Mirror's Edge

Mirror's Edge is DICE's latest attempt to convince us gamers that they can actually make a good single player game and aren't just some fantastic multplayer developer loved by most (if not all) PC gamers. This latest attempt offers you the experience of doing some parkour which is a form of free running. It's an odd concept for a game at first sight but it actually works out pretty well. You play as Faith, a beautiful female who excells at Parkour and as become what is known as a Runner in a world heavily controlled by a regime. Information is monitored, news is filtered through a governing system so that the news only reports items of interest that the Government want to be reported in the first place and it's not exactly a fantastic place to live. Yes it may be beautiful to view but deep within the worlds soul lies a dark terrible regime that is hard on anyone who doesn't agree with it's methods. Due to information and communication being heavily monitored and controlled, Runners have appeared whose job it is to transport important packages from one client to another. It may sound pretty complicated but it's not and it's actually one aspect of Mirror's Edge that is honestly quite interesting. It's just sad that we don't see enough of it. Of course being a Runner it means your a wanted feloney and are hunted down whenever you are spotted. It is indeed a interesting world to set a game in, it's just sad that so much of it is affected by 'omg, I want to shoot this disc' moments, Let me explain.

WHO KNEW A CITY COULD BE SO BRIGHT!

One thing that hit's you when you first start playing the single player campaign in Mirror's Edge, is it's overall beauty. This is one stunning game and it uses lighting in a sensible but brilliant way. Areas have a real sense of realism and there are some fantastic views from rooftops as you travel the city. The art style deserved great credit for much of this, things can look a little to familar after a good few hours into the game but you'll still be blown away by the games use of neon lights and sense of inner city environments. There are some clipping issues to be found and at times the environments can be way to bright. The colour white is a very common sight in Mirror's Edge, and at times it can even blind you. I also came across some weird texture issues on white surfaces but they weren't serious game breakers. My main issue with the games choice of colours is that if you have your contrast up to high on your HDTV then you will suffer headaches. Soon after I started playing I needed to turn mine down a little even though it wasn't exactly high in the first place. Something to be weary of. For the most part there is a nice variation in environments though it's clear they all share the same characteristics which in itself is understandable, it being the same city and all. But there enough variation to not make the gamer feel like he/she is playing the same level again and again with just a different layouts.

I think it is also important to mention a issue I noticed while checking out the PS3 version, there is some serious Anti-Aliasing issues affecting the PS3 version of the game. I'm not totally sure why this is but there issues that don't really affect the Xbox 360 version. It's an odd sort of thing but nothing surprising for those who have a PS3. It seems to be a common sight for the PS3 to have odd issues that often don't effect the 360 at all. But it can actually be pretty bad, it's something I noticed when I tried out the Mirror's Edge demo on PSN sometime back. But it's poor to see it in the full retail version of the game aswell. I'm pretty sure this AA issue doesn't affect the PC version but having not played the PC version I can't be 100% sure, but PC games usually have a Anti-Aliasing option avaliable in games. But even with this, it's hard not to fall in love with the games visuals. Everything looks fantastic and the game offers a fantastic sense of height aswell. Extra mention should go to the games soundtrack, which is a nice mix of modern and classic. Most noticeable the games now popular theme song Still Alive.

Being a top a huge skyscrapper actually feels like being a top a skyscrapper in the middle of a city. Again this is partly thanks to the games fantastic art style but it's an important addiction, with Parkour being heavily based on the thrills of free running. What is dissapointing though is the lack of actual adventure, this game seemed so perfect for actual free running just like the extreme sport but there is little if any free roaming for Faith to do. It effects the game heavily in areas, it makes sense that DICE would want gamers to keep to the story on offer but it would have been great to see some form of Grand Theft Auto system in place for us to traverse the actual city and maybe even use the same sort of mission based features found in the GTA series. But no, theres nothing like that in Mirror's Edge and it's one area I found to really harm my experience of the game because at times the experience is simply to linear and doesn't allow the gamer to solve puzzles in there own way. Rather the game almost gives you the answer to a puzzle or two and doesn't allow you to be inventive.

FAITH ISN'T SUPER WOMEN!

It's important to keep in mind that Faith isn't Super Women, yes she can do all that Parkour with great style and grace but when faced with a heavily armed man and a machine gun, then theres a good chance she may die. This is a issue I came across all to often in my time with the game. Mirror's Edge provides pretty simple puzzles that are easily enough to complete but when it comes to combat things get all a little messy. The A.I are simply odd, not odd as in they suddenly jump up and start singing 'Chocolate Rain' but in a 'What the hell' kind of way. At times the A.I can be puzzling in that they can take you down almost instantly as you try to reach and unarm them while at other times you can be standing right in front of them and they'll miss you by miles. This leads to frustrating moments in the game and frustration ruined the experience for me. Some gamers out there might not mind it, but frustration usually means I'm not having fun with a game and all to often I found myself quiting the game to play some Rock Band 2. To be fair there is some satisfaction in taking down an enemy or two and much of the skill to Mirror's Edge is isolating each solider to take them down while not in dangers way of others just waiting to put some led into poor Faith. This frustration will destroy the experience for the less patient, and let me tell you dear readers that you'll need that patience throughout the game.

The actual story on offer in Mirror's Edge is actually quite impressive, it's been done before but it was still somewhat enjoyable and the games anime/cartoon styled cutscenes both look great and offer some nice variation in art style. At times there a breath of fresh air to the actual gameplay. Early on you'll be spending quite a bit of time in elevators as the game loads the next location, now this is fine and even understandable but it still felt odd to me especially considering many of the locations found throughout the game are quite small in size so it was odd to wait ages for the game to actually load. The game could have also done more to offer important information while you wait in the elevators, not to mention the fact that the game doesn't take full advantage of the fantastic city it's set in. It would have been nice to simply see more media related items or more information on the actual city I'm jumping about in. Maybe that wish is just mine but I honestly found the world of Mirror's Edge quite interesting and I would have liked to know even more about it. As for the actual main character Faith, well theres actually a lot to like. She is herself a very likeable character and is almost a Lara Croft of the modern times, except she doesn't have two huge magnums for combat use. Infact going back to the combat in Mirror's Edge, the game deserves some credit for making it clear that Faith isn't to confortable or experienced with using weapons as the actual weapon controls feel awkward. Aiming is a pain but this is forgiven when you take into account that Faith isn't use to using weapons, she is use to using her speed and Parkour skills to either capacitate or flee those attacking her.

Faith controls well though, infact she is very free in her movements and she doesn't require perfect control all the time. She moves with the left analog stick while jumping is done with the LB button on your Xbox 360 controller. To crouch you simply hit the LT button and Faith will crouch or even slide under low objects if in a running motion, As stated previously the controls handle well and they are fun to use, certain sections of the game require a more skillful form of Parkour for instance the double jump which is performed by jumping against/up a wall and then quick presses of the RB button (which turns faith around) and then jumping off the world to grap onto a object a dfistance away from the wall. It sound tricky but it's a pretty simple manoeuvre once practised a little. There are other Parkour tricks that Faith can perform aswell, such as wall running and large falls. The game also rewards you for doing fancy takedowns on soliders, these can vary from simply jumping off a ledge and knocking down a soldier to fancy wall running kicks and slides. There interesting to perform and there is some satisfaction in doing so. Of course theres also achievements to be earned by pulling certain takedowns off, and achievements/trophies make any game better. So Faith performs aswell as you'd expect, but maybe more praise as to be credited here for it's no easy task to pull off and those that say that Mirror's Edge should have been in third person are indeed wrong because actually being part of Faith is what makes the game offer a dedicated representation of virtual Parkour.

SHORT ISN'T ALWAYS A BAD THING!

In a year of gaming filled with 30+ hour titles it's quite nice to play a game that can be completed in a couple of hours. Of course looking at it in a value sort of way, then you may feel ripped off because Mirror's Edge is indeed a short game, there are a few other features of which I will speak more of in a little while, but the length isn't peticularly a bad thing. To many games nowadays take 30+ hours to complete, now this is fine and usually shows good value for your Sterling or Dollar but for many gamers (like myself) most games have a hard time keeping my interest in the world it's set or features it offers. Fallout 3 is a fine example of this, it might offer 30-40 hours of gameplay but it's simply not that interesting of a game to keep me hooked. Anyway, for me Mirror's Edge seemed to offer a reasonable length, yes it's probably not worth the full retail price and would probably make a great rental game but I don't regret paying full whack for it. Partly because it's one of those games you'll end up returning to mainly for the uniquness and thrill it can offer from time to time. There's no game out there like it, yes games have done wall running and Parkour styled gameplay before but view have done it in the first person view and I have to wonder why it's taken this long for it to appear.

As I said there are other features found in Mirror's Edge that do offer a little bit extra longevity such as collectable packages found throughout levels and theres also a time trial mode where you can try and get your best time on a certain level and compete against the rest of the gaming world. Of course the actual competeing isn't anything special, leaderboards simply tell you how your time compared to the rest of the world. There are ghost figures which represent your previous fastest time but this mode is nothing special and although I couldn't see a multplayer mode working in Mirror's Edge, it would have been nice to see some extra puzzles or side missions for us to perform. For some, the length of the time will destroy the experience and if you feel as if you yourself are one such gamer then I recommend you rent the game. But I thought it offered an acceptable length of gameplay. it was actually quite nice to play a game that was pretty short, reviewing games the length of 30 plus hours can be tough and even tougher to play. 

POTENTIAL IS SUCH AN HARD THING TO REACH!

Mirror's Edge shows great potential, the mechanics on offer work perfectly well and are honestly fun from time to time. It's unique and interesting, but it's also such a frustrating experience and will send some gamers over the top with anger and hatred. Certain gameplay choices make sense while other don't. It's DICE's best single player orientated game yet but it's also clear that they haven't got use to offering everything that most gamers expect from a single player game as the lack of freedom destroys the overall package. The game simply feels to linear and doesn't offer enough chances for the gamer to be creative, be it fleeing from some bad guys or solving a puzzle. Parkour is a great concept and it works well in a videogame, mostly due to the solid controls but you can't help but feel as if DICE haven't taken enough advantage of it. A hell of a lot more could be done with both the character of Faith (who is both interesting and likeable) and the overal World the game is set. I already hope a sequel is being talked up, but a sequel which uses the games main positives to full extent. It shouldn't offer such a linear experience and it should allow the gamer to have freedom in a city full of interest and things to use her Parkour skill with. But the lack of such features may heavily affect your view of the game. It's still a lot of fun and easily one of the most interesting titles to hit this year, but it's also one of those games to not reach it's full potential in more ways then one and will be forgotten when compared to most of the triple A titles that have hit our consoles or PC this year.

I said at the beginning of this review that I had a love/hate relationship with Faith, well I think it best to actually state that I have a love/hate relationship with the game set around the character of Faith. The city itself shows real interest but to often those interests are ignored by the game and simply offers a linear path for the gamer to follow. Hopefully these issues can be learnt by DICE and a sequel would fix many if not all of these problems. I do hope we see more of Mirror's Edge partly because I actually think it's got an interest tale to tell us. As I said, more could have been done with the World on offer. It's simple to say that you, dear readers will probably have a love/hate relationship with it to. In that respect it reminded me a lot of Assassins Creed, a title disliked by many and even hated by some, while others loved it greatly. I for one found Assassins Creed to be a perfect gaming package, maybe not in a value sense (with the lack of multiplayer and all) but I got a satisfaction from it that won't easily be forgotten. I can admit that I enjoyed Mirror's Edge, but the overall taste left in my mouth is a mix of satisfaction and frustration. Sadly that frustration is bad enough to lower my overall views of this unique title. You may be different dear readers, but for me Mirror's Edge shows potential, but my lack of patience for it and overall frustration with it's many odd developer choices left me wanting a more well rounded package.

PROS!

- A beautiful artistic colourful style.
- Faith is a very enjoyable and deeply interest character.
- Controls do a good job of offering both depth and enjoyment.
- A nice soundtrack mixes well with the World in which the game is set.
- Parkour offers a unique form of gameplay.

CONS!

- A.I can be a mix of both stupidity and ruthlessness.
- Single Player Campaign may be to short for some.
- Extra mode doesn't add much to overall experience.

- A very linear campaign.
- Puzzle solving simply isn't that much fun. 
- Overall Gameplay features not used to full potential.

SCORE: 3 STARS OUT OF 5.

 
Reviewed by Joseph Bayliss (TrueEnglishGent).