Mirror's Edge

Let's talk about Mirror's Edge, a stylistic FPS without much S. The concept is you're a rooftop runner working for some secret group fighting against the oppressing forces of the city. The game is all about quick acrobatic movement and escaping enemies rather than fighting them. When you do need to fight, you do so unarmed or by taking weapons from your enemies, but usually you just run. As for the stylistic part, the game is mostly bright white. When color is used, it's usually to indicate the path you need to travel. It's also one of the few FPS's I know of where when you look down you can see your body.

It's a great concept, in theory. Buuuuuuuut...

Problem 1: Some enemies are just plain invincible. Sometimes you have a choice between fighting or running, but sometimes you've got to run because you just can't win, period. That WOULD be fine, except when coupled with the much larger problem...

Problem 2: It's not always clear where to go. Yeah maybe the pipes light up and sections of the catwalk, telling you you need to use the pipes to get to the catwalk, but it isn't always clear how. Sometimes there's so much color that it's not clear at all where to go. And if you're being chased by tons of invincible guys with machine guns (see problem 1), you don't always have time to look for a path.

You do get a hint button, but it's nearly worthless. Yeah, I need to get to the door way the hell at the top of the room, but how do I get there? Game's not gonna tell me. And sometimes it just doesn't give you a hint.

The main character, Faith, is appropriately named, because I've made more leaps of faith in this game than I can remember. I just quit for a while after one spot where I feel to my death about 10 times, and I wasn't even being chased. I just can't figure out where to go. To say this is frustrating is an understatement.

Oh, it might help if Faith didn't only grab onto pipes and ledges when she felt like it.

Bottom line: Great concept, some parts are fun, but the experience is marred by shoddy controls and unclear pathways.

Edit: I got past that troubled part by taking a leap of faith, falling to my death, but I guess jumping far enough ahead that I cleared some checkpoint, because I respawned past the gap. That's kinda sad.