Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge | |
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platform | |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Mirror's Edge is a 2008
Inspired by chase scenes featured in
Upon release, Mirror's Edge received generally positive reviews from critics. They praised its visuals and immersive first-person perspective, but some criticized its
Gameplay
Mirror's Edge is an
Although the player can perform melee attacks and disarm opponents,[6] using weapons is generally discouraged as they slow Faith down and hinder her acrobatic abilities.[4] For example, carrying a weapon that is heavier than a pistol prevents the player from being able to jump and grab ledges.[4] Weapons have a finite magazine and must be discarded when they run out of ammunition.[4] If Faith has preserved enough momentum,[4] the player may use an ability called Reaction Time, which temporarily slows the gameplay down and allows the player to time their next move.[2] Faith has a certain amount of health which automatically regenerates when she does not take damage for a brief period. If Faith falls off a significantly high position or her health is fully depleted, the player must start the level again from the latest checkpoint.[4] In each level, the player may also find and collect three hidden yellow bags. These encourage the player to explore the game and unlock achievements.[7]
In addition to the game's story mode, Mirror's Edge features a time trial mode where the player must complete courses as fast as possible.[8] Each course is divided into multiple sections and has three qualifying times to beat. Although the first courses are unlocked as the player progresses through the story mode, additional courses can be unlocked by beating qualifying times.[9] Records can be uploaded to online leaderboards, where the player can compare their performance with others. The player may also download recordings of other players, called Ghosts, to show them the path they took through a course and help them improve their records.[9] Additional achievements can be unlocked by reaching certain milestones.[7]
Plot
Mirror's Edge is set in a near-future city where life is comfortable and crime is almost non-existent.[10] The city's state of bliss is achieved by an oppressive regime that controls the media and its citizens. An underground crew of parkour couriers, called Runners, operate independently from the city's security and surveillance measures, delivering private goods and sensitive information. At the same time, a new candidate, Robert Pope, is challenging the incumbent Mayor Callaghan on a platform of deregulation. The game follows the story of Faith Connors, a 24-year-old Runner who lost her mother when campaigning against the city shifting from its vibrant atmosphere to its current regime 18 years before the game's events. Faith was trained by former Runner Mercury "Merc," who now provides her with intelligence and radio support. Faith's twin sister, Kate, is a disciplined police officer who has a lot of affection for Faith but is also committed to protecting the city.[11]
After completing a delivery to fellow Runner Celeste, Faith learns that Pope has been killed and that her sister has been framed for his murder. Faith tries to get Kate to flee with her, but she refuses, saying it would only make her look guilty. After making her way through the city's storm drains, Faith learns from former Runner Jacknife that Pope's head of security, Travis "Ropeburn" Burfield, may be connected to Pope's murder. She then infiltrates Ropeburn's office, where she overhears him setting up a secret meeting at an unfinished building. Faith informs Kate's wary superior officer, Lieutenant Miller, of what she has learned, but he refuses to help her. Later at the meeting, Faith confronts Ropeburn, who admits that he framed Kate and hired someone to kill Pope, but he is killed by a sniper shortly afterward. Before he dies, Ropeburn tells Faith that he was going to meet the assassin at the New Eden Mall. Faith heads there, but the killer flees once they see Faith. Lacking other leads, Faith investigates the security firm that has begun aiding the police forces in capturing Runners. She finds they are behind Project Icarus, a program designed to train special forces to eliminate Runners and control the city. Faith follows the trail of Ropeburn's killer to a boat that is docked at a nearby wharf. There, she learns that the assassin is Celeste, who decided to collude with Project Icarus to live a more comfortable life. She also explains that Pope had to be killed because he was seen as a threat, especially once he discovered Project Icarus.[12]
With Kate convicted of Pope's murder, Merc helps Faith find a way to ambush the police convoy that is transporting her to prison. Faith succeeds and sends Kate to Merc's hideout while she leads the police forces away. Upon her return, Faith finds Merc critically injured and his hideout completely ransacked. Before he dies, Merc tells Faith that Kate has been taken to the Shard, the tallest skyscraper in the city and Callaghan's fortress. With Miller's help, Faith breaks into the Shard, destroying the servers that run the city's surveillance systems. On the rooftop helipad, she finds Kate held at gunpoint by Jacknife, who reveals that he is also part of Project Icarus. As Jacknife takes Kate onto a departing helicopter, Faith jumps onto it and knocks him out to his death. Faith and Kate then jump off to safety before the helicopter crashes.
Development
Mirror's Edge was developed by the Swedish company
Although some of the game's first-person mechanics were first prototyped in the
Mirror's Edge deliberately makes use of strong
The game's working title was "Project Faith" until it was changed to its current one in mid 2007, suggesting that the game's city is a mirror to its inhabitants.
Marketing and release
Mirror's Edge was first revealed to be in development when an image of Faith holding a pistol was released in June 2007.
Mirror's Edge was first released for the
A new
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
1Up.com | A−[2] |
Computer and Video Games | 9/10[6] |
Edge | 5/10[47] |
Eurogamer | 8/10[48] |
Game Informer | 8/10[49] |
GameRevolution | C[50] |
GameSpot | 7/10[3] |
IGN | 7.3/10 (X360)[5] 8.5/10 (PC)[51] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 9.5/10[8] |
The Guardian | [52] |
Mirror's Edge received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[45] The Microsoft Windows version was considered superior to its console counterparts due to its more accurate controls and extra graphical features such as PhysX effects.[51][53] Game Informer described Mirror's Edge as an inspiring and "genre-defining" game,[49] while Computer and Video Games called it "an extraordinary and special game", stating that it takes fatigued first-person mechanics into a new and daring direction.[6] Other reviewers were not as positive towards the game.[47][50] Eurogamer considered Mirror's Edge a very divisive game, with both gaping flaws and moments of brilliance.[48] Edge felt that the game lacks depth because it forces the player to follow a predefined path, thus failing to capture anything that made parkour popular,[47] while GameRevolution found the game to be very frustrating and unforgiving.[50]
The game's visuals and soundtrack were praised very positively.[3][5][8][49] Game Informer felt that the mix of protuberant white environments with solid primary colors creates "one of gaming's finest spectacles, and a surreal world for gamers to navigate."[49] The Runner Vision guidance system was said to fit the game's art style,[49] and the setting alone was considered powerful enough to make up the game's story,[48] with The Guardian stating that Mirror's Edge is more about the environment than the people who inhabit it.[52] Critics remarked that the game's interactive soundtrack makes Faith's runs more fluid,[3][49] while sound effects such as her breathy heaves and noisy footsteps were said to enhance the sense of speed and tension.[3] The voice acting was also highlighted, with IGN noting that characters never sound "cheesy or unbelievable".[5] However, the story was criticized for its confusing plot points and the stylistic choice of animated cutscenes were said to lack the dramatic flair of the gameplay.[48][49][50]
The gameplay was praised for its responsive controls and immersive first-person perspective.
At the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards, Mirror's Edge was nominated for Best Action Adventure Game, but lost to Grand Theft Auto IV.[54] During the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Mirror's Edge won Adventure Game of the Year;[55] it was also nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, but ultimately lost to LittleBigPlanet.[55]
Sales
DICE marketing director Martin Frain initially projected Mirror's Edge to sell a total of three million units be sold across all platforms.[56] According to Electronic Arts, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions had combined sold over one million units by February 2009.[57] In October 2010, a court document pertaining to the legal conflict between Electronic Arts and Edge Games revealed that Mirror's Edge had sold over two million units, with over 750,000 of those units having been sold in North America.[58] EA revealed the game had sold around 2.5 million units by June 2013.[59]
Legacy
Although Mirror's Edge received satisfactory reviews upon release, the game has since grown in esteem and developed a passionate fanbase,
DICE has paid tribute to Mirror's Edge in a content update for Battlefield 2042, titled "Eleventh Hour", where Faith's red shoes can be found as an easter egg hidden atop the arm of a mobile crane on the newly released map, "Flashpoint".[66]
On March 21, 2023, Electronic Arts announced that Mirror's Edge will be delisted from digital stores, among several Battlefield games, with the last day to purchase being April 28, 2023.[67] However, Electronic Arts later removed all references to Mirror’s Edge in an addendum and stated that it was an error and they do not have plans to delist the title.[68]
Notes
- ^ Additional work by Electronic Arts Shanghai[1]
References
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External links