Mirror's Edge

Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, and PC
Played it on: Xbox 360
Approximate Playtime: 15-20 hours

RATING: 8.5/10

Mirror's Edge is a fascinating creation. It's a great example of taking a risk for an idea, and coming out with something that has a vast amount of potential and elegance, allowing it to far exceed so many other generic games out today. In short, Mirror's Edge truly is a masterpiece.

To begin with, the map and graphic design of the game are wonderfully alive. The basic design of each map lends itself to allow the player, not the game, to decide the best route around certain obstacles in the game. That kind of variability is extremely necessary when creating an interactive experience like this, and DICE really hit the nail on the head. On top of that, the color scheme chosen for the game, while minimalistic, creates the perfect atmosphere to compliment the maps in a way that creates a realistic and believable world. The overwhelming amounts of white around the main character, Faith, create a sense of much more than purity. It's purity to a vice; sterility is a better word. Faith lives in a world disgusted by any kind of filth, both in a literal and psychological way. Anything that's not in control must be either brought under control or eliminated, without exception. This makes any splashes of bright greens, yellows, blues, and reds really pop out as the game progresses, and as a result, the whole world becomes vibrant and alive. There's not an overload of visuals, it's the perfect artistry to animate Mirror's Edge.

The gameplay is famous (or infamous) for creating a first person action game in a setting that normally takes place in third person. An experience like Assassin's Creed is a great example of what most free running action games are like. But Mirror's Edge does this from first person not to be weird and stand out, but because it, again, helps the game to become a more personal and alive experience. The entire game takes place in first person, minus the 2D animated cutscenes that occur between missions, which really compliments an already impressive experience. The cutscenes aren't explosive and in-the-way, they just serve to expand the story in a more creative way. That leaves the gameplay to take place from Faith's eyes, uninterrupted. The few mid-mission cutscenes there are all take place from Faith's point of view, and this really pulls players into the game even further. There's just one instance where this becomes awkward or cumbersome, and that can easily be blamed on the fact that Mirror's Edge is the first of its kind ever created, and is thus bound to have kinks to work out. Otherwise this controversial system is great and works swimmingly.

Now on to the story. The actual plot of the game is fairly simple, but it works. There's two big twists that the player doesn't see coming, but otherwise the objective of the game stays the same throughout the course of the nine missions. But for what it is, the game works. It doesn't need to be a complicated game to be beautiful, it just needs to work well, and it does. The plot stays on topic, there's a clear objective, Faith is always focused on it, and it just doesn't mess around or beat around the bush. It's easy to appreciate a game like that, especially because it doesn't get bogged down in something complicated it doesn't need. While this tactic doesn't work at all for some games, it works great here.

Combining these factors, this makes for a game that feels great. It's engaging, and it pulls the player in, makes him or her want to know more about the world of the game, captures the senses with the color choices and flow in the design of each map, and keeps the story simple but thorough. Sitting down and experiencing the world of Mirror's Edge is a delight, not just a pass time. And even though it uses the same Frostbite engine that the Battlefield games use, it just feels much better than before. It's just a good game to play.

Unfortunately, the game isn't perfect. There are a few flaws, and rather cumbersome ones, that prevent it from getting above a 9. First off, the controls aren't nearly as tight as they should be. This can really take players out of the beautifully created world, forcing repeated attempts at jumps that should be fairly simple. This is especially apparent with the wallrun mechanic, as Faith will frequently not be able to make a jump off the wall or just miss the wall entirely. This can be quite frustrating, and a little more response from button presses and interactivity in the world would have made this a much better game.

The other section that needs work is the voice work. This is partly due to the script, and partly due to the voice actors themselves. Faith does a really good job, but some of the supporting cast just can't bring the realistic feel to dialog. Parts of the script feel a little unnatural at times as well, and the whole thing is just a bit... stunted. Characters like Jacknife and Lt. Miller have speech that doesn't feel like normal speech, and this, like the loose controls, can really remove the player from the immersion of the game.

As a whole, though, Mirror's Edge is a fantastic game. The few flaws it has aren't exactly subtle, but the story, the design, and the overall feel of the game are all spot on fantastic. The series has a vast potential to become something truly special, and with any luck, it will avoid becoming a useless cash cow like so many other franchises.