Mirror's Edge a leap of Faith

By Joe Dwyer     11/20/08 6:00pm

Best known for their work on the Battlefield franchise, Electronic Arts and EA Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment have gone in a completely new direction with Mirror's Edge, an original title that aims to shake up the first-person genre.Players step into the shoes of Faith, a "runner" living in a gleaming white, futuristic dystopia where the police survey and control all modes of communication. When citizens want to stay under the radar with their information, they rely on runners like Faith to transport their messages across the city's rooftops. The game begins with Faith's cop sister getting framed for a murder she didn't commit, forcing Faith to do some digging around town to uncover the truth.

First of all, this isn't just another first-person shooter. Yes, there are guns, and the game can be played just like any other FPS title, but Mirror's Edge creatively sways players away from taking this approach by limiting available ammo to whatever is in the gun at the time it's picked up and hindering movement based on the size of the weapon, meaning Faith won't be able to vault effortlessly from rooftop to rooftop while brandishing a heavy machine gun. Through evasion or hand-to-hand combat, it's actually possible to beat the game without shooting a single enemy, but for players with limited patience this may seem next to impossible.

The game's biggest weak point lies with the shallow combat system and the finicky disarm feature. A single shoulder button controls hand-to-hand combat, performing a contextual punch or kick depending on whether Faith is running, standing, crouching or leaping. The approach is simple and accessible and works for the most part, but it begins to feel a tad repetitive by the game's end.

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The disarm feature is useful for stealing weapons and subduing enemies at the same time, but it is hit-or-miss and works only when it wants to, even when the player repeatedly mashes the appropriate button.

Problems with combat are balanced out by extremely satisfying and immersive gameplay. There is no HUD whatsoever, and seeing Faith's arms and legs moving onscreen or hearing her gasp for air as she runs gives a realistic sense of speed and agility to the game that can actually make some players feel exhausted. As much as certain parts of the game may prove frustrating, the moments of sheer adrenaline peppered throughout more than make up for the game's shortfalls. Such moments can include eluding the cops by springing off of a building onto a nearby chopper's landing strut or a frantic escape atop a speeding subway, during which Faith has to leap from train to train and avoid hanging signs and columns at the same time.

For $60, Mirror's Edge is a very short game. The average player can beat it in two sittings, and hardcore players should be able to do it in one. The game possesses some degree of replayability, however, thanks to the addition of a Hard difficulty setting and Time Trial and Speed Run modes after completing the game once. For completionists there are also 44 Achievements and 45 Trophies to collect, as well as hidden bags scattered throughout each chapter that unlock art galleries, music tracks and the game's terrible cartoon cut scenes.

Despite its short length, Mirror's Edge is a unique and exhilarating game that takes a good stab at redefining the way developers approach FPS titles. Players should give the demo on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Store a try before buying this game.

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