14 DAY TRIAL // 
The gaming industry has been following a somewhat descending trend when it comes to making original games that push the envelope in terms of gameplay or story. As such, we've been flooded with sequels or titles that have been built on a tried and true recipe, which didn't really bring any new things to the whole industry.
That is until Electronic Arts decided to approach a new strategy, of delivering higher-quality new franchises that would spark the interest of gamers. As such, the DICE studio, responsible for the very popular Battlefield series, was tasked with making something truly unique, which would turn the whole industry upside down, and, after a lot of thinking “outside the box,” Mirror's Edge was created, a first-person platformer with elements of free running and parkour, set in a futuristic crisp and shiny city, which indeed sparked a lot of interest. Now, as the PC version has been launched, we finally got the chance to test out Faith's abilities and see if this game is as innovative as it was hyped.
Story
The story is pretty entertaining, as you can see the touch of mystery and intrigue placed by popular game writer Rhianna Pratchett. You play as Faith, a small Asian girl who, in order to escape the totalitarian government of her own city, becomes a Runner, a messenger who delivers content among the various revolutionary groups from around the city, via the rooftops of many buildings. These rooftops are the only safe places in the city, as everything else is carefully watched over by the government with the help of Mayor Callaghan, and it can all sometimes become quite hectic if the authorities receive word that runners like Faith have been spotted there.
Although it seems like things are going smoothly, Faith receives a call from her sister, Kate, who has just found the body of one of the mayor's rivals, Pope, and apparently she is the one who killed him. After Faith rushes to her side, it is clear that a conspiracy is underway in order to eliminate the rivals of the actual mayor and to pin everything on Kate. With her sister being surrounded by the authorities, Faith has no other option than to investigate on her own and discover who is truly behind this murder.
Although it might not seem like much, the story is portrayed to the player by some very interesting means, as all of the actions occur through Faith's own eyes, similar to Half Life or BioShock. Sadly, the flow is broken by the cutscenes, which are rendered in a cartoon-y way, and which take the control away from the player.
Gameplay
This is where the game really takes the entire industry to a whole new level. We've seen platformers come and go, but almost all of them saw the world from a third-person view. Mirror's Edge contradicts that and offers a very interesting, although sometimes annoying or confusing, first-person view, as you would find in shooters. Even though at first you might miscalculate some jumps, you'll get used to the view through Faith's eyes and you will really get into the gameplay. The use of this technique really offers an interesting take on free running, as you can feel that you yourself are doing those tricks instead of Faith.
The motion blur and the fact that you speed up as you continue running are two of the strong points of the game, although they have been reported to cause motion sickness in some people. All of your actions seem realistic and you can't really see anything out of the ordinary with the movements that Faith does, from the fact that she struggles to maintain balance if she is on the edge of a building to the fact that she rolls after landing a jump from a high place.
Another interesting aspect is the one regarding guns and how they impact the whole gameplay. You can use guns in order to dispose more easily of enemies you can't pass but, although they have limited ammunition, this also causes you to move a lot slower and you can't even perform basic jumps with a gun in your hand. As such, there are times when you must use a gun, but you can always rely on the fighting moves that Faith can pull off, such as punches, kicks or, if you can string them together, hard-hitting combo maneuvers.
The mouse and keyboard control configuration works very smoothly, and although some might prefer the controller setup, it's much easier to pull off delicate jumps with the mouse. As such, you can also aim more easily with guns and can string together some very effective combos, turning the game into a first-person fighter game sometimes.
Concept
The concept of the game is very innovative, as almost all the platformers have used the third-person view in order to portray the action. However, although this might have come in handy in order to accurately time your jumps, the first-person view really gives you a realistic experience, sometimes a bit too realistic for some people.
The setting of the game is also pretty interesting, as although the futuristic dystopia scenario has been used by other titles, in Mirror's Edge it really works with the action and the story. The clean and bright-colored surroundings all hint to a city where everything is being kept under tight control and nothing is left to chance. All the colors, some in stark contrast with others, make for a game that won't be forgotten quite easily.
The character design is interesting, although it wouldn't have hurt to introduce more characters as, although I won't spoil anything, there is a pretty major turnaround later in the game that I saw coming for quite a while. But overall the game is very innovative and shows that new games can be made by thinking outside the box.
Visuals and Audio
Visual-wise, the game has a very big impact on the player. Forget about the overused shades of gray that depict the gritty realism of war-torn cities in shooters or desolate surroundings in post-apocalyptic RPGs – Mirror's Edge is a game filled with bright colors that, at first glance, may seem a bit imposing. We've gotten used to faded colors because they are all around us, from virtual games to the reality outside, but this game, with the bright red, orange or green, delivers an almost strange reality to us.
The visual effects are also very good, with a major plus to the PhysX support that the team at DICE developed in partnership with Nvidia. If you have a graphics board capable of the PhysX acceleration, then this game is a must buy. Seeing how the windows break into small fragments or how the bullets from the authorities tear away at a plastic sheet is something that leaves a pretty big impression in terms of the realism portrayed.
As regards the audio, Mirror's Edge delivers a diversified experience. You can hear the wind gushing around Faith, as you stand on a rooftop, but you also become aware of the sounds of the city below you. When you're running, the footsteps or the occasional breaths of air that Faith takes all seem natural, but it’s when you stop that you realize what you just heard. Also, the soundtrack of the game, consisting of just one song, found in original and in remixed versions, is quite adequate to the whole action of Mirror's Edge and doesn't get old as one would think.
Multiplayer
Mirror's Edge doesn't have a dedicated multiplayer mode; instead it has a Time Trial option, in which you free run through a course and struggle to get the best time with people from all around the world. After completing a course you can then post your time on the online leaderboards and see if you achieved the best time or you still need to shave a few seconds. Overall, it offers a very decent experience and compensates for the very short single-player campaign.
Conclusion
All in all, Mirror's Edge is a very solid game that delivers an innovative experience. Although most of the times you might see the black screen after you have an encounter with the ground below Faith, the game is well balanced and varied. Despite the fact that the single-player campaign is quite short, with around 6 hours of play, it manages to provide a very interesting experience and keeps you connected to it, with no slowdowns, only concentrated action.
If you haven't bought the game for the consoles, then the PC version is the one for you; it is a great game, and if you have a PhysX-capable graphics board, then you're in for a visually-stunning title. Also, if you feel more at home with a mouse and keyboard, then don't stress yourself with the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 controllers.
There are some downsides though, with the fact that you can get confused in all the environment (but the Alt button always guides you towards the right path), as well as with the enemies that are sometimes very numerous and powerful, but overall Mirror's Edge is a title that a lot of gamers will enjoy.
