Mirror's Edge [PS3 Review]

[VelMurugan]

Mirror's Edge [PS3 Review]

If you are even remotely connected to the world outside and have an iota of interest in gaming, you surely have heard about Mirror's Edge. It's different; it's unique and so clean that you may think the developers have a bad case of OCD.

The game uses some new ideas in FPS gaming, like avoiding combat and running away. Before anybody jumps to conclusions, let me tell you the game does not preach non-violence, it merely suggests that you avoid it for as long as possible, and when necessary, smack the living crap out of your enemies. Surprisingly, it works. A few hours into the game and you will run away from trouble even though your inner FPS veteran calls you chicken. Now let s get into the details about the game.



You play a runner called Faith, in a city where information exchange is prohibited. The entire city is under surveillance, information is far more important in the future and that s where the runners come in place. The runner is basically a messenger, who is agile and athletic enough to overcome most obstacles and make sure that the information is passed on undetected by the authorities. The runner concept reminds me of James Cameron s "Dark Angel", yeah the one that introduced the world to Jessica Alba (*yeah, let's all thank James for this beautiful contribution).

The plot is not the game forte, as 15 mins into the game and your sister is framed for murder. You have to help her prove her innocence. It's so 1980s, I am sure David Hasselhoff couldn't digest it. The plot goes through the usual twists and turns. There is an emotional side to it as well as some surprises, but nothing that will keep you connected to the character or even remotely interested.

The only reason to play the game is the new parkour inspired gameplay it takes off from where the Prince of Persia left and leaps much higher. Unlike Prince of Persia, this game is in first person, which gives wall-running and other platforming elements a new feel. We have gone through the routine in a few other games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider and Uncharted, but all of these are in third person. The mission structure is fairly simple - you will be made to go from point A to B, without a map or any other GPS-enabled device. Your objective will be made clear to you and it's up to you to find the way out in the massive city. There are many obstacles in the way including gun-equipped authorities, but once you get the basics right, they pose no threat at all. The game's plot will send you to many parts of the city to investigate and find clues to prove your sister's innocence. And most of the areas are accessed via the roofs, so you will be jumping from rooftops throughout the game.

To reach your objective, you will have to overcome various obstacles, which would include a lot of wall-running, climbing, jumping and sliding. One has to be careful as one single mistake can lead to a very painful end, right on the roads below. The player is equipped with a passive ability called Runner Vision, which highlights exit points from a tough situation. The runner vision works like a charm, an interactive object is highlighted in bright red, and as the clean screenshots will show you, red stands out. The Runner Vision helps you overcome most situations, while making sure you use some of your grey cells while playing the game.

There are times when you will have to wait and scout the surrounding areas to find a way out, which varies the game's speed and adds some versatility. Faith is not invincible, so you have to make sure that you break your falls, epically the really high ones. If you time your slide button perfectly, it will result in a roll that takes most of the impact of a high jump and keeps you alive longer, to brave the barrage of bullets. The enemies consist of cops, SWAT forces, other runners and, in one particular instance, a huge wrestler. You can take care of most of the enemies, with Metal Gear Solid styled CQC or Close Quarters Combat, which includes disarming the opponent and knocking them unconscious. The combat isn t as strong as you would want. Even though the main objective is to run away and finish the mission, the occasional obligatory combat system feels weak. The hand-to-hand combat moves look cool, but after the first 30 KOs, you don't even notice them.

Momentum plays a very important role in the game's core gameplay, you need to make sure you don't lose speed, as the authorities will riddle you with bullets if you're slow. You can feel the momentum build up as you run, and jump and slide to your objective. Once you get the hang of it, the parkour action just feels nice and smooth. The gameplay is commendable and different, but I have to point out that many find it boring after the first 15-20 mins of play. I asked a few of my FPS veteran friends to try it out, and the verdict was 50-50 - some loved it, others went back to the regular shooters.

The game is presented very well and looks gorgeous. It has been developed on the Unreal 3 engine, but isn t even remotely similar to Gears of War or Bioshock. The bright color scheme and white textures give it a very unique look, something similar to Portal. The Soundtrack deserves a mention as it s addictive, the song is called Still Alive. Listen to the PVD remix on YouTube, it s insane.

The game does have its flaws. The story is Blah , not once did I feel connected or even care about Faith s sister, even though she discreetly reminded me of Jenifer Lopez from the movie Out of Sight. The combat is weaker than a malaria-stricken hobbit, making obligatory combat a pain. But besides these issues, the game is astounding and a 'must have'. The game deserves a second play-through, as there are multiple paths you can take, so try discovering them all in the huge city. There is an online component, wherein you can upload scores from a mode called Time Trial. In Time Trial, you have to reach all objectives and as fast as possible. The scores can then be uploaded online on leaderboards.

Final Verdict: This is a great game that deserves to be a part of your collection. Try the demo. If you like it, pick this one up. It is available on the PS3, Xbox 360 and will be out for the PC early next year.

Source : TechTree

[ganeshbala]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N27BKwC_0Y