Mirror's Edge (2008) review

Mirror’s Edge
PS3, Xbox 360, PC
EA, DICE
Parkour, First-Person Action

Mirror’s Edge was published by Electronic Arts back in 2008 to a long line of very positive reviews, accompanied by a few mediocre ones as well as rather disappointing sales numbers. Although wether or not you like a game is a subjective matter, those of this games reviews that where poor, as well as the low sales numbers, shows a very close-minded side of the general gaming community, and the lack of persistence. Today, most gamers want to jump right in and be great at a game the first time. They want it to be instantly fun and rewarding, and they want the learning curve not to serve as a way to actually create the experience, but just as a way to flush it out. Whilst this is all fine, it’s part of what scares developers, or rather publishers from taking risks and making something new. That’s why i’m so fond of the meteoric rise we’ve seen in the indie game community. People actually making something new and fresh. Now the rise of indie games is great, but the problem with those games is that there’s simply not more of them. Because of very limited budgets and small teams, the games they put out often provides a great experience, but only for a short period of time, and they often lack flushed out features. The world needs more big publishers willing to take risks and let the developers create something new and different, instead of yet another «Need for Duty: Warfighter on the battlefield of soccer playing golfers» . Whilst i do love many of those AAA titles, they are not the only things a game can be. We need more; we need games like Mirror’s Edge!

In 08’ EA took a risk, and let DICE use the Unreal Engine 3 to create what i deem one of the most original and best video games ever made. Games before Mirror’s Edge have had climbing systems. Assassin’s Creed packed (and still packs) a fantastic parkour system (in the game wrongfully labeled as Free-running; yes there is a difference) that does play a major part of the game, but it’s not what it is all about. It’s not a parkour simulator. Mirror’s Edge on the other hand, is just that. It does something no other game I know of have done neither before, nor after it. It puts you into a realistic first-person perspective (you know, where if you look down you can actually see your body) and it gives you the power of running free. You can leap gaps, climb pipes and edges, and preform wall runs. Sounds simple enough? Well yes, it is; and most certainly in a good way. You have at your disposal the basic tools for navigating a gorgeous urban environment, feeling like a genuine parkour master. Some people dislike the game because they say it’s too hard. They say you never truly feel free, because you always have to stop up, look for where to go, and carefully aim your leaps. Others, especially reviewers, complain that it’s too repetitive. You constantly see the same red edge, pipe or platform you need to reach or jump from. These views displays either one of two things. Lack of persistence, or lack of insight. Yes, the first time you play thru, you are likely to stop up quite a few times, and your flow, witch really is the whole point of Mirror’s Edge gets ruined. Yes, there are quite a few of the same jumps and pipes, all colored in red (if you play on a difficulty lower than Hard). What you need to think about is just why that is. You play as Faith, a member of a group of couriers called «Runners» and the color red in the game symbolize «Runners vision», a visual representation of your objective and the default route you can use to navigate the environment. I mentioned that the first time or two through the game you will stop quite a few times and your flow will be ruined. Imagine how much more you would be forced to stop up if they didn’t helped you out with runners vision as well as similar leaps and edges. It’s so that when you come to an level you haven’t played before you’ll still recognize certain iconic shapes, leaps and gaps and know that’s where you need to go. It’s to try and create a flow where you don’t have any because you don’t know the level yet. Witch brings me to my second point. Mirror’s Edge is decently enjoyable from the get-go. An above mediocre title you can kill a boring weekend with. But it’s when you actually go thru for the third or fourth time in a row, that you will experience one of the most wonderful times you will ever have in a video game. The feeling when you nail a hard segment with perfect flow. Hit every gap smoothly. Learn new shortcuts and new ways of getting from A to B faster and faster, that feeling is just pure magic.

I’ve heard people say it’s repetitive, and I can for instance quote another respective reviewer who said «it’s weird that a game that focuses so much on free-running is constantly asking me to jump of the same ledge». Well, the fun part is, the game doesn’t. Yes, runners vision always represents the easiest way of getting there, and most people start developing tunnel vision for this. They seem to think Mirror’s Edge is just like every other video games, where you have no freedom beyond a linear level design. But trust me, that’s just not the case, because in pretty much every segment of the game there is multiple alternate routes, and they can often be combined, making your very own. If you look up speed runs on youtube you will see people going through a whole level barely even touching upon the same path you took when following runners vision to the letter. The mechanics really are at the core of the game, because I’ve seen people take more paths and combinations than DICE could’ve possibly have thought of. This is a prime example of superb level design, and the granting of excellent mechanics allowing people to freely make their own experience, complimented by absolutely gorgeous visuals that have aged extremely well.

As previously mentioned, in Mirror’s Edge you pay as Faith. A key member of a group of couriers called the «Runners». The city has become a police-state, with everything under surveillance and everything being controlled by someone sitting behind a huge desk with a telephone on it, and The Runners are delivering messages and items for the opposing factor (It’s obvious that the runners are needed, seeing as emails and phone calls are pretty much of the table in a city like that). When a Mayoral candidate out to make a difference in the city’s extensive surveillance of it’s citizens gets assassinated, and the murder is pinned on Faiths sister, you have to use your abilities as a Runner to save her and uncover the truth behind the murder. The story is not very flushed out, and neither are the characters, but we are treated to a very cool setup and something that works as a fantastic excuse for use of the excellent runner mechanics. In addition, the cutscenes has some very cool hand-drawn artwork, giving it a very artistic and old-school feel, but they are put into motion with pretty animations and full voice over work, then again: you’re unlikely to re-watch them after you played through the story once.

I have now layed down the basics for why the arguments against Mirror’s Edge are relatively wrongfull. The game presents a vast world with amazing level design, with lots of alternate paths allowing for exploration and increasing your time on speed runs, witch are available after you finish the game. It is a game that only becomes more and more fun every time you play it, but lack of persistence or an approaching deadline has meant that many gamers and reviewers quit after the first or second walktrough. This is such a shame because the true charm in Mirror’s Edge comes when you’ve played it trough enough that you know every environment by hearth. Enough that you learn most of the major shortcuts. It may seem like a lot of work compared to just buying a game that is «fun from the get-go» but i promise you, the end result is just so incredibly much more rewarding. There is simply no feeling out there in the world that can match the feeling of finally nailing something you’ve tried to master for so long, and in Mirror’s Edge, that feeling will come again and again. Provided you stick with it for more than 5-6 hours.

This game does has some short comings as far as the story goes, but the story is not the point of the game. If this was intended to be best enjoyed the first time through, I’d give it roughly 60-65/100. But It’s not. You don’t give World of Warcraft a low score because it is boring the first 10 levels. Of course not, you have to get a little up there. Learn as well as unlock the abilities that actually makes the game so fun. This is also the case with Mirror’s Edge, only the abilities you unlock are your own. It’s not «now, if you press R3 faith will do a special move», It’s actually you yourself gaining a skill-level, witch makes the game so infinitely much more fun, that I will give this game a final Chase Game Score of 92/100.