Mirror's Edge: It works as a racing game, but not much more

As a reviewer, I really want to reward originality. But when it's as badly implemented as "Mirror's Edge," I just can't do it.

Let's cut to the chase: "Mirror's Edge" is fundamentally misconceived. As I wrote in my review in today's Daily Variety, a first-person Parkour game doesn't work, because when you're running and jumping at high speeds, you need perspective. Sure, there's a bit more visceral thrill from seeing the world as Faith would, but that's outweighed 100 times over by how hard it is to figure out the correct path to get to that next primary colored object that stands out against the oppressive white. Add in cops who shoot at you from every direction and getting through any area often requires dying over and over again until you've memorized the correct path. If I wasn't reviewing the game, I would have given up out of sheer annoyance within an hour.

"Mirror's Edge" is also a major bore visually. Which is a surprise, because at first glance, the almost blinding lighting effects are impressive. But cool effects don't make for good design. The fact is that whenever you get close to anything, or go inside, it's immediately apparent that "Mirror's Edge" is almost completely devoid of detail. Even the video screens allegedly showing the news just cycle through a handful of generic images. Assets like air conditioners, pipes, and vents that Faith crawls through or climbs are used over and over. I didn't expect something as vibrant as Liberty City, but I did think that the oppressive future in this game would have at least a little character.

The world of "Mirror's Edge" is also extremely constrained. It looks explorable, but the developers at Dice use everything from barbed wire fences to heigh differentials in buildings to stacks of boxes to make it impossible to diverge from the chosen path at all (save for a few minor detours). To a certain extent that makes sense, since "Mirror's Edge" is about speed and agility, not exploration. But as a dissident courier, you would always be looking for ways to avoid detection. It's just not believable that when Faith is being followed by a helicopter full of police with guns, her solution is to run faster to her final destination.

I have some other small concerns, like the generic story and bad voice acting, but I'd be willing to forgive those for a game that's clearly trying to do something different. And there still is some fun to be had: The time trials can become addictive, especially when you download some the "ghosts" of friends or the best players from around the world to compete against. It's then that you realize "Mirror's Edge" actually works best when it's boiled down to a simple racing game on foot.

Full review: Mirror's Edge