Mirror's Edge

As a game steeped in immediacy, Mirror's Edge is an absolute must-play despite its idiosyncrasies. And as a pied piper for progressive design in first-person gaming, it's all the more important.

The story and dialogue are clunky at times. And there are many situations where you'll be utterly perplexed as to where to go next. But overall, no game this year looks, or plays, quite like this one.

Unique, original, beautiful and innovative ... What else can you ask for?

Despite basically repeating a lot of the moves seen in the modern Prince of Persia games, Mirror’s Edge’s distinctive, haunting atmosphere, immersive first-person perspective and completely intuitive controls make it truly outstanding.

On the whole, Mirror's Edge is the type of first-person experience we need more of, spotting the ever-growing landscape of shooters out there.

Despite the length of the adventure, Mirror’s Edge offers an experience you will not forget any time soon. Every time you put away the controller and turn off the console, you’re left wanting more. Everything, from the bright visuals to the fast-paced action, justifies the high score.

In conclusion, Mirror's Edge is a thoroughly enjoyable title that is one of the most unique games of the year as you run and fight your way through a futuristic utopia that contains good gameplay, amazing graphics and a storyline to match.

Combine a thoroughly entertaining single-player campaign with a stunning and challenging time trial mode and you'll soon forget that you managed to run through the story in six hours or less. There's depth here that you'll only discover hours into time trialling a single stage, and as we said, no other game released this year comes close to being as cool.

Mirror's Edge is a videogame that definitely deserves a try. Its short length is the only complaint we can mention about the campaign, because its an incredibly innovative title with a very powerful graphical side and an addictive gameplay proposal. A nice launch for this new saga that replaces the word 'brief' with the word 'intensity'.

We put on our trainers in order to start running through the skyscrapers of an enormous city. Mirror's Edge is a unique platforming game, very realistic, with a very special point of view in the genre. A huge experience, very different from what we have played previously, with incredible gameplay and great atmosphere. It's the beginning of a brand new series that can provide us with many satisfactions.

The story flows too, as Faith unravels her mystery. Between the chapters, which are all go, are artfully animated cut-scenes, which explain what’s going on.

Simply put, you must play Mirror’s Edge.

Mirror's Edge is a unique experience. The controls work great and the visuals and music fit perfectly with the rest of the game. That such a unique concept contains a few flaws, like the short story mode and some frustrating gameplay moments, isn't a shame in the least. This experiment is a succes!

A unique and enjoyable game that is both exhilarating and addicting, with sound gameplay mechanics, stylish visuals, and superb audio qualities. Besides load times and timing, the biggest complaint is that the game has to end.

Mirror’s Edge really is worth your time as it shows what else can be done with the otherwise overused FPS engine.

The game’s free-running mechanic is intuitive and feels natural, offering a nice change of pace from other titles in the genre. However, the game’s story mode feels a bit too linear and combat is underwhelming.

Mirror’s Edge has an excellent but short singleplayer campaign with a few added whistles.

More than anything else, we applaud the idea, effort and creativity behind this project. It's not quite as ground-breaking as, say, Valve's Portal, but it's almost as ambitious.

Mirror's Edge is a distinct game, both in playability and visuals and that's a major feat. Faith is full of character and her world is colorful and vibrant, although the adventure is quite short.

EA and DICE took a risk with Mirror's Edge, but ultimately it has paid off. This is an exciting title with a great premise, and despite a few minor issues we could be looking at a fantastic foundation for future sequels.

Overall Mirror’s Edge is a game that should be experienced by anyone who enjoys adventure games.

While the tacked-on combat portions bring a blemish to the game’s identity, and the overall length is a bit on the short side (although there are plenty of speed runs and time trials to encourage multiple playthroughs to master each area for the best online time), Mirror’s Edge is still a breathtaking adventure that has brought a new immersive experience to players along with the thrill of the hunt(ed).

Mirror's Edge commits a fair few of videogaming's original sins - trial-and-error level design, a perfectionist attitude to the simplest of platforming mechanics - but buried beneath them is an intensely rewarding experience.

It’s great to play a game that – in many ways – is so pure. It’s not about collecting. It’s not about leveling up. It’s not about getting a bigger and better gun. It’s about movement, style and momentum. Combat aside, DICE has taken a significant step forward for the first person perspective with this game, and you should all check it out.

Even if the game is short and frustrating at times, we can’t go without saying that Mirror’s Edge needs to be experienced by every gamer. In a time where sequels and uninspiring titles are flooding the market, seeing this game hitting store shelves is refreshing. Now, we can’t wait where DICE will take the franchise as it has already been confirmed as a trilogy. Kudos!

Mirror's Edge has been a joy to play and I've fully appreciated what DICE have tried to achieve here, although not everyone will.

When it works, it’s brilliant. And when it doesn’t, it only disappoints because you can see its brimming potential trying to breakthrough.

It’s nice to see EA actually release a game that isn’t a sequel or another franchise knockoff.

Mirror's Edge is a lot of things, but it's certainly not boring.

Mirror's Edge stands out for its impressive aesthetics and a gameplay concept full of potential and good intentions, that is executed in an irregular way.

More than just unique, it’s a thrilling and stylish venture to untapped territory that’s assured in its firstperson take on platforming. Though an inane plot and limp combat see it falter briefly, the strong visual design and dynamic mechanic ensure it still emerges as a game to be celebrated.

The outstanding music and the tension of pursuit make this a first-person experience like few others. [Dec 2008, p.65]

If you are tempted by the style of gameplay and fancy yourself as a perfectionist when it comes to avid competition, be sure to make the jump as Mirror’s Edge is one of the more promising titles this autumn.

It’s hard to emphasize what a refreshing thing it is to play a game that’s so completely ... different.

A valiant effort to revolutionize gaming by a courageous studio. Largely, DICE pulled it off. But, there are several nagging spots that hamper the experience; repetitive environments and interactive elements, touchy controls and occasionally poor detection, and an uninspired story leave a significant amount to be desired. Even so, I found Mirror's Edge to be a truly unique and rewarding experience that I feel fortunate to have played.

Mirror's Edge is fairly unique, and I have to applaud DICE for trying something completely new. The fact that they managed to achieve the level of success presented here is amazing.

Mirror’s Edge seems to be yet another game marking EA’s gaming renaissance. Rather than churning out endless sequels, it’s encouraging to see that they’re willing to take a leap of faith (pardon the pun) and let ace developers such as DICE try out new IPs and ideas.

First Dead Space and now Mirror’s Edge. Kudos to EA for continuing to diversify their portfolio with more original intellectual properties, and hats off to DICE for showing tremendous ambition in creating this Parkour-inspired action game.

Very stylistic, intense and creative, Mirror's Edge is missing the replayability to justify its $60 price tag, and it has a difficult learning curve that never quite levels out.

Like "The Club" earlier in the year, Mirror’s Edge needs to be played again and again if you’re to discover its true worth, and there are many who won’t play ball. [Christmas 2008, p.88]

Old-style gaming in futuristic shoes: a thrilling experience that hides its flaws in style. [Christmas 2008, p.65]

Impossible is nothing – After Dead Space EA surprises us with another highly innovative game. The developers have formed something that no one has seen to date.

If Mirror’s Edge had only provided the TTs, it would have been perfect for skill-game addicts. The story mode isn’t quite as polished and critics have tended to focus on this mode’s foibles rather than on praising the real highlight: the TT mode.

If there is one thing in Mirror's Edge that does feel a bit out of place, it is the lack of story elements.

Nevertheless, Mirror's Edge remains one of those games that everybody should try for themselves, so go on...take a leap of faith and pick it up!

Mirror's Edge is a game with an innovative approach, but unfortunately it is rough around the edges, and with a little more work on it would have been an amazing title.

Digital Illusions has made revolutionary inroads on perspective and the relationship it shares with movement and combat, but simply couldn’t build the levels to allow it to unfold in a consistently engaging way. It deserves to be seen, played and experienced by any discerning gamer with an interest in the progression of the industry, but is unlikely to resonate with the majority of consumers.

But for those who can shrug off the contradictions and the limitations, ignore the tearing cityscape and lingering qualms about value for money, this will shove you so deeply into the experience of being in someone else's body, and taking it on a terrifying, breakneck joyride, that nothing else will matter.

A bold experiment for DICE. It's a dramatic departure from the "Battlefield" games, and provides a refreshing experience to those willing to invest the time in its strict control mechanics. The combat's unfortunately its Achilles' heel, since it lacks the spontaneity of the free-running and in many instances brings the action to a crashing halt.

The experience is not flawless by any means, with a story mode that stumbles over too many frustrating sequences and not enough narrative pay-off to make it worthwhile on its own. But taken as a whole -- with its frequent bits of brilliance and its delightful, heart-pounding moments -- Mirror’s Edge is a leap of faith worth taking.

Despite some regrettable drawbacks and frustrations, Mirror's Edge is a singular and incredibly compelling experience. If you're looking to try something that's genuinely new and not just a refinement or tweak of some existing genre or play mechanic, you really owe it to yourself to play this.

Mirror’s Edge’s gameplay is adrenaline-filled and beautifully tailored, but the experience does end up feeling a bit hollow as the game runs out of new tricks to show the player. In the second half of the game, I started second guessing if I had already run across a particular section. I also became so in-tune with specific challenges that I could do them with my eyes closed...Regardless, this is one of those genre-defining games that everyone needs to see. DICE has pulled off a miraculous feat that hopefully will inspire other FPS developers.

If the level design had focused more on open environments and giving you the freedom to run, and if the combat wasn't such a roadblock, this would have been a near-perfect game. But it's still a great first step and I can't wait to see how DICE improves upon the formula for the sequel.

The animated sequences are less than stellar, the plot is trite, and the game feels like it was pared down at the last minute. Despite all those flaws, the running-based gameplay makes you want to forgive everything else. No other game is quite as exhilarating and uniquely exciting, and it’s this part of the game you’ll remember most.

There’s a lot to love in Mirror’s Edge, times when it reaches potential game of the year material, times when mind, body and control come together to create something almost euphoric on screen. But when that transcendence is shattered by a poorly designed combat section or a moment of utter confusion, it leaves a bitter taste. Kudos, then, for EA’s commitment to new IP, but it’s one that ironically, leaves us wanting a sequel.

It would be difficult for me to say Mirror's Edge reached its potential as a fresh take on the FPS genre because it's held back by a shallow story and dubious combat mechanics. However, you won't find another game like it.

The game length could easily be a deterrent for gamers not wanting to invest $60 for a mere five hours of game time, especially if they have no interest in participating in the time trial portion of the game, but I highly recommend everyone at least check out this inventive take on the genre.

It’s fast, original, and beautiful – everything you should expect from a holiday blockbuster. If you’re easily frustrated by difficult games it might be wise to rent it first, but be warned; the beauty and addictive race modes might pull you in.

Innovative, grossly original and lead by a high concept, Mirror’s Edge is the Jekyll and Hyde of video games. There’s a lot of promise inside the package that DICE created but it ultimately is a game that rests its laurels on its concept and nothing more. With no multiplayer aspect and a poor storyline that doesn’t last longer than seven or so hours, players won’t get a whole lot of bang out of their hard earned George Washington’s.

I wish that Mirror’s Edge was more like a rock-climbing course (or like the climbing mechanic in "Assassin’s Creed") that gives you numerous ways to reach the spot you need to reach, though with the occasional stumper that gets you scratching your head to find the solution. Instead, I found myself frustrated by the do-it-again-until-you-get-it-right gameplay, which was more tedious than challenging—much like the platformers of the NES era. Those old classics were designed that way because of cartridge-memory limitations, but Mirror’s Edge can’t use that excuse.

Mirror's Edge does a wonderful job of doing exactly what it sets out to do, and while it may not do it all perfectly, it does do enough well enough for you to forgive the game's flaws.