Mirror's Edge is a platforming action game set exclusively in a first-person perspective. Within the game, players control Faith, a runner who physically transports sensitive information across a totalitarian government controlled city.
Overview
Mirror's Edge is a first person action-adventure game developed by DICE, in which the player take on the role of Faith, a runner. The game focuses on movement and parkour style tricks instead of the shooting gameplay found in most other first person games. The game released on PS3 and Xbox 360 on 11th November 2008. The emphasis of the game is on acrobatic parkour style movement, and though Faith can use weapons, they are not a major aspect of the game. Mirror's Edge is one of the few first person games without combat as the main focus.A demo was released on the PlayStation Network on the October 30, 2008, and on the October, 31, 2008 on Xbox Live. If you pre-ordered the game, a code can be redeemed to access the time trial part of the prologue stage for the demo. The PC release will follow this winter, as the developer want to spend more time and make it an “amazing PC game”.
While much of the game's story is told in-engine by radio broadcasts and first-person scenes where control is taken from the player, actual story cutscenes will be told through stylized animated shorts. The reason that cutscenes are not done with the in-game engine, according to developer DICE is that the cost would be prohibitively high to have rendered all the cutscenes in the game engine.
Plot
Mirror's Edge takes place in a dystopian future filled with tall buildings, clean streets, and lots of police. The people of this time have given up many of their freedoms to attain this state of peace and comfort. More specifically, since the flow of information is mainly technological, it is easily monitored by the governing body. That's where Faith, the main character, and the other Runners come in.Gameplay
The game is controlled by a combination of three button and the left stick, making the controls rather simple, although there are layers of complexity. Jumping and climbing over objects is done with the left bumper (L1 on PS3), while ducking and sliding under objects is done with the left trigger. The right bumper (R1 on PS3) allows you to perform a 180 degree spin, for quick turnaround. Supposedly, those three buttons in combination with the left thumbstick will control the entire game, most of the other buttons are related to combat and Reaction(bullet-time).
Controls
Mirror's Edge also takes advantage of the PS3 Sixaxis controls, with various motions corresponding with actions. Rolling the controller can be used to roll after a long fall, and twisting the controller can take an enemy weapon.
The Default Controls
- L1 / LB: Jump / Grab onto Wires / Climb / Wallrun
- L2 / LT: Soft landing / Slide
- R2 / RT: Fight / Shoot / Smash doors open
- Square / B: Slow-Motion
- Triangle / Y: Disarm
- X / A: Action button (pressing buttons, etc.)
- Left Analog Stick: Walk / Run
- Right Analog Stick: Camera
Modes of play
While Mirror's Edge's prime focus is on the single-player campaign, there is "a semi-multiplayer" component. Time Trial levels are unlocked through progress in the story mode and the idea behind them is to complete a section of a level (not necessarily taking the same route as the level it was lifted from) going down a prescribed route in the fastest time possible. If connected to PSN or Xbox Live, the completion time is uploaded and can be used by other players to race against. In turn, their ghost times can be downloaded for your use.You will see a series of red checkpoint markers that tell you where you're supposed to go and a red figure represents the ghost data that gives you an indication of how well you're doing in any given Time Trial level. Ghost data can also give you a chance to see how others managed to get their times and how they handled certain sections of a level, very useful for those trying to squeeze out the best time. Each Time Trial stage has a qualifying time, which if achieved, grants the player one star. If even faster times are achieved then two or even three stars are awarded for the level.
There is also a Speed Run mode, in which one is tasked with completing a whole chapter of the campaign under a stringent time limit. It usually requires a flawless run with no falls to finish them under par time.
Soundtrack and Comic book
Soundtrack
Comic book
Trivia
- The system used in Mirror's Edge for movement was originally developed to be in Battlefield 2. It was abandoned during development due to time constraints, but technicians at DICE continued playing with it and eventually came up with the idea for a first person game based entirely on speed and movement.
- The main character was originally designed to be male, with Faith just being a multi-player character that was created who the development team liked so much that they decided to design the whole game around her.
- The main writer behind the game is Rhianna Pratchett who is the daughter of best-selling fantasy author Terry Pratchett.
- The game is endorsed by free-running legend Sebastien Foucan, and players will be able to race against his time trial ghost in both the demo and the full game. Players are to look for the gamertag "CatchFoucan" on the leaderboards for the game to see if they can beat the parkour master's time.
Reception
So far the game has gotten reviews mostly in the 80 and above ranges, a few have been in the 70's. The game has been cited as being ambitious in design while the plot isn't anything too brilliant. Reviews have also stated that the graphics are stunning and the sound and music are superb as well. The controls have somewhat of a learning curve and levels can be easy to figure out even without the in-game guide system because you'll soon know where you have to go through the placement of certain objects. The game's hand-to-hand combat and shooting has been said to be fun but are one of the weakest parts of the game. The game is pretty linear while allowing you to make minor choices on how you arrive at the same destination. It seems the game has not met the hype but at the same time is not a failure, it's a solid game.Useful Links
| Game Name | Mirror's Edge |
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| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
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| Original US Release |
Nov. 11, 2008
need a fuzzy date? |
| Original US Release |
Novemeber
Q4 2008 know the real date? |
| Aliases | |
| OFLC |
OFLC: M
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| ESRB |
ESRB: T
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| PEGI |
PEGI: 16+
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- Sister
- Brother
- Mother
- Father
- Self
| Platform | User Reviews | Avg. Score |
|---|---|---|
| All Reviews | 14 reviews |
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| Xbox 360 | 6 reviews |
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| PlayStation 3 | 8 reviews |
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| Add your own user review | ||
Mirror's Edge GuideGiant Bomb user Lies and PureRok put together a stellar video walkthrough of Mirror's Edge.
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Mirror's Edge Review Ryan tells you where you should look before you take the leap with Mirror's Edge. |
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Mirror's Edge Guide
A Walkthrough guide for Mirror's Edge including speedrunning strategies, level walkthroughs, achievement guides, and Runner Bag locations -
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