Mirror's Edge

"The Future is Really Shiny!"

EA has long been associated with annual sequels, shoddy cash-ins and more than a few idiotic ideas. It's because of these things that EA has become a despised entity in the gaming world. However, it would seem EA has been trying to turn over a new leaf in the past year or so as the company has overseen several new IP releases which are innovative and critically well-received (Dead Space being the immediate and most obvious example). Here we have another of EA's recent gambles, this time a venture into the world of parkour.

For those who aren't in the know, Wikipedia defines parkour as “an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body.” You may think this foray into a new underground activity is just EA's way of cashing in on youth culture and given the company's history for doing so, you'd be excused. However, there is significant back-story and a decent plot for what is, at its core, a glorified platformer. Mirror's Edge revolves around young woman named Faith, a runner. A runner is a messenger of sorts, carrying all types of vital information across the city and delivering it by any means necessary. It may sound like a novel and thoroughly outmoded method but Faith's city has been turned into an Orwellian nightmare by the government, who watches and controls everything, all the way down to the flow of communications and information. And naturally as a runner, Faith operates just outside the fringes of the law and lives in constant danger as much of her cargo is communications between groups working to end the oppressive regime that rules over the city.

As luck would have it, Faith eventually gets caught up in a conspiracy as a mayoral candidate is assassinated, and her sister (a cop) is first to arrive on scene, with Faith arriving shortly thereafter. It quickly becomes clear that the whole thing was a set-up, as Faith becomes a fugitive and her sister is framed for the murder.

The narrative depicts a world where most crime has been snuffed out and replaced by constant observation. This atmosphere comes across loud and clear through the visual design of the game. Once again, it can only be described as an Orwellian nightmare. The overall design is very futuristic, with sleek buildings and minimalist interiors. The color scheme tends towards the monochromatic, and when running across the rooftops players can look out over the skyline and see that nearly everything is white. This blinding landscape is occasionally broken up by huge shocks of bright color, which makes the whole thing look like a Nike commercial gone horribly, horribly wrong. But it does wonders for furthering the atmosphere of oppression, as the world looks too clean and nice and looks more like a mental institution than a real city. In interior levels, the blinding white is broken up with more monochromes, such as lime green and orange.

As striking as the visual style is, it's still easy to notice just how good the game looks. Texturing is absolutely marvelous, and the nearly constant overwhelming light (a natural by-product of making a city of white buildings, I presume) shows off how clean and reflective everything is.

Of course the excellent visuals and cool premise don't actually count for anything if it doesn't work. Given that the game is really nothing more than a glorified platformer it would be logical to assume that the game is played from a third person perspective. It isn't. And with the history of platforming in most first person games, and the fact that jumping over a simple hole in the ground is usually a recipe for disaster, this is where many people will be ready to declare the minds at EA utterly insane. However, it does work and once players get the hang of its intricacies, it works magnificently.

In the early going, most levels eventually have Faith running for her life across the cityscape, making use of the urban tangle to escape. The levels are littered with all sorts of obstacles, from walls and fences, to pipe structures and huge chasms between sky-scrapers. Faith's ultimate weapon is her own acrobatic skill, as she is able to pull off moves that would make a ballerina hang her head in shame. Some moves such as the jump, balancing on thin walkways and grabbing onto a ledge and pulling herself up are rather commonplace in video games. But the full range of her abilities is far more impressive. She can run across walls and even run up them for a few feet. She can even perform a roll after making a ridiculous leap in order to keep from getting injured. The game even allows players (requires in places) to string together several different moves. For instance, getting to a vent high on a wall might require wall-running, turning in mid-stride, jumping and grabbing onto an edge. This string of actions must be input in perfect order, with exact timing in order to succeed. Though it may sound like an impossible feat, it's actually quite intuitive and immensely gratifying once players get the hang of it.

Perhaps what makes the game so intuitive is its realism and ability to immerse the player. There isn't really anything in the game that seems beyond the realm of possibility (beyond the realm of sanity is another story entirely). The game even keeps players immersed while helping them progress through levels, which is accomplished through the implementation of some subtle visual cues. The color red is used to indicate the path Faith needs to follow in order to proceed. For instance, a ledge might be colored red in order to signify Faith needs to jump onto it. These subtle cues effectively allow the game to help guide players without being blatant about it.

Another important aspect of the immersion is full body awareness. At any time players can look down and see their own feet, and the rest of the body is always visible in some small way. When Faith starts to run, she'll also pump her arms. When she slides under an object, you can see her legs and feet. When she rolls, players will see her curl up with her knees over her head. All of this effectively keeps players oriented in the more frantic sections of the game, as well as allowing players to always see where they're at in relation to the environment.

Combat isn't a primary focus of Mirror's Edge, but since Faith encounters resistance in nearly every level it is always an option, even if it isn't the best one. Sometimes Faith will have no choice but to fight, and she has some skills on which to rely. Though you won't ever be standing around fighting off goons, you can still throw out a punch or kick while on the move, which is usually enough to throw an enemy off balance. In a really tight spot Faith can even disarm an enemy, killing them with their own weapon and taking it for her own use. This typically requires pin-point timing, as a few shots will kill her and enemies tend to bash Faith in the head when she gets close, putting her on the ground and making it easy to finish her off. When necessary, she can access a slow time power which allows players to act at a slower pace and makes it much easier to steal enemy weapons. Guns aren't as precise as they would be in a first person shooter, but they're easy enough to manipulate. Seeing as how you'll spend most of your time weaponless, finally getting a weapon feels like a reward as they are appropriately powerful. Their sound effects are also extraordinarily done, especially in enclosed areas when a gunshot will produce loud echoes.

There is a certain point at which the momentum of Mirror's Edge starts to wane and the game stumbles like a marathon runner hitting the wall. About half way through the game things transition from a “think-fast-while-running-for-your-life” philosophy to a puzzle game. The feeling of being chased evaporates, and players won't be making as many split-second decisions that have the potential to kill or save themselves in the next few seconds. Instead, the game slows down and lets players take the reins, which gives the necessary time to puzzle out some of the weird environmental setups, which involve figuring out the perfect move combination to get to some out of the way area.

While the gameplay does eventually stumble, the audio has no such troubles. Chase music is appropriately tense and really helps get the adrenaline flowing. Voice acting is above average, and Faith is constantly in contact with her boss Mercury who helps guide her through the city. However the high point of the audio is the realistic sound of Faith's exertions. While she's running you can hear her labored breathing and the rhythmic beat of her feet on the pavement. Misjudge a jump and she'll give out a strained “oomph” as she struggles to maintain her hold on a pipe, or let out a gasp of pain if she endures a hard fall.

THE VERDICT
EA is still largely thought of as the evil corporation of the gaming industry. But with Mirror's Edge, the company is starting to prove that they are actually willing to take some risks. And not only have they've taken risks, but they've actually come up with some innovative ideas (Just keep it up, EA). All in all, a great new IP that you should check out if you're looking for something new.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/09, Updated 11/09/09

Game Release: Mirror's Edge (US, 11/11/08)