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Out This Month
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Prince of Persia Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Release Date: 12/2/2008 Genres: Action, Adventure Developer: Ubisoft |
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Damnation Platforms: PS3, PC, Xbox 360 Release Date: 12/16/2008 Genres: Action Developer: Blue Omega Entertainment |
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Bomberman Ultra Platforms: PS3 (PSN) Release Date: TBA Genres: Puzzle Developer: Hudson |
| Mirror's Edge Preview |
| Sean Tonks, Senior Editor | ||||||||
| Sunday, August 03 2008 | ||||||||
 A few weeks back, a trailer of a beautifully rendered cityscape being traversed creatively by an equally beautiful woman set the curiosity of gamers on fire. Through this mysterious woman's eyes we saw her leap across rooftops, balance a small pipe bridging a death dealing fall, and slide through catwalks while being stalked by some form of police force. This trailer oozed the essence of "cool" and creativity. Forums were even alive with cries looking for the music that accompanied the eye-catching snippet of gameplay. But aside from basic plot points and the title, we knew little else on EA and DICE's upcoming release of Mirror's Edge, until now. We were give the opportunity to see just how the game will basically function, as well some of the exciting features, and a bit beyond the white roof-tops we see in the trailers.A unique premise sets up Mirror's Edge and tosses you into the thick of the game without wasting any time. Taking place in a world where corrupt governmental control of media and information is locked tight, a small band of resistance fighters operate under the radar. But in this world where all electronic information is regulated, how is this achieved? Runners. Just like the Greeks of old, the only way for the freedom fighters to pass information from group to group is by using couriers. Enter Faith, a lithe beauty with more athletic ability than the sturdiest Greek soldier.  Basically it is up to you, as Faith, to get this vital information to its destination. It's not as easy as walking down the street for a simple delivery. Not with an entire city full of morally bankrupt governmental enforcers ready to fill you full of lead at first sight, and fill you up they will. Faith is unarmored, and vulnerable. To be honest, it is refreshing to play a character that isn't God's gift to action heroes. Instead we are given a realistic character that needs dispatch enemies with more creative means or needs to avoid the gunfire completely. This is where the "parkour inspired" gameplay comes in. With the streets filled with armed assailants the next logical place to travel across is the tops of roofs, of course. Racing over the city isn't as tough as one would think. Basically the game revolves around "moving up" (controlled by LB) and "moving down" (controlled by LT) and each movement is mapped to a controller button. So, as you are escaping a catwalk getting ready to leap to another building, you may encounter a construction beam in your path. A quick press of the left-trigger will have you slide underneath, then as you pop back up and reach the drop to a 60-foot demise, slamming the left-bumper will send you flying through the air.  It can be an awkward setup at first, but after some practice the game becomes as smooth and beautiful as that trailer that hooked us in. Also helping to smooth the game along is the path cues. As you are moving through the environments, certain objects will light up red. This means it is a desired path for you to follow. This ensures the speed is kept up, and the game never grows dull. Though those truly wishing to display their skill can try to find the "pro-route" DICE has hinted at, a trickier and unmarked path that will test your free-running ability. What happens if you run into a gun-toting bad guy through your exploits though? Well, like we said, it takes a bit of creativity as Faith is quite delicate, and you won't often carry guns as they slow her down. Using your parkour talents, you will sneak up to your enemy. If they spot you, it is still possible to dispatch your enemy, but now it is less about sneaking and more about using the environment as cover and a tool for confusion. Once you are close enough, a tap of 'Y' will have you disarm their gun in a truly fantastic fashion involving some impressive martial arts moves. A fast pull of the right-trigger after the disarming sequence will put their lights out.  Another creative implementation is the first-person perspective. Many games take place in first-person, but very few utilize the point of view as Mirror's Edge does. Most FPS games offer what equates to a window into the game world. It doesn't really move with the character or place you inside their actions. Mirror's Edge fixes you right behind Faith's eyes for a real, "in the moment" feeling.It seems, lately, that creativity and originality is creeping back into gaming, and Mirror's Edge is a great example of that. It is not just an action game, not just a platformer or an FPS either. It is a unique and beautifully engaging experience that gamers should be strongly looking forward to. Share/Bookmark: 
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