Mirror’s Edge

I’ve noticed that as I keep making these “reviews” about games, I sometimes don’t really have much to say. I keep making them as some sort of “memory capsule” for myself, but since it’s public I’m somewhat scared that some random person will perceive me as mildly retarded. I’m not, just keep in mind that not all my posts will be super interesting.

This might be one of them…

You might think “but why would you write about a game if you don’t have much to say? Are you stupid?”, and I’d tell you that I’m not. You’re stupid. I also really, really love this game. The problem is that Mirror’s Edge is, at the core, an extremely simple game. But to be honest I think that’s why I like it so much. It does a lot, with very little.

So what is Mirror’s Edge? It’s a game where you play as an emo courier girl, who jumps across rooftops to deliver mail. Why? Because they live in an authoritarian regime, hellbent on censoring everything and keeping their oligarchy alive. The story was never anything too special. It wasn’t new or original, and I never felt like my motivation for parkouring around was ever to “learn about what happens next”. But Mirror’s Edge has something else; a timeless minimalist art direction, music to draw you in, and an overall unforgettable atmosphere. I’ll delve into the gameplay soon, but first I really want to hammer down how insanely good the artistic aspects of this game is.

As you play this game, the majority of your time spent will be above ground – as in “at the top of skyscrapers above ground”. You’ll lay your eyes upon a sea of white architecture, only broken by the occasional blot of bright colors. The world feels systematic and sterile, yet carries intense emotion. The music helps too, with a mix reminiscent of Aphex Twin and rushing techno. It mirrors the castration of the world you run around in beautifully, and because of the simple gameplay loop you’re sort of forced into noticing the world and the music.

So let’s talk about the gameplay then!

The main loop of the game is to string together your jumps, slides and running to reach the next level. Throughout you’ll encounter serene, soothing sections of nothing, and intense high octane chases. Both, equally enjoyable. You’ll have law enforcement try to kill you, and although you can fight them, the point is to run away. I never do this though. I kill them all, and then bathe in the meditative quietness afterwards. You don’t level up, you don’t have any tools or gadgets, you don’t have any quests – nothing. It’s just you, and your feet. One step after the next until you’re at your destination.

I think this is why the sequel flopped. I’m not here to discuss Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, but I’ll quickly mention that one of the big reasons as to why it didn’t live up to my expectations was because it didn’t embrace the minimalist aspects like the original did. It felt like a gimmick, and not something you “experienced”.