Cool Runnings- Mirror’s Edge Reviewed

Speed and efficiency of movement is
something we are losing hold of as humans. Much of the world no
longer has to hunt or fight to survive in average daily life as our
ancestors once did. We’re losing the instincts that once gave us
speed and agility akin to graceful predatory creatures. Mirror’s
Edge is a game that feeds those latent instincts and creates a
world where speed and agility are again a matter of life and death
for humanity.

In Mirror’s Edge, you are Faith, a runner who uses “parkour” or “free running” to deliver
vital information across the rooftops of a city with an oppressive
and unblinking government. Soon after the game begins, Faith quickly
finds herself the victim of a conspiracy and must use her abilities
to save the ones she loves as well as the city itself.

                        A game with DesertEagle’s three favorite colors. Please play it next Independence Day.

Chances are, whether or not you’ve
played Mirror’s Edge or tried the demo, you’ve heard some conflicting
opinions. This is a pretty polarizing game and I have a theory as to
why. Mirror’s Edge is a new experience but at it’s heart it actually
has a very retro game sensibility. It’s the type of game that demands
quite a bit of skill, efficiency and, yes, some trial and error. I’m
sure many people find it jarring to die repeatedly trying to make a
difficult maneuver in such and immersive game. Dying pulls you back
out and makes you aware of the fact you’re playing game.

Anyone who feels the need to be able to
play through a game without ever dying will be very disappointed
here. Still, I would urge anyone who plays this game to fight through
that. Yes, it may be frustrating to play through a large area with
grace and speed only to hit what feels like an impasse but I found it
quite rewarding every time I finally figured out what I should be
doing.I’ll just say it… I love this game. I
love the speed, the movement, the level design, the gorgeous visual
design, music and sound work and I even enjoy the controversial
combat system.

When I attempt to distill what makes
Mirror’s Edge great, I get the following; it does an amazing job of
not only putting you in the shoes of the ninja-like Faith but giving
you some impressive abilities that makes a hail of gunfire actually
feel reasonably passable for one of mere flesh and bone. The game
also provides an exhilarating feeling of being hunted, a feeling
that, as you’ll find, is often not an idle threat. The level design,
alongside the red “runner vision”, does a great job of giving you
enough hints on how to get through each area without being too
obvious. It really allowed me to pull of some tricky maneuvers the
very first time I tried them, which feels great.

                                                      Take that Neo! That’s for the second and third Matrix films.

The pacing is very well done. You will
have to run for your life and sometimes fight as well, desperately
trying to get away from the effective and predatory AI. This is a
game that had me literally working up a sweat just sitting, playing
it. It works your brain, your reflexes and your nerves. My
perseverance through each deadly obstacle course was then often
rewarded with a much calmer but still challenging platforming puzzle.
This is where your path is not so obvious and you must take your time
figuring out what to do while taking a breather. If you’ve played the
Prince of Persia games you’ll know what to expect here. One
should note that the differences between the speed and puzzle
sections are not always so clear-cut. Often it will be a little of
both and it works quite well.

The game is, as you’ve probably heard,
on the short side but “Time Trial” mode truly does offer a lot of
replay value, allowing you to race through various parts of the game,
devoid of enemies, sometimes traveling through the same areas in very
different ways. Actually seeing a ghostly red image of the runner,
who’s time you’re trying to beat, makes it even more addicting. It
allows you to learn from other players or even observe your own
previous movements as you try to best your record. A “Speed Run”
mode is included as well, allowing you to race through an entire
level, enemies and all, trying for the best time possible. Stretching
the replay a bit further are hidden runner’s bags around each level
which unlock various goodies like concept art and music. Lastly there
is a sizable amount of trophies (at least in the PS3 version)
offering some interesting challenges.

                                 Any similarity between this screenshot and ScrewJumper is purely accidental.

So what didn’t I like? I found myself
thankful that most my gripes were rather small. While the main story
mode could have been longer, it didn’t feel too stunted and it wrapped
up nicely enough. I did enjoy the storyline but it did feel like they
were trying to save some for the sequels. (It’s been said that this
will be a trilogy.)

Sometimes the platforming felt a bit
slippery or off, but I usually found myself realizing why and
realizing I should be going about something differently. The combat
and gun-play is a bit limited and could have used a bit more polish
but it worked well enough for a game where combat is not the focus. I
actually played through the game without shooting any enemies and
this added a nice extra challenge that never felt impossible. I think
too many people assume they need to fight more than they actually do
in this game. If you’re up against more than 3 enemies at one time,
chances are there’s a way to get out of there, even if it’s not
obvious. Lastly, some cooperative or even versus modes would have
been nice but that’s just nitpicking and such features are more fit
for the sequel. I’m glad they focused on single player for the first
game.

Mirror’s Edge is a great game and I
don’t have any hesitation in saying that. (I proudly use my pre-order
bonus runner’s bag for school.) It’s just not for everyone. I even
dare say it’s possibly a bit misunderstood. I won’t be too surprised
if I hear about some nay-sayers giving the game a second chance and
discovering they actually really like it. If you’re still unsure
about the game and know someone that loves it then try watching them
play. It’s challenging and even a bit frustrating at times, but it’s
a great rewarding experience and a whole lot of fun. When the sequel
comes out, I’ll be there to pick it up on day one.