The game is beautiful and infact it is THE best looking game in 2008 but I waited out for the PC version. I think it had ALOT of potential like Left 4 Dead but also like Left 4 Dead it feels rushed and lacking much of anything but charm. The idea of the game was great and I really love the look of it and then they had to go and ruin it with these stupid poorly animated cartoons and a bad story. I wish that frigging they spent more time making a great story and keeping the whole game immersive and int hat first person view instead of taking me out all the time for loading screens and crap cartoons. A multiplayer would have also been nice where you could have like a 32 person online race where you're all bunched together and the first person to get to the end wins, you coulda added a Road Rash like thing where you could push eachother over as you pass them.
The worst thing about the game though is how theres all these hard slow bits that just arn't any fun. The game gives the illusion of freedom and thats what I want but instead quite often it only gives you one path and its the one you don't want to take. For example theres this bit where you have to do the Space Q Space bit to get into a vent to escape form the guards. I tried to punch through the guards but they are invincible, making that option impossible and it just feels forced as the vent is your only option, I tried to smash through the window but you cant. The worst thing of all is how the space Q space move is so frustrating and hard to pull off..... its hit and miss if it'll work or not and it doesn't matter how you do it. I do it the same each time and sometimes it pulls it off and others it doesn't, it feels more rewarding than frustrating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWeH2r3NpB0&feature=channel_page
This video I'm linking to is me getting frustrated at the game because I want to be moving fast, instead the game seems to want me to stop and swing until I build up speed on them poles. Why? Why wont it just let me jump from pole to pole straight away and keep up speed. The third pipe I'm jumping to always does the same, my character doesn't seem to register that it's a pipe to jump on and I can't get past it. Why on earth did they put a spawn point so close to the frigging roof? Sometimes when I respawn I run off it forgetting theres the ledge right infront of me.
Mirror's Edge could have been so good but it's these moments that make it frustrating and the annoying thing is, theres no feedback from the game and you don't learn because you can do it the same time each time and sometimes it'll do it and sometimes it wont. I don't want these slow moments, I want it to be fast all the way through and fun.
With Portal they made it easy but fun all the way through to get you used to a new concept and I wish'd they did the same with Mirror's Edge. Some Modders released Portal prelude which was really hard and frustrating and it was no fun. See the problem with Portal Prelude is they made the puzzles easy but doing them really hard and that is frustrating... the genius of Portal was Valve made it so once you worked out the puzzle it was easy to perform and that is the right step to take and one I wish'd Mirror's Edge learnt from.
I would just like to add while Mirror's Edge has lots of downfalls it is my fave game of 2008 because it feels so refreshing and I loved the first person platforming and the style of the game. It made me have hope for the future that there might be more innovating big titles out there instead of the rehashed stuff we've seen over the years. I just wish'd they told the story in the game instead of the cartoons and they got rid of the slow indoor moments and that they had multiplayer. Thats why I can only give this a 4/5 because even though I did have lots of fun with it, the game didn't feel finished, however everyone should pick Mirror's Edge up!
As you can see with this final video I recorded, Mirror's Edge can have it's amazing moments...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nddsovhICMY&feature=channel_page
Despite all the hate I have for certain aspects of this game, like my title said it holds a place in my heart. I havn't felt so much joy in a game since Half-Life 2 and thats because it just feels so right and I want to give it a 5/5 but it falls short. My heart says 5/5 but my head says theres so much they can do better. I did originally give Mirror's Edge a 3/5 but I felt that is too low for a game I had so much fun in and sure they can add lots to Mirror's Edge better but you could say that about every game.
