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Review: Mirror's Edge
By Edge Staff
November 26, 2008
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“Is it a Portal-style puzzler or a breathless steeplechase; an Orwellian parable or freeform Olympics? Unable to decide until it’s left the springboard, it tries to be all of them but manages none.”
Mirror’s Edge is like a piece of Scandinavian furniture, picked for its perfect blend of form and function, discovered on receipt to have the wrong pieces in the box, ambiguous instructions and too few tools to make it all come together.
Its showroom lustre is undeniable, and from day one it has seemed a great fit for Swedish studio DICE – the kind of laser-sculpted marvel that years of Battlefield have kept locked in the warehouse. But, alas, the package is far from ideal.
Those expecting a style-focused, seductively open parkour game like Rebellion’s Free Running are in for the biggest shock: this is more about basic environmental puzzling and rehearsing linear routes. Inspired by movies like The Matrix and District 13, it ups the ante by setting the dogs on you – in this case black helicopters, men with guns and ninjas in hockey masks.
To help you on your way, it daubs most of your escape routes in striking red, the idea being to take pipes, walls, jumps and ledges in your stride. Attackers, or ‘Blues’ in the game’s lingo, can be overcome with punches, kicks and button-press disarms – but engagement is discouraged. Still a great premise, perhaps, elevated by a viewpoint reminiscent of Breakdown, Namco’s trapped-in-firstperson beat/shoot/drive/vomit ’em up for Xbox.
Heroine Faith, furthermore, is a striking lead – as outwardly hip as the courier bags she collects for Achievements or Trophies. But the game makes a fool of her. Is it a Portal-style puzzler or a breathless steeplechase; an Orwellian parable or freeform Olympics? Unable to decide until it’s left the springboard, it tries to be all of them but manages none.
Faith’s movement system is fundamentally sound, the pitter-patter of her plimsolled feet rising as you pick up speed, well-timed button presses ensuring smooth passage over and under hurdles. Does it mitigate the innate clumsiness of firstperson platforming, though? Sadly not, as evidenced by the countless times you bang haplessly off the target of a lunge. Despite the hard sell of there being some grand technique to it all, the later level design isn’t nearly tight enough to convince. The time trials stress the importance of finding alternate routes, but once discovered they are as linear and inflexible as before. There’s no getting around it: the design foundation isn’t strong enough for this to be much more than a brochure for DICE’s tech team and environment artists.
Its story is so ethereal you barely know it’s there, and when you do you wish it wasn’t. Its puzzles scarcely evolve beyond the obvious, its combos beyond sequences its levels can’t sustain. Attempts to infuse the recurring, utilitarian environments with something – anything – dynamic produce disastrously signposted boss battles, bumbling arcade sequences and the gross indulgence of Faith’s lesser-known talent: turning valves. Run, grab it, run
But the real tragedy of the game, with its dedicated time-trial modes and leaderboards, is its failure to capture anything of what popularised parkour to begin with. There’s no freedom or empowerment in constantly failing to make a predefined jump hemmed in with dead ends. Nor is there sustained momentum, nor any real sense of verticality beyond what passes beneath your feet.
The game’s Unreal Engine 3 implementation is incredible, able to render everything from the rooftops to the street – but it ferries you between them in elevators. The flight-not-fight ethic of its combat, meanwhile, hides an inconvenient truth: it’s more enjoyable when taken at your own pace.
Aptly enough, there are two opposite ways to view Mirror’s Edge, ours obviously being the less forgiving one. Its ostensible break from the norm, its sparkling monoliths and its Nordic skies perform some kind of counterbalance, but there is simply not enough depth or reward to the realisation of parkour that lies beyond that sheen.
5/10
I would like to know who reviewed this, I thought the reviews were supposed to complement and describe the game, not say what it thought it should be..
(I mean it in a way that e.g : suggesting that GTA4 should be a FPS..)
The level design is supposed to be a path, they stated it wasn't freeroam, but thats why its losing points? I own the game, and I have played it and looked forward to it far more than many others.
I'm sorry to sound so rash but I think 5/10 is a joke..
I'm with squazzil4 on this one, and I also believe that reviews are just trying to please FPS game players now, and not looking into 'other' types of games.
Not to be a killjoy, if you like COD, thats fine with me. I have never mingled with the game much, I have watched videos and I dont think much effort has been put into some places. Yet, because its popular (Still I dont object to people liking it!) it recieves massive review scores, but usually any other type of game doesnt have Shooting as its main point gets low scores, and I dont see why that is. As much as I love Mirrors Edge, I know a few (I mean very little, its already great) improvements that could be made, but that doesnt matter, it deserves far more than 5...
And as a final note, I totally agree with snoopsh.. The game hasnt let me down at all, I have enjoyed it %110 all the way through, the time trials, and speedruns. The story fits the game fine, as it is an intresting new way to show it, and it Works. And I would give it no lower than 9/10 either. Whoever reviewed this either had a grudge, or was following the 'popular' play spree..
(P.S - The edit and reply buttons on the page are 'broken', you have to click to the far left of edit to edit, and I have to click edit to reply? - just thought I'd point that out, though it may only be my max resolution)
(Also whats all this 'failing jumps' your talking about? thats not the game, EDGE, thats the reviewer.. The game works, I think its the reviewer who needs to improve at the game before they start 'slagging' everything they get wrong. Sounds a little like the reviewer isn't very good at the game.. or at that part..)
I have finally played and completed Mirror's Edge on my 360.
I was only half way through when i wanted to write in and say
this is a brilliant game, but just in case someone else was right
about the pacing go down or something, i decided to play it ALL
THE WAY THROUGH so i would know exactly what i was talking about...
Well i can honestly say having played it to completion that there is
almost nothing wrong with this game.
It is not short and the first 4-5 levels are worth the price of this game alone...
I bought it for the clear screenshots on the back of the game cover and
all over the web. As well as from seeing a couple of YouTube videos on it.
I must say i was almost scared the game would not render as beautifully on my console,
but it *did* - it has amazing graphics - really bright daylight scenes.
Basically if you don't like the graphics or the concept (jumping over rooftoops),
you may not like the game, but for everyone else, it's a must-see.
This is the best game i have EVER played at the moment. This game doesn't just motivate
you to complete the levels, it really challenges you on a personal level, it damn well pushed me to my limits because i do get vertigo when placed on the top of large buildings - if you like this kind of thrill, then you'll enjoy this game.
Buy it for what it is - not what it isn't. Okay, the shooting scenes seemed a bit insecure at the start, but then you're job is to run wherever possible and not be hindered. The shooting and stuff becomes more interesting later on when you become more skillful at shooting the bad guys..
This game is gorgeous and a joy to play when you master the controls.
I would rate this game NO LESS than 9/10 because it has given me thrills and spills
i will never forget.
I enjoy reading Edge magazine but i see this review as really unfair.
I don't see how you can criticize a game that has perfect controls, amazing graphics, forces you to think logistically about how to get from A to B and then gives you a thrill as you successfully complete challenges?
Well done everyone who made this game.
My first touch with the game was a trailer and the lovely music and the main artwork seen in previews. I found it very stylish (reminded me like one of the Game Cube games with this stylish roboter and the similar kind of look...I guess P.N. 03 or something)...
Then the game was released and I heard the msx on youtube and on the website and it touched my soul... so I get more and more in touch with the game... and I appreciated the faith of EA in new IPs and not the Fifa's, NFS etc...
so... I decided to get a new 360 game... hmmm... Fall Out 3? Fable 2? Hmmm... all RPGs...and as a RPG fan... well, why not... but really another RPG? I am playing WoW, Mass Effect etc...let me try another one... so I got budget priced GWAR2 and Ace Combat 6...hmmm... still I got the msx of the game in my head.... and next couple of days I got it... and to be honest... I love it...
it is something different, something new, very stylish, DICE give you a (emotional) story, a complete "world", moder looking heroine (I love female chars...) and she looks great and natural and not a kind of DoA babe...
It is hard... yes... but well... I have fun, it is entertaining and for me it is worth it's money...
Being in the entertainment industry I am disappointed that the sales are low and that it does not get best reviews... but well... for me (coding demos in his freetime) I love the game... (have you realised the main menu with the "sinwaving" red carpets behind the main menus?
To make a long story short... the game touched me more than GTA 4, more than Mass Effect and more than Fable 1... Maybe it is the msx only.... ;) who knows...
just my 2 cents.
ps. if you think that the game is too hard... please remember the past playing Delta or Katakis, R-Type, Rick Dangerous et al... ;)
Personally I'm enjoying this game more than any other at the moment despite it's flaws. The review focused way too much on what the game isn't rather than reviewing what it actually is.
I really enjoy the speed and pace of the game and the control works really well. Other recent platformers have frustrated me much more. Little Big Planet has a horrible vauge momentum to it platforming that never lets me feel completly in control, and the latest Tomb Raider still suffers from leaps of death due to an erratic camera.
The platforming in Mirrors Edge demands a good spacial awareness, but has never made me feel out of control.
What I find most interesting about this review is that despite awarding a '5', which EDGE claim stands for 'average', this review is full of nothing but negativity towards the game and only manages to dedicate half a paragraph of it's better moments. And please don't get on your high horse about how Edge doesn't regard the scoring system as being important; it obviously stands for something as you mark it against all your reviews. The review sounds like a 3/10 game therefore I feel is inaccurate, but maybe I'm just upset as I'm the only one here in the 8/10 camp :-/
I never saw so much disagreement over a game! It's great fun. The disagreement, that is.
As for the game, well that's awful. I've never played anything which punishes the player so much whilst offering so little reward. It's almost all punishment.
So what were Dice thinking? I think they discovered that there is indeed a large number of paying masochists in the video games demographic.
I agree with Edge's comment on 'ambiguous instructions' . Unfortunately Edge didn't elaborate on the comment. DICE obviously made a huge mistake in failing to communicate the new gameplay to people. They didn't demonstrate how to play the game properly.
The best example of communicating new gameplay effectively has always been the Metal Gear Solid series. Koijima will always show you the tools and moves at snake's disposal then off you go to experiment. In the MGS 2 options screen there are movies that demonstrate each move in the game, especially the advanced ones.
Mirrors Edge needed this explicit demonstration of gameplay. Many people will complete using 50% of the moves available. DICE should have demonstrated exactly how u can disarm someone, maintain momentum or what you can walljump off of to gain height... u would be surprised.
It reminds me of Halo when it took months before people realised u could use the plasma pistols as shield remover tools. Fortunately that game was fun without knowing how to play it properly. Mirrors Edge on the other hand....
I disagree with the reviewer.
For me, everything works fine, controls, combat, ME is the most fun I've had in a while - it's original and exciting. The exact type of game the industry could do with more of.
You're right in saying this game might not be to everyone's taste, but then again which game isn't???
No, it's not perfect, but what pains me is that a lot of 'major brand' games ( not naming any names) are constantly awarded 90%+ review scores in most magazines despite little innovation or improvement- if any- over previous installments.
And when a developer comes along who's brave enough to try something new - they're slated for being 'too different' from the norm, (and the game's sales take a nose-dive.)
Then the same magazines go on to publish articles on 'why there's a lack of originality in titles'..........
I've read some truly abysmal reviews over the years - nowadays I rarely take much stock in them - thanks to XBL/PSN I can try before I buy/ make up my own mind.
If I had bought games based on their review scores only - I would've missed out on some of my most favorite.
The main problem is that a review reflects the opinions of an individual - who may have completely different tastes to the reader. Being too critical will divide opinions (like here) , being too vague leads to indifference.
Perhaps a Famitsu-esque approach would be more applicable (multiple reviewers per game?)
I also think review scores should be done away with completely - they are more trouble then they're worth!
Edge, for the most part does a better job then most ..... I just hope it stays that way!
Multiple reviewers would be a good idea, but isn't that the same as just reading multiple reviews from various places? like IGN or 1up? It's difficult though especially with such a vast array of reviews. Based on previous form, Edge are the most independent source of information and although you may not agree with them (I certainly don't all the time). The do make for a good guide into the unknown.
Having said that. Edge could do more to provide balanced opinion about a given game maybe incorporate a little blog or side article from a person who's never played or has little experience of this sort of game like a person that play RPG's or RTS. Get the reviewer out of their comfort zone. Would that give us any idea of what it would be like from coming into a game like this cold?
Visually and conceptually it the best game I have played in a long time. But the shortcomings are there are not easily ignored. It's was entertaining sure, but it was all over and done with so quickly and I felt like I was being driven by the by the pace of the game which added to the frustration when I did a section wrong over and over, I made me feel as though I was out of control and this compounded my frustrations.
You're right , I do look around at multiple reviews/ metacritic for a broad idea + I do prefer Edge to other games mags.
Reviews can influence readers buying decisions , If I had read this before buying ME, I might not have - which would've been a shame because it's a game I really do enjoy.
I'm just glad they released a demo, and I'd encourage all to try it.
I agree, the game keeps you on the run - but I guess it wouldn't be as exciting if it didn't.
I felt the same - on my first play-through , each level had a few trial-and-error moments, which did frustrate me, (I did die....... a lot ...).- but the multiple routes / and quick reloading made it all less so.
Once you know what to do - replaying the levels, discovering new routes and moves is great fun!
I know it's not perfect, (cough, cough, cutscenes, cough) I just feel a lot of people are going to look at the review score and turn the page/ move on. The reviewer did mention there are two ways of looking at ME, but then goes on to express only one . 5/10.....ouch!
I for one am glad I bought it, + hope for a sequel !
Cut scene's are awful aren't they!!??.. reminds me of some dodgy flash movies from Atom films about five years ago. Not really in keeping with the rest of the game. It's almost like they've coped out, all the beauty of the in game engine and the do that with the cut scene's.. I don't understand...
Haven't found the different routes in the main story yet, to be honest I didn't realise there was any. Mirror's Edge is defiantly worth replaying, Its a game that I just point blank refuse to be beaten by, there was a fair few controller smack downs and lots of swearing and this was all on Normal difficulty, I hate to think what hard is like. Maybe I should have started on an easier level. It would have certainly give me a chance to get used to the game first and the routes through the levels. You just a assume from playing other games that you can just jump right in. Unfortunately I have learned that with Mirror's Edge, you can't!!
What I have come to realise is that it doesn't real matter what people think.. It certainly doesn't matter that the reviewers gave it a low score.. If you can see it's shortcoming as I do, but still sat there and played through and have generally enjoyed the experience and beat the game regardless of its idiosyncrasies then Dice has done their job well. If people want to pass judgement based on one persons opinion then it's them that are losing out.
Another Marmite game I guess. !! Some magazines score this game high, some low, some average... Mirror's Edge has plenty of Pro's and it's fair share of Con's. It's enjoyable, but to a point. Obviously some people are going to love it, but equally some are going to hate it and some people like me are stuck in the middle.
I enjoyed it for the most part but certain aspects I found to be more than a little frustrating. I didn't think edges review was that bad. It was quite entertaining. I guess they found it pretty average as I did. Although if they had scored it lower I guess would have cause for complaint.
I would have score it about the same as edge, just because of the frustration and repetitiveness of the some of the chapters.. Not to mention that I completed it in Normal in only a few short hours, despite getting stuck and repeating sections, over and over again.
Not to sure about the replay value of it either.. Time Trail is ace though and I guess this will now be played more the single player will, but I can't see this being as popular as other games that I have in collection, especially Assassin’s Creed.
It's a stunning idea, but it has plenty of short comings. 5/10 stands in my opinion. You may think this review is a travesty. but I have seen much worse, case in point Simon Lucas' Review in Digtail Culture in the Observer pull out.
Exactly right Squazzil4. One thing that a lot of people are saying (I've discussed this on a couple of forums) is that the find it too hard and therefore they're scoring it lower. I don't really think that's fair.
Also, the control system is really easy and intuitive in my opinion. I don't see where that gripe is coming from. I'm playing it on PS3 and it's L1 for jump and up stuff, L2 for crouch and down stuff. Not desperately taxing. For insanely complicated controls see Metal Gear Solid (fan of MGS by the way).
Like I said, 7/10 from a critical point of view but on a personal level I love this game. It's a new way of playing, sure, but it's only because people aren't dead used to it that they're complaining about it. I feel quite strongly about defending a game that tries something totally new, and I genuinely enjoy it, despite it not being quite as polished as it could have been in areas.
Didn't agree with the review at all
Linearity, repetition and mastery is the basis of platforming. All Mario and sonic games are based on predefined jumping, linear levels and mastering these levels......
If DICE had done an Assassins Creed style open city, Edge would have complained that there was little to do other than the parkour - AC btw was revolutionary in terms of 3rd person interaction with environments - or is it just that tomb raider Underworld is 5 years in the past. Tomb raider still uses lock on reticles as if ninja gaiden and sticky lock on never happened. And Edge rewarded Tomb Raider with 8/10.
Mystifying and plain wrong imo
The Concept is awesome and the environments are well realised, the characters move well and the animation is tight. Jumping from roof top gives you a real sense of vertigo and when you fall, your stomach tighten as if you were falling yourself and you’re greeted with the crunch of bones, the squelch and splatter of you internally organs as you greet the pavement. But the battle system sucks and even though the best policy is to avoid all contact with "blues" sometimes you have to stand up and fight, which can be frustrating at best.
For those hoping for a true "ParkOur" style game, should look else where. Mirror's Edge is essentially a linear first person shooter/puzzler without a shooter and easier puzzles than you would find in Half Life 2 or Portal. I found Edge’s review bang on the money, as always with edge they tell it how it is...Having only played the demo before hand I found myself defending the game when I first read the review, however once I started to play through I realise that they absolutely right, awesome concept, that's poorly realised.
It's very frustrating, you'll find that you fly through first 4 chapters and then it'll all starts to unravel as you face up against increasing numbers of "Blues". You'll soon get pissed off with repeating the same section over and over, the end of the New Eden mall chapter being a good example of this. The "Blues" raining so much hot lead down on you and you'll be wondering why they didn't allow you to sneak around certain situations, opting only to run head long into the bullets.
The battle system is cumbersome and requires skill and timing that I have not experience in a FPS game before, there is a reaction/bullet time feature that's quite good although you can only use it once before you have to let it recharge, which means you have to use this wisely when facing more than one foe. To be perfectly honest the reaction button is more of a hindrance and on certain occasions does little to help you progress, you'll just get a slap or get shot and the whole thing restart you from the nearest check point.
Unfortunately this is not a game that you can just pick and play easily, especially if you have never played FPS on a consoles.. the control method is a complete mind bending and frustrating at best, more so in combat. So controller smack downs may become frequent.
Having said all this. Mirror's Edge is a interesting concept and hopefully will pave the way for Dice or other developers to make similar games, with more free environments. I have to say that the lack of freedom was one of the biggest bug bears for me, all that beautiful city and 90% of it off limits.
The Time Trail mode is by far the best feature especially if you have managed to open up all the "Play Areas", At least this mode allow you to run the tracks and find the flow with out the menacing blues giving you a hard time form their positions on adjacent roof tops and helicopters. It makes you think that Dice could have scrapped the dystopian storyline and focused solely on the Time Trail mode maybe even incorperating a multiplayer race mode either split screen or Online.
The storyline isn't absorbing enough to keep you interested through the eight chapters and by chapter 6 you'll just want it to all be over so you can a get on and play with the time trail mode. Dice really should have thought about releasing the time trail mode over PSN at half the price. Luckily though some retailers are knocking this game out at 30quid which takes away a little of the bitter after taste.. But not much..
The game play is self is infuriating at best, you do get a slight glimmer of what it hoped to achieve through Time Trail mode but are left wondering why a game that is suppose to be a entertaining is filling you full of angst to the point you want to throw the controller at the wall. My recommendation.. Wait for the price to hit rock bottom and then buy it. it's a beautiful to look at, but that alone isn't enough to justify the 40quid Dice/EA are asking for it.
In my opinion the only way this game could have acheived over 7/10 is by dumping the storyline, makng the environments free roaming and adding a true multiplayer into the mix. I can see why it got a 5/10 score in Edge this month. All Mirror's Edge proves is that he Unreal Engine in combination with other proprietary lighting software like Turtle and Beast is still proving to be top of it's game..
It seems I disagree with most points in this review. I am part of the 7/10 crowd aswell.
I understand some of the flaws and agree they detract from the experience a little, but the quality and fun garnered from the rest of the game means that it absolutely does not warrant a 5 out of 10.
I think 5/10 is not only an inappropriate score for Mirror's Edge, but also a harmful score, because what developer will want to take a risk on a game if it gets unfairly panned with a score like 5/10?
Interestingly, I also disagree on Faith being a "striking lead". She's actually desperately annoying and hammy, just like all the supporting characters. I'm particularly upset that they made Miller such a dull character, because the preliminary sketches a couple of years ago made him look great. Someone I know pointed out that the chapter cutscene animations look like "E-surance adverts". God knows why they went with that horrible, horrible art style for the cutscenes.
Admittedly there are flaws, such as the turning the valve business, which happily doesn't turn up too often (I'm sure I saw mini EA logos on those valves) and whoever designed or tested the middle section of the ship level needs to be shot, but the satisfaction from perfecting a beautifully stylish escape from an attack helicopter, managing your rolls and slides, your vaults and wallruns perfectly so that you never lose momentum, finishing it all of by leaping to a soft tarpaulin landing, whilst spinning onto your back and flipping off your pursuer (for that added cheesy style) is such a fun experience and not like anything I've played for a good while.
I wouldn't give it above a 7 from a critical point of view, but personally it's one of my favourite games for a very, very long time and I wasn't expecting it to be anything but linear. So was Resi 4, and I recall that being pretty good. I'm sick of every game I play having free roaming shoehorned into it, and I feel that Mirror's Edge marries what new technology is capable of combined with old school values - this is hard, you need to get better to beat it. When you do get better, you'll feel like the business.
I would be interested to see a second opinion on this from another member of the Edge team, as I think 5/10 is totally unfair and undeserved. I also think the reviewer needs to play it through again with a little more practice and feel the satisfaction from that smoother run-through.
In conclusion, one point taken off 10 for the valves and minor level design issues, one point taken off for the atrocious story and horrible art design on the cutscenes and one point taken off for the vertical pipes. They were broken.
Gmartin's point about the timing of parkour/platofrm timing is very relevant, however it is just not suitable to the first person viewpoint. When you are running at speed and being nimble with your feet, you glance down at them, taking split second looks to get positioning right. You also adjust your step length almost intuitively, which you cant do here.
Until we get some kind of VR movement, I cant see how platforming or anything requiring really tight and precise controls will work properly in 3D. Imagine how amazing a football game would be in the first person, but it's not going to happen for years and years.
The game will (as with nearly all games) appeal to some and not to others. The demo and a brief play in store made me realise it was not for me.
And for the record, I have only recently started reading edge's reviews, and while they may be harsh, at least they dont seem to get caught up in hype like IGN etc, giving massive scores to 'big' games. It seems, although edge is more mature and for the 'serious' gamer, petty squabbles and jealousy (Jealousy? that is laughable, but so true!) over an individual's choice of console still shines through the comments!
According to Edge's scoring system which i don't think they publish anymore, a 5/10 is an 'average' game.
I would protest the score, but this game has been, since release, an obvious love-it-or-hate-it experience. I for one loved it, and am excited for the opportunities it has created for sequels and sucessors. But i am nonetheless sympathetic with the drawbacks that break the game for dissenters. A 5 out of 10 seems harsh but appropriate -- a draw between loving and hating it.
What this review and many others completely miss (probably as they have never vaulted a railing) is the way in which Mirrors Edge unlike (the wonderful) Assasins Creed comes much closer to a virtual representation of Parkour than anything before; there is no in air adjustments, no auto aim, auto jump or auto anything else, it relies on your ability to notice oppurtunities, your skill in first person perspective most importantly timing. This is a platform game built on the long forgotten rules of the old guard of platformers, something the time trail mode makes beautifully clear. In the end the game is more arcade than immersion, stripped down for speed. The only place it falls short in is the level design, which sometimes misses the point, but i believe that the thrill of being chased, the feeling of weightlessness when you leave the ground and tuck in your legs, the momentum driven slide and the enjoyment of perfectly gliding through a level on your 10th playthrough gives this game an entirely unique place in my collection.
Lovely post GMartin. I am in complete agreement.
It's weird. While I tend to agree with Edge's opinion on this matter ("it’s more enjoyable when taken at your own pace", I'm still struggling because the game's SO good when it works. Today I nearly traded it for Valkyria Chronicles but decided that I'll give it one last chance. For the record: I'm stuck hopelessly on level three.
VC can wait a bit more, time-trials here I come.
Mirror's Edge is a very big disappointment.
When I first saw the game, it was receiving a lot of hype because of the unique type of graphics, and because the character was a girl. But the fact is, this game series isn't nearly as good as other games with female characters, such as Perfect Dark or Tomb Raider.
Mirror's Edge is a game that you should rent before buying. Play the demo before buying it; that's for sure.
In all honesty, it's as if the graphics in Mirror's Edge could have been a lot better, but something was holding it back. Maybe the developers weren't familiar enough with the Unreal Engine or something, but the gameplay and graphics end up creating the type of gameplay style that most people won't like...although, there are some people out there who like this type of game. This is the reason why the game has received mixed reviews.
I think your reviewer was so looking forward to the release of this game that the reality could not match the hype, which inevitably leads to disappointment. I'm close to finishing the game, and it's one of the most infuriating games I've ever played, I have almost thrown my controller at the screen several times, but it always pulls me back for another go. It's certainly not even close to perfect, for many of the reasons mentioned here, but it was fun and different. I would give it 7/10. Shame the sales stink, this Christmas might just put the nail in the coffin of new titles.
I suspect most people posting comments on this site have never read the print version of Edge, and hence have no idea just how their reviewing system works. They basically put front and centre all those nagging doubts that most other reviewers conveniently ignore in favour of being obsequious. I love that Edge can challenge accepted views of games, and I'm disappointed too that Mirror's Edge doesn't realise its enormous potential. Still, it's perhaps not surprising that a game focussed on running around ended up being pedestrian.
I have the issue. Just as I have every issue from the last ten years. I also have 660gamerscore from Mirror's Edge. This qualifies me to reiterate that this review is way off.
I was surprised at the Edge score & agree with the comments already posted mentioning innovation, immersion etc; i enjoyed the demo and have just ordered my copy from shopto.net £27.99 with free next day delivery :)
I disagree with this review.
Clearly a derogatory review based upon the preconceptions of the journalist. Was anyone expecting a free roaming experience? We got Mario twinned with Goldeneye. Amen.
Honestly the thing that sunk this game for me was that, at least on the 360, I had to maintain this sort of uncomfortable monkey grip on the controller to be able to play. It's default button mapping scheme, to my mind, was atrocious. Couple that with the fact that, as a native PC gamer, I've never gotten over the feeling that playing FPSes with a gamepad feels more like "steering" the character than actually being the character, and the game failed to grab me.
speaking of Mirror's Edge, they released an accompanying Remix EP. The focus will the the game's theme song, "Still Alive" and features 5 remixes from some of music's biggest names!
the Remix EP is digitally available NOW!
Disagree with the score. It is hilarious to see that when games attempt to break the norm, provide innovation, they are expected to get it perfect on the first try and are then punished for being different and not being of the norm. Though, when games that are nothing more than sequels that do nothing to make the experience better are rewarded. Everyone wants a new and refreshing experience but they complain about it not being like anything else.
I am glad ME is not an open world game ala Assassins Creed because the player will lose focus and will quickly lose interest in the game. Providing a linear experience helps keep the player on the path with what they are supposed to do. I remind people, not every game needs to be an open world. What ME does do is provide alternate routes to get to your destination. Sure you could use the colored paths, you can also turn runners vision off. Playing through the game I found a majority of the time I was able to go different direction. I was able to test each route out to see which was the quickest.
At it's lowest moment ME can be frustrating as any game can but at it's best, which is 90% of the time, ME has given me one of the best experiences in gaming and I reward DICE immensely for that. I have never enjoyed traversing through the platforms like I have in any game. For that experience alone I recommend this game to anyone and I urge everyone to play it!
Remember, breaking the mold is one thing; making the game fun is another.
It's not a matter of those who try something new being smacked down. They have to make the game fun first, groundbreaking second. If the second part intrudes too much on the production process, you have problems.
Sequels frequently get good reviews because, while they may be tragically un-inventive, if the first one was fun, the second one will likely be fun. And for a game, that's all that matters.
For me, Mirror's Edge was annoying. The fight mechanics were problematic for me, and the trial-and-error nature of the game was downright infuriating.
I guess that is where most differ. Time and Trial is typically a part of platforming. Combat was no issue for me and the game was and is over the top fun for me. Again, my personal opinions as I do understand others concerns. In the end it is a game that has to click with the user if the user allows the game to be played how it is supposed to be. So as you can tell, reviews are all over the place, I just hope the game does successful at retail because I would like DICE to expand on this in future games. Not a sequel directly but in other IP's they create.
Wow a surprisingly interesting take on the game, I have to say I was shocked when I just saw the score.
However after reading the review I found enough I could understandably agree with, but I would personally give it a 7/10.
Two points more just for the innovative immersion brought to the first person perspective.
Then again, Dark Messiah & Far Cry 2 have almost the same level of innovation in terms of first person immersion, and DM came way before ME & FC2.