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Mirror's Edge is a beautiful game with amazing first person platforming, but falls over with frustrating combat sequences and disjointed cinematics.
The graphics are fantastic and I really loved the aesthetic, even if others found the colors too clean and simple. The depth of field blur was very nice also. I spent quite a bit of time just looking around and enjoying the look and feel of the world around me, despite the fact that it was not a bustling metropolis like Liberty City.
I loved all of the platforming sequences. Being chased really gave me that sense of urgency and dread. Running through some officers while platforming was also fun, even if I died a few times trying to pull it off.
Where the game fell flat was on the forced combat sequences. I was (still am) hell bent on never firing a bullet in this game. Therefore, being stuck in a gated area and forced to deal with a bunch of police shooting at me was a royally frustrating pain in the ass. These sequences required numerous trial and error attempts to find a way to win.
Speaking of combat, the quick-timer events (i.e. disarming foes) did not feel right at all. On sooooooo many occasions I felt like I hit the button at the right time, only to be slapped down and killed instead.
The other big problem was in the cut scenes. I read one review which said the cut scenes look like rejected Esurance commercials. This really nails exactly what they look like and also speaks to how engaging and effective they are. Which is to say that they suck and are neither engaging nor effective.
Though a great parkour simulation with excellent platforming, Mirror's Edge cannot overcome its dismal failures in combat and cut scenes. All in all, though, I believe that EA and DICE both deserve credit for taking the risk on this game. I hope to see another iteration in a year or two and will definitely spend my $60 to support the effort.
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