If we think back to the Electronic Arts of a few years ago, a company that did little but churn out tedious sports sequels, it's an admirable release. But it needs some tinkering for the 2.0 release. I don't know what tweaks, but Mirror's Edge 2 needs to be more fun. Perhaps some online or on-screen multi-player would help. There is an online race challenge, and you can download and race against the ghost of another player. But the natural tendency is to choose the ghost of the fastest player, and they will leave you behind at the first obstacle. Their footfalls remain but even they fade before you get to the third or fourth obstacle. A better choice would be for the game to auto load a player who is just a little faster then your last attempt, giving you something to aim for and teaching you about the level.
In the end Mirror's Edge is so nearly right that I so desperately want to like it. And I DO like it. But I love a whole bunch of other games that have been released recently, and Mirror's Edge will struggle to keep them out of my disc drive.
Mirror's Edge is different enough to be interesting to fans of the 3D action adventure genre. For fans of Manga and Cyberpunk, it is interesting enough to warrant a look purely for its design and story. It looks incredible, and it plays well. It has a good narrative. But somehow it doesn't feel compelling enough. I wanted to keep playing, but I didn't need to.
SPOnG Score: 81%[/b]
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Comments
Charliemouse 17 Nov 2008 09:13
1/3
Did the reviewer miss the time trial option to centre the leaderboard on you? Makes it easy to pick someone near your level and shave a few seconds off.
Am loving Mirror's Edge, have already stuck about 8 hours in to it.
Am loving Mirror's Edge, have already stuck about 8 hours in to it.
DoctorDee 18 Nov 2008 13:33
2/3
I missed it at first. So my comment about the natural tendancy to choose th efastest player holds true. But my point is, your level keeps changing and you have to keep selecting a new ghost to choose. It would be nice if the system automatically slelected the next fastest above your last time, or better still idenitfied your time fo reach section, andloaded a composite ghost that was just faster than you in each section. And also only started the ghost on each section when you start the section... so if there's a section you suck at the ghost doesn't leave you there and finish the level completely.
config 25 Nov 2008 19:44
3/3
Finished the story mode in three modest sittings - prolly around 9-10 hours total - I don't think I made rapid progress either because there's too much sudden death/retry - sometimes dozens of times.
I looks bloody lovely, so it's real shame DICE opted for the freaky looking animation during the narrative. It's neither cel-shaded 3D or lovingly crafted pen-and-ink, but come bastard product of the two. Given the attention the game engine, environment and character models got, it's a pitiful waste.
The time trials and speed runs might be this game's saviour to some, but for me they're limited enjoyment. I'll have a go at the time trials, but won't persist to the point or trying to shave millis from each stage. Speed runs are, IMO, an exercise in the gaming equivalent of self-flagellation - making perfect progress of 95% of the run, only to cock it up on the last jump because you press jump a fraction too late and are lying flat on your back, legs flailing as the seconds tick by.
No, I'd probably re-do the story or, more likely, move on to another game.
I looks bloody lovely, so it's real shame DICE opted for the freaky looking animation during the narrative. It's neither cel-shaded 3D or lovingly crafted pen-and-ink, but come bastard product of the two. Given the attention the game engine, environment and character models got, it's a pitiful waste.
The time trials and speed runs might be this game's saviour to some, but for me they're limited enjoyment. I'll have a go at the time trials, but won't persist to the point or trying to shave millis from each stage. Speed runs are, IMO, an exercise in the gaming equivalent of self-flagellation - making perfect progress of 95% of the run, only to cock it up on the last jump because you press jump a fraction too late and are lying flat on your back, legs flailing as the seconds tick by.
No, I'd probably re-do the story or, more likely, move on to another game.