Game Preview: Mirror’s Edge

In this video game age of mass-development and bottom lines, completely unique ideas are few and far between.  Guaranteed money makers like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 are churned out by developers and receive high ratings and high profits.  These games are entertaining to be sure, but when a genuinely creative and innovative game arrives on the scene it is sure to grab our attention.

Mirror’s Edge is – if nothing else – unique.  The player controls a woman named Faith, who is a message carrier in a totalitarian distopian future.  In a society where the government watches everyone, confidential communications need to be delivered by hand, face-to-face.  That’s where Faith comes in.  The game features a combination of “true first-person” and complex free-running maneuvers to take the player on a breath-taking ride through a beautiful and immersive environment.  Faith incorporates free-running techniques (previously featured in games like Assassin’s Creed) and hand-to-hand combat to evade and out-maneuver government forces on a series of delivery missions.

The game is incredibly immersive.  There is no HUD on the screen, and the sound effects are brilliant.  In the gameplay trailer, the sounds of Faith’s feet on the ground and her calm, precise breathing inspires unprecedented immersion in the game.  The beautiful landscapes encourage exploration, and the limited HUD inspires us to avoid gunplay where possible in favor of disabling enemy soldiers.  (Guns can be used in the game, but the player can complete the game without ever firing a single round.  Doing so unlocks an achievement.)

Mirror’s Edge was announced quite a while ago, and hype for the game is starting to ramp up now that E3 is over.  EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE) released more gameplay footage at E3, but a concrete release date is not yet available.  Watch for Mirror’s Edge to hit shelves at the end of 2008 (Christmas present for myself… I think yes.)

~ by bobwise on July 21, 2008.