Demo Review: Mirror’s Edge

Mirror’s Edge was a game I’ve kind of had my eye on since buying the PlayStation 3. It was also a game that I was really iffy about. A lot of people may swarm out to buy this game, but I will quietly rent it. And the reason is because this, to me, looks like a hit-or-miss kind of game. What it does I haven’t really seen in any video game before but on the downside, what I see looks like it’s all that I’m getting.

New trailers don’t do it for me because it’s still the same thing. you’re running around jumping from building to building, building to element, element to building. Now, when I saw the first trailer I was impressed but all the new trailers don’t do it for me because it’s showcasing the same thing off.

But, I was thrilled at the idea that a demo was coming to the PSN. I think demos are a great way to rope in people. A lot of times it’ll give you just enough to think, “Hm, maybe I should give it a shot,” where others, like Lego Batman for the PSP gives me enough of an experience to realize that I probably wouldn’t like it. So, when Thursday came around I kept checking the PSN to see the demo and finally saw it near the end of the day. I went to download it, told the PS3 to shut itself off after it downloads and installs and went to bed.

Following a really rough day, I sat down and played the demo.

The demo really doesn’t involve much. What it offers is a tutorial and what is apparently the first level. The tutorial was a bit frustrating because your “guide” showed you what you had to do and if you failed to do it, you had to watch her do it again. And it didn’t help that EA followed suit of the, “Screw the guys with the small TV” attitude and had the text difficult to read. Half the time I wasn’t sure if I were pressing L1 or L2 or R1. I also found it kind of pointless to watch my “guide” do what I need to do then have the instructions tell me how to do it. Why not eliminate my guide and just tell me what I need to do and how to do it?

Despite that, I really like the first-person camera angle. And what I really like about it is that you really never fall back to third-person. The first few times you roll, it’s really weird. Because instead of seeing her roll or have your camera keep forward, you roll with her. And when you hit the pipes, you don’t switch to third person, either. You see what she sees. This also adds an element of danger because you won’t be able to see any incoming enemies until they’re already there.

The exploration of the game is also pretty amazing. The game may seem linear, but the options that you have are impressive. I played around a bit and almost every element of the game could have been used if you wanted ot use it. There wasn’t really a path set out for you.

The first level seemed to be a pretty solid level. Gave you an idea of how to play the game and also gave you a few battles so you could learn how to take down your enemy. Unfortunately, it ended too quickly. And while I think that overall is a good goal to achieve in demos, it seemed a little too short for me. A long tutorial, a short level … eh.

Despite the quick demo, though, I did like what I saw. But my fears about the game kind of gained ground after playing the demo. I’m going to play through it again to hopefully get a better feel for it but I don’t feel like I have a reason or really want to go through it again. Unlike Super Stardust HD, where I kept going back to the demo again and again before buying it. It worries me that a game that’s gotten this amount of hype will be a “clear it and shelf it” kind of game. Instead of having a great amount of reason to go back and play again – after you clear it the first time, you’re pretty much done.

And while I hear that the open-world feel may give you a challenge to clear it a different way, I’m not sure if there’s going to be any offerings to make you want to go back and play it. I’m thinking that this game will go the way of Uncharted with me … I may rent it, clear it and then move on.

Is this Demo worth the download? Well, if you’ve been following the hype – definitely. If for some reason you haven’t, I’d still give it a shot. The feel of the game is something I haven’t experienced before, and I’d credit that to the fact that the camera sticks in first-person perspective throughout the entire game – every jump, roll, everything. It offers a different feel when playing the game that I think gamers will have not experienced that much before now.