Post by The Strategist on Nov 19, 2008 15:02:57 GMT -5
This is a game which got a staggering amount of Best of E3 2008 awards, it is just ridiculous. I decided to give it a try, and here is my review.
Storyline: 8/10
The story of Mirror's Edge takes place in a city where authorities have ended crime and conflict, and has since monitored all communications to prevent any trouble. The population has become accepting, lazy and docile. However, there are a few, known as runners, who live at the edge of the system, delivering unfiltered messages by running across and above the city. You play the role of Faith, a runner whose family had a history in resisting the change. She is searching for her sister, and soon a high profile murder happens, and Faith's mission becomes more urgent and dangerous. The story works well for the game, but I found myself moving my finger to the skip cutscene button too often to really care.
Graphics: 6/10
If you're looking for pretty visuals and realistic settings, then look elsewhere. This game's graphics are decent. Not good, nor breathtaking. It works well for what the game is trying to be. However, in many indoor areas I found myself rubbing my eyes because the walls are mostly colored monotonously and brightly. It's not a major issue, but it is noticeable when you go through your tenth yellow-corridor building.
Sound: 9/10
The music sounds fantastic, and the voice acting (such as an informant guiding you through the radio) really helps set the mood and provides a sense of urgency.
Gameplay: 8/10
The controls can be tough for some players to adapt, since it's different from any other game controls-wise. Once you get past the tutorial stage, you'll find yourself pulling some insane stunts and jumps. The layout is the work of a genius, having different paths with varying difficulty levels that lead to the same final objective (in most cases, anyway.) During the course of the game, you'll find yourself analyzing your surroundings more naturally and tackling more breathtaking obstacles. My biggest gripe about this game is the enemy AI. In a few points during the game, I find myself entering an area where the enemies are positioned in key points between me and my goal, making the option of ignoring them and running to my destination obsolete. Even the best strategies can fail against them because the controls often do not respond in the crucial split second you need to disarm them, forcing me to repeat the area more times than I would like. If this was in any other game, I would have probably exchanged it.
Replay: 4/10
There are secret collectible backpacks hidden throughout each level, but there's no real incentive or reward for getting all of them. If you missed one, you're probably not going back to collect it. There is also a time trial mode, where you can download ghost runners of other players and race against them in an enemy-free environment. If you like to shave seconds off your time or rise to the top of the runner charts, this could be for you. There are also several ingenious stages you would want to return and play, but it can get old if you get flustered by the enemy AI.
Overall: 7/10
This game's experience is unique, but it is not perfect. It will be remembered more as a milestone in the evolution of gaming than a story or a series of obstacles. It provides you with a feel-good feeling when you complete a series of stunts that get you to that next area, next checkpoint, next stage. Unfortunately, the enemy AI and split-second reactions to disarm them and knock them down somewhat watered down the game for me. It is still worth playing, if only for the experience.
Storyline: 8/10
The story of Mirror's Edge takes place in a city where authorities have ended crime and conflict, and has since monitored all communications to prevent any trouble. The population has become accepting, lazy and docile. However, there are a few, known as runners, who live at the edge of the system, delivering unfiltered messages by running across and above the city. You play the role of Faith, a runner whose family had a history in resisting the change. She is searching for her sister, and soon a high profile murder happens, and Faith's mission becomes more urgent and dangerous. The story works well for the game, but I found myself moving my finger to the skip cutscene button too often to really care.
Graphics: 6/10
If you're looking for pretty visuals and realistic settings, then look elsewhere. This game's graphics are decent. Not good, nor breathtaking. It works well for what the game is trying to be. However, in many indoor areas I found myself rubbing my eyes because the walls are mostly colored monotonously and brightly. It's not a major issue, but it is noticeable when you go through your tenth yellow-corridor building.
Sound: 9/10
The music sounds fantastic, and the voice acting (such as an informant guiding you through the radio) really helps set the mood and provides a sense of urgency.
Gameplay: 8/10
The controls can be tough for some players to adapt, since it's different from any other game controls-wise. Once you get past the tutorial stage, you'll find yourself pulling some insane stunts and jumps. The layout is the work of a genius, having different paths with varying difficulty levels that lead to the same final objective (in most cases, anyway.) During the course of the game, you'll find yourself analyzing your surroundings more naturally and tackling more breathtaking obstacles. My biggest gripe about this game is the enemy AI. In a few points during the game, I find myself entering an area where the enemies are positioned in key points between me and my goal, making the option of ignoring them and running to my destination obsolete. Even the best strategies can fail against them because the controls often do not respond in the crucial split second you need to disarm them, forcing me to repeat the area more times than I would like. If this was in any other game, I would have probably exchanged it.
Replay: 4/10
There are secret collectible backpacks hidden throughout each level, but there's no real incentive or reward for getting all of them. If you missed one, you're probably not going back to collect it. There is also a time trial mode, where you can download ghost runners of other players and race against them in an enemy-free environment. If you like to shave seconds off your time or rise to the top of the runner charts, this could be for you. There are also several ingenious stages you would want to return and play, but it can get old if you get flustered by the enemy AI.
Overall: 7/10
This game's experience is unique, but it is not perfect. It will be remembered more as a milestone in the evolution of gaming than a story or a series of obstacles. It provides you with a feel-good feeling when you complete a series of stunts that get you to that next area, next checkpoint, next stage. Unfortunately, the enemy AI and split-second reactions to disarm them and knock them down somewhat watered down the game for me. It is still worth playing, if only for the experience.
