Mirror's Edge (PS3) Review

A little bit of substance and a lot of style.

 

 Mirror's Edge was a brand new game from DICE Studio (the team behind the Battlefield games) and was published by EA (back when they used to be half-decent) in 2008. Set in a contemporary future, we follow Faith, a courier who delivers sensitive data while running from the law. Mirror's Edge has received a cult following over the years for its solid gameplay and interesting setting, and even got a sequel in 2016. After years sitting in the backlog, I finally decided that it's time to give the game a try.

You play as Faith, a "Runner" who must deliver packages on the rooftops of a heavily monitored city. Basically, she's a courier delivering top secret info while running away from the police or "Blues" as they're called in the game. When her sister is framed for a crime she didn't commit, Faith will have to prove her innocence while getting caught up in a political conspiracy and escaping the law. The story was decent though somewhat predictable as you can guess some of the twists before they happen and the characters felt one-dimensional including Faith and her friends. Still, it was interesting enough to get you through the game while enjoying the scenries of the city, which I hoped to be more populated than just being empty most of the time.

While the premise is cool, the game could've done
a better job of immersing you in its world.

 Mirror's Edge is a first-person where you control Faith as she runs, jumps, and parkours her way through rooftops and fences while avoiding long falls and gunshots. Objects like doors and ledges that Faith can use will be highlighted in red while the not-so-friendly ones will be obvious since they're often covered in barbed wires and can electrocute you. And the main focus of Mirror's Edge is that-- parkour-ing your way through objects as fast as possible while still looking cool in the process. However, you can disarm enemies with weapons and shoot your way through rather than running. The problem with that is the shooting mechanics are slow and the aiming is rigid, which make it all the more a chore at later points in the game. Thankfully, you can briefly slow-down time to adjust your aim and there's no ammo around so you can throw the weapon away when you're done.

The gameplay is buttery smooth when
 you're timing your movements right.

 While the core gameplay is fun,  the trial-and-error nature of some levels tended to eat away from it. For example, in a level you'll need to connect various moves in quick succession so that you can end up being the other side. The problem is when some moves won't connect despite you inputting them right, which results frequent deaths as was the case in the train tunnels level. It's not a major issue but more of an annoyance than anything, the game kind of remedies this with fast respawn times and frequent checkpoints. That said, it was one of my lesser favorite moments of the game.

Faith isn't a tank as she'll quickly die in a few hits,
so avoid enemy groups when possible.

 The game took close to 6-7 hours to beat and the replay value is on the OK side. These come in the form of hidden bags in each levels, which unlock early sketches and artwork of the game that offered cool insight from the developers when designing the game. There are also Time Trials and Speed Run modes where you'll have to complete main story levels as fast as possible while aiming for the best time worldwide. The game could've benefited from some variety as the levels started to look the same after a while. More night levels around the city would have neatly contrasted the overly bright ones.

 Visually speaking, Mirror's Edge holds up significantly well for a PS3 game. The minimalist red and white colors of the city and the rich blue skies were beautiful back then and still are impressive today. Also, the stylish animated cut-scenes were impressive and gave the game a unique touch. A remaster that bumps up the frame-rate and resolution is all it needs to feel like a brand new game. Speaking of performance, the game ran decently though not without some frame-rate drops and two instances of freezing, which were annoying. The voice acting was good and the performances of Faith and Miller were standouts. The soundtrack composed by Solar Fields was easily one of the best aspects of the game. Packing ambient electronic tracks that blended seamlessly with the action and setting, it was nice to hear and never felt out of place. Obvious standouts include the main theme and ending theme "Still Alive".

Mirror's Edge is still head turning a decade later.

 Mirror's Edge is a great game despite its shortcomings. Sure, the story won't impress and the shooting gameplay felt tacked-on, but the parkour was fun once you get the hang of it. Let's also not forget the presentation which oozes style and originality. It's cheap nowadays so it's an easy recommendation if you're looking for something fresh and different.