Mirror's Edge

Late to the party as usual but if you haven’t played Mirror’s Edge, stop playing whatever you're playing and go and get it now. I don’t care if it was released last November. I need to shout about this game. This game should be played, it should be celebrated and definitely shouldn't be left on the shelf to become an overlooked classic. Let me explain.

I have largely ignored this game since its release. I played the demo and while it did impress I found the controls a little difficult to master so, while I was interested, I didn’t bother buying. I read reviews which were generally very positive, highlighted only a few minor issues and yet I still ignored it. Fallout 3 and Fable 2 amongst others are to blame.

Over the weekend though I decided it was time I played Mirror's Edge and, as the youngsters say in their emails and txts to each other, "OMG!". What an utterly fabulous game. I found myself totally engrossed in Faith's exploits. The gameplay is so fluid that it makes water envious. The Flow, as it’s called in the game, is the way in which you make the main character, Faith, strings together a series of jumps, slides, sprints, wall runs, and massive leaps while maintaining her stride. I had a huge grin on my face when I sped through a level executing a series of moves.

There’s a combat element involved. It isn’t central to the game and so is relatively shallow but it works very well. Hand to hand combat, melee attacks, and FPS style shooting are all present. It isn’t central because it’s possible to play through the entire game without shooting anyone. There’s even an achievement for doing just this. This removes Mirror’s Edge from every other FPS game on the shelves and places it by itself as a bit of a hybrid that contains puzzle, platform, race, fps, and fighting elements. Mirror’s Edge is all the better for it. I thoroughly enjoyed disarming guards and casting their gun away before running off up a wall while I laughed to myself.

I loved the anime style cut scenes and the in game graphics are as unique looking as they are brilliant. The style is something Suda51 would be proud of. The story is good enough to draw you into the world that’s presented and the characters have enough depth that you can take an interest in them.

The story mode is relatively short though there are multiple ways of approaching most levels. There are also plenty of moments when you'll have Faith not moving any of her computer generated muscles while you stare at the tele trying to see where on earth you're supposed to go next. When you do work out a route and execute a perfect selection of moves to achieve that route it's very, very satisfying. I suspect that when I play through Mirror’s Edge again it won’t take many hours at all. But, with the knowledge of the levels comes the speed and fluidity that Mirror's Edge does so very well.

Even if the story is a bit short there's more than just that on offer. The time trials and speed runs add new challenges and again there are many ways to get through the levels. To achieve top ranks will take some time and a mastery of running. These additional modes certainly have that "one more go" factor. An element of gaming that I love. There is also some DLC that I haven’t tried but I’ll probably get at some point now I’ve become a fan.

I don't know whether the controls were improved between the release of the demo and the full game but I had no problems controlling Faith this time. Any time that Faith missed her footing it was entirely my fault and not down to dodgy controls or poor collision detection. Leaping from roof to roof, running along cranes, sliding under pipes etc are all in a day’s work for a Runner and I got pretty good at it pretty quickly thanks to the controls.

The game has a sound track fitting of a AAA blockbuster game and it completes the Mirror's Edge package with a gloss that its name exudes.
This is a truly unique experience. If you have not yet played this game I would urge you, 360 and PS3 owners alike, to drop what you're playing and check this out. You won't regret it.

Plus, if you still need convincing, it's now really cheap to pick up
Xbox360 - £12.99 at dvd.co.uk

PS3 - £12.91 at dvd.co.uk

So .... er .... yea, late to the party. What was released this week? Finger on the pulse as ever eh. So what, if you missed this game and it's a few months old. Just get it. Forget that tempting new Terminator Salvation crap and get something with substance. Thrilling, glossy, substance. For more thrilling glossiness head on over to the Forum AND we still look exactly the same.