I fell off the @&#% roof again?!?!

December 8, 2008 by traveler.

Mirror’s Edge. If you haven’t played it yet, do yourself a favor. Seriously. The game is great- more of a first-person platformer than a standard FPS. When you play this game, you will find yourself saying these phrases over and over:

1. Holy crap this game looks incredible. Now THAT is art direction.

2. I fell off the @&#%ing roof again?!?! How is it possible to plunge to my death this many times in a row?!

3. I’m getting shot and I have no idea where I’m supposed to go. GO GO GADGET RUNNERS VISION!!!

Mirror’s Edge, is totally worth the purchase, but it does have some minor issues. The physics are tuned fairly realistically, with momentum playing an important role. Momentum is only useful, however, when you have a clear path ahead. In the game, you rarely have a clear path. Once you get past the first chapter, levels are complicated enough that you will probably have to stop and look for the next move. This can be particularly frustrating when you are getting shot at. Since you have no default weapon and trying to disarm enemies can lead to a quick death, running is usually your best option. For first-person shooter fans, this is NOT your general instinct. It took me awhile to stop trying to attack enemies and instead outmaneuver them. Once I started to do this, though, I ran into more problems.

You will get gunned down while trying to find an exit many times. Then you respawn and work your way back to the spot only to get shot up again trying to move forward. So I replayed the same stretch over and over, dying just a little further than the last time. Eventually you will find the path and move on. But for a game based around the concept of flow, some levels severely block your flow.

Aside from these gripes, the game is totally fun. The ‘free running’ gameplay combined with first-person perspective and terrific visuals make for an excellent game. Just know that you will set a world record for falling to your death the thousandth time.

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