In Mirrors Edge, the player assumes the role of “Faith”, a runner in a utopian future which - no surprise - has a dark side to it. Runners are freerunners *ahem* parkours-practitioners that make their way from A to B using insane stunts, jumps and slides instead of vehicles. On top of that, they’re also kung-fu qualified asskicking fightingmachines complete with disarm moves.
Yeah, this sounds a lot like many third-person action games we’ve played, but the funny thing it’s not third person - it’s completely first person. I’ve heard about people getting dizzy from this approach to the game, but I think it’s pretty immersive. The fact that the controls are sublime really adds to this feeling and within no time, you’re jumping, sliding, wallrunning and rolling through the environments of the game.
The combat is a bit awkward - never have I seen first person melee combat work really well and Mirrors Edge is no real exception to this rule. You have punches, kicks and a disarm move and all of them work reasonably well. Sure, you can disarm enemies and grab their guns but I assume the guns feel as clunky as they do on purpose. Faith is no Rambo, she’s a runner. Which is way cooler, by the way.
The story is pretty straightforward - do this, do that, oh god, what now, fix it. It never gets really original, nor does it ever border on being camp. It’s acceptable and considering how original the game is, I am more than happy to forgive such a nitpick.
What I did really like is how environments seem to have a singular color for each episode as main color, white as general color and red as indication of where you need to go. Not only does this look highly stylized combined with generous amounts of bloom, HDR and the whole array of next-gen thingy-ma-jingy, but it also allows players to quickly navigate the stunts and tricks throughout the game. Sadly, its not a ‘one fix solves all’-concept. More than once did I get stuck and at times the game is utterly frustrating for not telling you where to go while two-hundred heavily armed goons are bashing the door.
Even though getting stuck kills the mood, it’s undeniable some of the obstacles in the game give that ‘wow, did I just really do that’-feeling, that feeling of accomplishment that you only get in games that allow your skills to dictate the outcome. Mirrors Edge has some really well-balanced pacing with chases, escapes, puzzles and platforming coming around the corner when you really want them to.
I must admit I’m looking forward to possible future installments of the game. Like Assassins Creed, Mirrors Edge has the potential of being great, but it’s just not there yet.
