On the Edge

Posted by ASandoval on November 3, 2008 under Games | Be the First to Comment

So the Mirror’s Edge demo is pretty incredible.

And I don’t just mean it’s fun to play either! I mean that by all accounts, it is a game that really shouldn’t exist by the traditional standards of video games. It’s because of this that I have a hard time explaining how good the demo is in a normal conversation, describing it as a hybrid of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Sonic the Hedgehog and Half Life 2. A strange combination, I know, but it works very well. In fact, in some cases it works better than the examples. With the exception of magically reversing time, Faith can do anything that the Prince can do, from jumping, to swinging to fast turning, to wall running and jumping, and she can do it faster, and more accurately… in first person. If pitch perfect first person platforming doesn’t alright defy every rule of video game law I have come to understand at this point, I don’t know what does.

It’s unfortunate that I can already see a lot of the pompous gamers out there will refuse to give it a try because of it’s perspective. I’m no stranger to the first person shooter hate myself, hell, I even participate to an extent, but it’s important to recognize that there is a difference between a first person shooter and a first person perspective. Mirror’s Edge is first person, true, even has a bit of shooting, but after a couple of run throughs of the demo I was able to easily recognize it as a platformer. The objective of the game is to reach point B from point A, and you do so primarily from jumping and climbing to the best of your ability. You only get guns if you disarm enemies, an ability that is performed by running into an enemy whose in your way, grabbing it, and running on past. You can shoot if you find another enemy on the way, but your limited in your ability to jump or climb, leaving certain shortcuts now inaccessible… and eventually, you’re going to have to give that gun up to make it the rest of the way..

Of course, I’m not saying anything that hasn’t been seen in the many preview videos and write ups of Mirror’s Edge, yet people still seem to not be able to make the distinction between that and being primarily forced to shoot everything that comes with in several yards of you as being two different genres. It’s similar to the stir Metroid Prime caused by being first person as well, more so since that was a beloved franchise that was being altered. Most of us got over it when we realized that the game was still very much Metroid, but there are still some obstinate minded folks who haven’t given the game a fair shake. That’s fine, I say to them, but if Metroid Prime is just another First Person Shooter, then Super Metroid is just another 2D sidescroller. It obviously plays the same as Contra.

But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. As it stands, Mirror’s Edge has another week before it’s unleashed on to the populace, and the media buzz has been overwhelmingly positive. I know I enjoyed myself, even to the point I’m expecting this to be my game of the year (Not an amazing feat looking back, but then, I had Portal last year so look what I have to compare it too).  Here’s hoping that the elder gamers among us can make the distinction between their preferences, but I sincerely doubt it. Negativity is a very tempting seductress.