die. That pretty much describes what a platformer generally is, but DICE attempts to do it all in the first-person perspective. That is not an ideal viewpoint to do any kind of jumping, but for the most part, DICE pulls it off with a great deal of success. There are potential advantages in using this perspective in this genre and DICE fully realizes and utilizes said potential. There are a myriad of issues that could’ve definitely been given some fine-tuning, but for the most part, Mirror’s Edge is absolutely worth a try.

    To give all the platforming and free-running some context, the game’s set in a totalitarian society, where information is controlled and sterility is an idealistic and aesthetic preference. The government is oppressive and the people conform. There isn’t much leeway for going against the grain. So, to circumvent Big Brother’s watchful eye, runners are tasked with transporting sensitive information by vaulting over rooftop over rooftop, sending information when needed. You’re one of them and you take up the role of Faith.

    There’s a lot of potential with a setting like this, but it’s squandered. The game’s plot is largely concerned with a murder mystery involving Faith’s sister, Kate, as she is framed for a murder she didn’t commit. One uninteresting lead leads to another just as uninteresting, all culminating into an ending that doesn’t tie up any loose ends. A bigger, grander story arc does arise around the half-way point, but it’s just as uninteresting. Plot twists are easy to identify, the characters are flat and even calling them one-dimensional is a stretch. Even worse is how the story is presented; most of the game’s cut-scenes use what seems to be Flash. There are clear limitations when using Flash as a visual medium, like animation and Mirror’s Edge’s cut-scenes suffer from this. If this was a stylistic choice, then I think this was a mistake. On the bright side, the in-game cut-scenes are a lot better. Ultimately, the game’s story acts a vehicle to get you to the next level, but lacks the motivation to make you want learn more about the game’s character and story.

    Other reviews for Mirror's Edge (PC)

      Mirror's Edge 0

       Mirror's Edge is certainly not a game without faults, and I can easily see how some of its problems could lead to indifference or even genuine dislike towards the game. But I found its presentation and unique take on platforming from a first person perspective to be an interesting and at times perfectly thrilling experience. I think what I really wanted was a lot of its ideas in a better considered game, but I had a lot of fun playing through it despite the very high number of times I mes...

      4 out of 4 found this review helpful.

      A short, but solid game. 0

      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&rdqu...

      1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

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