Mirror’s Edge: Demo Impressions

Yes, I know the demo was released on PSN yesterday. However I have a 360 and I had to feverishly wait for the demo to go up today. Ever since I saw the first videos for this, I’ve been excited to get my hands on it. I didn’t have a chance to at PAX since the crowd was so large, but being able to watch someone else play the demo on an HD screen was a pretty cool experience.

So after months of anticipation, the moment of truth: Does the demo live up to the high-flying hype of this game?

The demo begins (as most demos do) with a tutorial that explains all of the controls: Left button for jumping, left trigger for sliding, right button for turning 180 degrees, right trigger for punching, and so on. What surprised me a bit was the amount of ways you could use this simple controls for some pretty neat combos–like jumping off a building, landing into a roll then taking out a cop with a sliding kick.

I think the only part I had a bit of difficulty with was using the red highlighted objects as springboards. For some reason, either because of my own bad timing or the game, I just couldn’t seem to consistently use this mechanic properly. Then again, it took me a few tries to also get the wallrun-turn-jump combo down, so I’ll chalk it up to my own inexperience on the controls. It seems like one of those games where it is easy to pick up the basics, but it takes time to really master the controls and have some good flow. Some of the controls, like using X to slow time, seemed a little bit misplaced and somewhat unnecessary, however they do add to the game’s cinematic aesthetic.

Speaking of the flow, the way the camera moves in this game is nothing short of amazing. I know there were some concerns about having a freerunning game in a first person perspective, but overall I feel like it was executed very well. You have a very good hold on your view, and the game also tends to be a little forgiving if you’re not exactly on your mark. I think my one complaint might be that it doesn’t feel like you’re going terribly fast when you’re running through the level.

However the rest of the gameplay is so good that this is fairly negligible; you’ll be so distracted by jumping and swinging all over the place that you probably won’t even notice. It was probably also done so that people wouldn’t get terribly motion sick while playing. The view corresponds so well with the movements that sometimes it’s hard to believe you’re actually playing and not just watching a cut scene.

Also, if you’re doing anything wrong the game will let you know right away. Taking a wrong turn or trying to jump to the wrong building leads to instant death, however you regenerate pretty quickly so it doesn’t take away from the fast pace of the gameplay. Even though directions on where to go in the game aren’t terribly explicit, you learn fast from your mistakes. Plus, part of the fun in the game is finding your own way around obstacles.

Gameplay mechanics aside, I was pleased to see what a piece of art this game really is. You can tell that there was a lot of thought and love put into the game’s creation. I was worried that the white-blue-red would start to irritate the eyes after a while, however clips provided after the demo show a number of different environments with equally beautiful color schemes of their own. The game stands out like a shining gem amid the gritty gray and brown toned next gen games the market has been seeing. Even the music provides the proper tone for the game.

I think my real concern is for the game’s depth. From the trailers we see bits and piece of the story, but in the demo I felt like the story wasn’t in the forefront of the game. Even if it is “just a demo,” it would have given off a better impression overall if there had been some sort of connection to the story’s plot–just enough to keep the player intrigued.

This game has the potential to push the game industry further into the realm of art, and I hope that this game can really step up and deliver. I don’t want to get my hopes up too high on the fumes of the hype machine, but this is still a game I am greatly looking forward too. The demo is very promising, and if you haven’t already I highly recommend giving it a try.