DeviateFish

Contributor
CRank: 5Score: 105050

User Review : Mirror's Edge

Ups
  • Beautiful visuals{Excellent music{Good idea, well executed
Downs
  • Combat controls{Trial and error gameplay

I peek over the mirror's edge.

Mirror's Edge is one of those games manages to redefine a genre. In this case, the FPS (First Person Shooter) genre. In fact, I'm not even sure it's in the FPS genre. There is very little shooting involved. Personally I tried to never use weapons, as it is a perfectly valid option, despite the combat controls being very unforgiving, but more on that later. With the oppressive government ruling with an iron fist clad in velvet, how would shooting the poor police officers who are simply doing their jobs, make me any less of an enemy to the state?

Moral implications aside, this game is beautiful. The graphics are crisp, and the style of a clean and sterile city is done to a tee. The cutscenes are a bit lazy (2D animation), but they serve their purpose of telling a story the same way a crate serves a purpose as a thing to sit on. The music is also amazing. The haunting electronic melodies make you want to strap on some trainers and jump off some rooftops. Which is good, because that's what the game is about, in essence. Free running, or Parkour, as a centrepiece in a game is a novel, and brave idea. The Swedes are not strangers to innovation, though, so it is not surprising that Dice managed to pull it off so well.

So far the game sounds damn near perfect. But look over the mirror's edge, and you'll find some frustrating moments of trial and error, and repeating the same fights with the same enemies again and again. Because the legs of the character you are playing are modelled and moving as they would as if you were actually running, the timing of when to jump off a ledge takes some getting used to. After a few falls to the street 50 stories below, however, and you will be wall running and sliding all over the place. The combat is the game's biggest flaw. It relies on split second timing, to disarm your opponent and known him down, and also a bit of luck, if you're facing more than one.

Despite the control and combat issues, this game is excellent. It doesn't really matter if you're not into FPS games, I would still recommend this game to anyone.

Score
7.0
Graphics
Hit and miss gameplay and frustrating combat.
8.8
Sound
Nice crisp visuals, with good atmosphere.
9.0
Gameplay
Excellent soundtrack, that sets the mood perfectly.
8.0
Fun Factor
Undeniably fun, but also frustrating at times.
7.0
Online
Chasing Sébastien Foucan's ghost has never been more fun.
Overall
8.0
DeviateFish6076d ago

I just found a typo. I do apologise, that shouldn't happen.
Third to last line, 'known' should say 'knock'.
First line '(...)one of those games THAT manages(...)'.
I think that's all.

mll096076d ago

I was seriously considering getting this after I finish MGS4.

Now I'm definitely getting it.

Good review.

ian726076d ago

Good review, it is a very good game. I like it, glad you did too.

200°

EA Cut Dead Space's Marketing Budget to Pour Into Mirror's Edge Due to Mock Review Scores

Former Visceral Games devs reveal Dead Space's marketing budget was cut in favor of Mirror's Edge because of mock review scores.

Knightofelemia434d ago (Edited 434d ago )

I wish EA would just release a DS2 remake. DS is my favorite horror game and DS2 is the best one in the franchise. But because DS1 failed to meet certain numbers EA scrapped the DS2 remake. SH2 remake was great rumors are Konami might be asking for another SH remake. The RE2 remake was great EA just needs to give it another try. But all they seem to do is shitty sports games that are no different from the year before. Change a few players, add different uniform colours, maybe change a team logo. Wash, rinse, repeat.

goken434d ago

Agreed. DS was great. But DS2 was even better. Would love to see a DS2 remake, though I would love to see a DS4 even more.
The problem with EA is they make easy $ from the slight changes to their sports titles like football FC games (whatever it’s called nowadays). People just lap that sh1t up.
Comparatively, games like DS which don’t sell 10s of millions, can’t sell them team player add ons and all the like, would seem a hassle to make and unappealing comparatively. Especially when you consider that most EA non sport titles haven’t actually performed well recently.

Pyrofire95434d ago

Dark Souls 2, Darksiders 2, Dead Space 2, Death Stranding 2, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2

chicken_in_the_corn434d ago

The Dead space remake was so good. Better than the original. Shame they won't remake 2.

__y2jb434d ago

I loved the original dead space but the remake I just found boring. Game design has moved on and the game really showed its age, just small area encounters repeated again and again.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 434d ago
DefenderOfDoom2434d ago

I bought Dead Space during launch window and I never bought a Mirror's Edge game .

Inverno433d ago

Then they went on to screw both games over.

UnbreakableAlex433d ago

I'd rather see a new and great Mirrors Edge than another boring Dead Space.

80°

Battlefield 2042 Mirror's Edge Easter Egg Surfaces in Season 4 Map

It seems that in Season 4, DICE has snuck in a Battlefield 2042 Mirror's Edge Easter egg in the new Flashpoint map.

270°

Mirror's Edge achievement designer: "Achievements have been bad for gaming"

Ubisoft Massive lead gameplay designer Fredrik Thylander, previously of DICE where he worked on Battlefield and Mirror's Edge, has spoken out about achievements and trophies, arguing that they "have been bad for gaming."

Machina1151d ago (Edited 1151d ago )

The achievements in Mirror's Edge opened my eyes to a whole other way of approaching the game. Since some of the toughest and most rewarding ones are basically whole levels turned into time trials with very strict time requirements, they force you to become much better at the game - in a way that difficulty levels just don't - and made me appreciate the mechanics that much more (especially the momentum-based running and platforming).

They actually made the game better for those like me who really enjoyed the game but wanted more of it, basically adding a new level of difficulty that took a long time to master/overcome. It added some extra longevity to a very short game.

He says "it eats resources that could have made the game better". I'm curious what he thinks the time he spent designing the achievements for the game would've been better spent on, because I expect bang for buck-wise achievements are a pretty efficient way of adding value to a game for the people who end up loving it.

shinoff21831150d ago (Edited 1150d ago )

I kinda see his point but I also see your point.

I've been trying to remember what games over the years have had their own trophies inside the game before trophies and such were a thing and all I can think of is the star ocean series

Christopher1150d ago

I think his point, though not elucidated upon because of Twitter limitations, is not that they can be bad but that they are used improperly to extend gameplay rather than reward actions.

Nebaku1150d ago

Harvest Moon: Magical Melody on the GCN did.

In fact it actually built the game around it.

RpgSama1150d ago (Edited 1150d ago )

I am very OCD about playing games that I can platinum, in that sense I probably avoided playing games that I knew I would be unable to 100% complete.

I do think there are other people like me and also feel there should be an option for you to individually deactivate getting trophies on specific games, just so you play them and they do not go to your account.

-Foxtrot1150d ago (Edited 1150d ago )

I don't know. I used to think Achievements / Trophies were ruining games at first but then I saw the positive, if you totally love a game then they would offer you replay value by going after the last achievements to 100% the game. It made you explore every last bit of the game to achieve this and sometimes pushed you into areas or scenarios you probably might have missed.

It was a blast to get them on Oblivion / Skyrim, Fallout, Witcher, God of War, Elden Ring etc

Don't get me wrong, I do think there's achievements which are annoying, the ones where you need to find all collectibles which end up being missable AND are like trying to find a needle in a haystack are a kick to the balls, you know the majority of us are just going to use a guide to find them so what's the point.

Kind of a shame Nintendo haven't gotten a full system in place, they are so behind.

jambola1150d ago

Nintendo seem to either be ahead of their time by years
or behind by 10 years
no in between

Rimeskeem1150d ago

I enjoy having something to go for and feeling accomplished when doing something hard. I just hate it when achievements are based on things you can't really control. Like when something is for MP and the MP is just dead.

MadLad1150d ago (Edited 1150d ago )

I used to be a hardcore achievement hunter back in the day, but I couldn't care less nowadays. I just want to play games the way I actually want to play them, and don't care to waste my time just to get a little pop-up.

AzubuFrost1149d ago

I envy you sir. I just gotta have every single achievement whenever I play a game. On my Steam profile I have an 83% completion rate out of 35 games, and my OCD is telling me to keep upping that percentage higher.

MadLad1149d ago

Yeah. Back then, though I'm not sure what my actual completion rate was, I was mainly an Xbox player. I had close to 80k gamer score during the 360 days.

It just doesn't excite me anymore. I have less than 20% completion on my Steam account, though I have a pretty asinine amount of games there at the same time.
But I don't really bother with any of this anymore. If there's an interesting achievement I might aim for it just because I find it fun, but usually I just get that pop-up, say "cool" and continue with the game.

Outlawzz1150d ago

Never been a fan of achievements. I just want to play the game however it may present itself to me, there's an overflow of achievements to seek in real life lol

Great for those that enjoy them though, much respect to the platinum hunters, it ain't easy lol

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