Hawty McBloggy Invites You to Play

A slightly dusty and still smelling of disinfectant puke bucket that hasn’t seen use since the Food Poisoning Episode of Summer 2008? Check. One brand new unopened box of miracle no-more-motion-sickness medicine Dramamine? Check. A full bottle of extra strength Tylenol with an accompanying tall glass of icy cold water? Check. After gathering the items I had previously deemed necessary to survive the experience, I was officially ready to start playing Mirror’s Edge, a new first person action-adventure video game featuring the fast-paced and exciting physical activity of parkour. It turned out I would only need one thing from my list of three anticipated items but which one did my extremely prone to motion sickness body require?

The several hours I have spent playing the latest unique game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE has been evenly split between the lackluster campaign and the additively engaging time trial mode. While completion of the game remains outside of my grasp, I have spent enough time with Mirror’s Edge to become irked by some of its almost fatal flaws but, on the opposite side of the spectrum, have also found myself pleasantly surprised by certain aspects of the game I wasn’t expecting to enjoy.

Story mode starts with the typical training level which attempts to teach you various moves and combinations of buttons that will help you safely traverse the seemingly utopian but beautifully sterile city environment. Action controls are relatively easy to adjust to while fighting movements seem slightly off. As someone who’s a big fan of the FPS genre, fighting scenes are dreaded moments of awkward button mashing instead of pleasurable and strategic violent mini-experiences. The slow motion aid available while engaged in a fight seems like a cop out for a poorly designed combat system. The parts of the game that effectively string together exhilarating series of jumps, landings, rolls, and other impressive maneuvers are simply beyond thrilling. The unfortunate parts that drag in between where you attempt to solve overly complicated puzzles or are forced to replay sections of the game due to an ineffective autosave system break up the pace you wish the game would maintain.

Other dreaded moments I have happened upon within Mirror’s Edge include game interrupting loading times and frustratingly long elevator rides. Within the first chapter of story mode alone I found my gameplay interrupted by two intrusive loading times, each at a rather climatic and busy part of the game. The inopportune loading times completely froze the game, stopping the action mid-jump, -stride, -fight, or whatever I happened to be doing at the time until the next sequence was ready. More significant loading times were poorly hidden within elevator rides. The first time I experienced one, I was convinced my game had froze and that I needed to restart my console. Now that I am aware of how long they take, they are the perfect opportunity for a potty break that doesn’t require a pause. Apparently I either pee amazingly fast or the elevator rides are ridiculously long. You make the call.

While the fighting is awkward, the loading times are mismanaged, and the save system is less than optimal (why are there still games that employ poor autosave systems?) in the campaign portion, the game shines in time trial mode. This specific mode allows you to play various landscapes of the game where you hit specific checkpoints and attempt to get the best time possible. You are not running complete levels but instead short episodic tracks that take around two minutes apiece (once you get them down that is). The quest for the quickest possible time is an addictive endeavor that is sure to suck up the majority of your Mirror’s Edge playing time. Allowing for much more freerunning play than the overly restrictive campaign, time trial mode feels like what the game should have been.

Mirror’s Edge has an amazingly unique concept that seems to fall short of its initial potential. Despite some flaws, it still deserves a play through as there is a decent amount of enjoyment to be had. Those prone to motion sickness should note playing it is still an option, just perhaps in shorter doses than normal. Something I found is that I didn’t get overly nauseated with extended sessions but instead wound up with a pounding headache after indulging in more than an hour of play. Campaign mode? Not worth the pain. Time trial mode? Grab yourself a few Tylenol and have at it. Just brace yourself for the sound of your body hitting the pavement. Dozens of falls later and I still cringe. Then I pick myself back up and try again. And again. And again.