Innovation is the driving force behind the video game entertainment business. From the early days of Pong to the motion sensitive controllers of today, the next generation is constantly demanding the next great evolution in gaming. While this is mostly evident in hardware, it is also crucial to game design. New genres are created when boundaries are pushed, and that is exactly what EA is trying to do with their newest creation, Mirror's Edge.

The defining element of the gameplay is based off of the activity known as Parkour, or 'The Art of Movement'. Founded in France, this highly-stylized art is the moving from one point to another, as quickly and efficiently as humanly possible. Many staples of Parkour are already mainstays in the industry today, such as Wall Running. However, EA is braving unknown territory by giving the player access to such amazing feats of agility, all from the first-person perspective. It may sound unsettling at first - running along walls, leaping off buildings via the same view point made famous by the likes of Doom and Halo - but not only does Mirror's Edge pull it off, it becomes something special along the way.

Mirror's Edge follows the life of a Runner named Faith. 'Runners' being individuals who traverse the roofs and streets of the city, usually transporting good or information that is harmful to the governing authority that controls the city. The story revolves around a conspiracy regarding Faith's sister, and while the material is presented well enough through scripted events and comic-like cinemas, the narrative feels somewhat secondary in nature - which is mostly fine, because the gameplay is where Mirror's Edge really shines.



From the very beginning, Mirror's Edge is a very fluid experience. Running and jumping feels natural, and the control scheme, while a little odd at first, quickly becomes second-nature. After you come to terms with handling Faith and her athletic abilities, the game turns into an ode to the pure joy of movement. Every action in Mirror's Edge has weight and realism fused into it. Every pump of Faith's legs is reverberated through the controller. Speed lines blur just outside your field of vision as you ramp up to a dead run. Even Faith's panting while overexerting herself is on display, each of these small features help immerse you into the experience. It was only after playing for thirty minutes or so that I noticed that there wasn't a HUD. Mirror's Edge doesn't bog you down with meters and maps, leaving the entire screen open to explore the beautiful world that DICE has crafted.

Graphically speaking, Mirror's Edge is a real peace of art. Textures pop off the screen; objects grow brighter and dim realistically during transitions from a dark room to a sun-filled rooftop, much like our very own eyes would. Objects shift in and out of focus as Faith runs and leaps, and while your surroundings usually consist of familiar color palettes, Mirror's Edge throws a delicious aesthetic monkey wrench into the mix. While running, Faith has what is called 'Runner Vision'. She will see items that can be used to further her flight, be it a ramp, fire escape, wall, or box to leap from. This is especially handy, because these items also convey a sort of pathway to take if you are ever confused on where to go, or how to get there. Along the way, other primary colors are used. Entire rooms and areas are peppered and coated with yellows, blues, and greens. And while it might sound somewhat corny on paper, its execution is both beautiful and unique in design, one that gives the environments of Mirror's Edge their own distinct flavor and separation from other titles we've seen.

Aside from the running, which is easily the most engrossing part of Mirror's Edge, the combat is also very satisfying. Faith has a very capable arsenal of hand-to-hand combat maneuvers that keep the oppressive 'Blues' (cops) on their toes. Faith can execute a sliding kick to the groin, the 'ol one-two-three, and even a flying kick that Bruce Lee would be proud of. Of course, the Blues don't intend to play fair, so they always pack serious heat. Once Faith closes the distance between herself and the enemy, however, she will have the opportunity to disarm them and steal their weapon. To do this, the player must hit a certain button while the weapon glows red - if successful, the player is rewarded with a vicious scripted disarm, knocking out the goon and leaving a fully loaded firearm in her possession. The timing can be tricky, as the opposition loves to swing their guns fast and hard, but thankfully a version of bullet-time exists to aid you in this effort. It doesn't last too long, but once activated, time slows to a crawl, making it much easier to disarm any enemies in her immediate surroundings. The bullet time is refilled by performing more acrobatic stunts, so it's never in short supply. After the weapon is in your hand, though, you'll have the option to either discard it or keep it for further use. The firearms handle well enough, but you lose a great deal of speed and mobility during this time, and even if you decide to keep it, you cannot pick up additional ammo once you run out.



During all the running, fighting, and occasional gunfights, your lone companion is the incredible musical score, composed by electronic musician Solar Fields. Nowadays music is becoming much more important, due to soundtracks selling separately from the game itself. I would be very surprised if the soundtrack to Mirror's Edge doesn't become as popular as the game itself. Fields has done an amazing job here, creating hypnotizing ambiance while Faith runs along the streets and rooftops, and then ramping up to a higher and much more aggressive tempo once danger is near. The music alone is usually warning enough that combat is on the way, and yet despite the dramatic change, it doesn't pull you out of the experience - it only sinks you in deeper.

Not everything in Mirror's Edge is perfect, though. Easily one of my biggest complaints is the use of elevators within the game. It seemed like about 20% of the gameplay was spent inside these elevators. Not only are these long and boring, but there is no way to tell which direction you're headed. Apparently built with psychics in mind, the inside of the elevator lacks any floor numbers at all, or any other practical way of knowing if you're going up or down. Worst of all, after these horrendously long rides (which normally come after a harrowing chase); it isn't long before a 'now loading' sign is slapped on the screen, stopping the action yet again. It's confusing that EA didn't use these elevator sequences as loading screens themselves, but hopefully the retail version doesn't have this problem, as this entire aspect does nothing but detract from the overall experience.

Also frustrating is that the game practically encourages you to isolate your enemies one at a time, and yet constantly, especially in the later levels, 7-8 enemies will appear at once- many of which will be packing automatic rifles and shotguns. There is usually a way to escape from them, but trial and error ends up being the answer most of the time. Patience is certainly required to play Mirror's Edge all the way through. The lone saving grace is the check point system, which is very reliable. No matter how many times I died, when, or where, I never had to make up too much ground upon startup. A certain lack of multiplayer is also a glaring hole in an otherwise robust offering. Mirror's Edge has a substantial single player mode, and a fantastic time trial mode that challenges you to get from point A to B as fast as possible. You can compare times with others, but that is the extent of the online mode. Mirror's Edge was just begging for a multiplayer footrace, or perhaps a relay, where one player ran a package to a certain point, and then passed it along to another player. There are countless possibilities for a game like this, and yet we're treated to very little. There is planned DLC for the future, but whether or not that includes multiplayer is yet to be seen.



Mirror's Edge is one of the most anticipated games of this year, and for good reason. Not only is EA experimenting with a completely different genre (First-Person Platformer?) but they are doing it with an untested IP. In a world of sequels and countless imitations, it's refreshing to see this type of approach. Mirror's Edge has a few problems, but the fun it provides more than makes up for any flaws you may discover along the way.