Mirror’s Edge is a game that attempts to break free from the conventions of the first person shooter genre, but ultimately ends up constrained by them. The two tenets of the game’s design philosophy, as I see them, are perspective and movement.
Most “first person” games end up being nothing of the sort, normally all the player sees of their character is the hand that holds whatever firearm they are shooting. Mirror’s edge attempts to actually put the player in a first person perspective, Including any limbs that might be in your view. Other touches add on to the illusion, when looking at close objects, items not in your field of view appear blurry and out of focus. Run out of a building and you will be temporarily blinded by the sunlight. The experience is often more disorienting than most first person shooters, and that is the point. The game also lacks any form of on screen display, which would ruin the immersion they are trying to create.
The second focus of the game is movement. Whereas in the majority of FPS, the challenge comes from the enemies you face, in Mirror’s edge it is from the environment itself. This can be exhilarating at times, dodging bullets, sliding down zip lines, wall jumping up scaffolding, at other times it can be frustrating or even boring. Enemies often attempt to hinder you in your acrobatic antics, however this is where the game’s greatest weakness is shown. The combat system is incredibly weak. Which wouldn’t be a problem, except the player often has to fight enemies to procede.
It has been shown that a first person game can be a resounding sucsess without any form of combat system. Portal for one, focused on puzzles and movement rather than fighting. Mirror’s edge does the same, while at the same time, throwing in a half ass combat system. Further weaknesses include a weak storyline, repetitive level design, and unimpressive, if stylish, visuals.
Mirror’s Edge couldn’t decide what kind of game it wanted to be, and thus is straddled between two worlds. ON THE MIRRORS EDGE WOAH.
6/10 wall jumps
