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''Mirror's Edge'' is an
action-adventure The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...
developed by
DICE Dice (singular die or dice) are small, throwable objects with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. They are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, role-playing ...
and published by
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the ...
. It was released for
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
and
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
in 2008, and for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
in 2009. Set in a near-future city, the game follows the story of Faith Connors, an underground
parkour Parkour () is an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners (called ''traceurs'') attempt to get from point A to point B in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without assisting equipment and often while performing ...
courier who transmits messages while evading government surveillance. To progress through the game, the player must control Faith from a first-person perspective and complete a series of levels that involve performing a sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres, including jumping between rooftops, running across walls, and sliding down zip lines. Inspired by chase scenes featured in '' Casino Royale'' and the '' Bourne'' films, ''Mirror's Edge'' features hundreds of first-person animations to convey Faith's movement and interactions with the environment. Although the game is powered by
Unreal Engine 3 Unreal Engine (UE) is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter game '' Unreal''. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genre ...
, a new lighting solution, which is able to reflect colors and create a lot of soft shadows, was created to give the game a unique art style. The game deliberately makes use of strong
primary color A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a ...
s, with outdoor environments predominantly featuring white and distinctively lacking in green. The game was written by
Rhianna Pratchett Rhianna Pratchett (born 30 December 1976) is an English video game writer and journalist. She has worked on '' Heavenly Sword'' (2007), ''Overlord'' (2007), '' Mirror's Edge'' (2008) and ''Tomb Raider'' (2013) and its follow up, '' Rise of the ...
, and its score was composed by electronic music artist
Solar Fields Magnus Birgersson, better known by his stage name Solar Fields, is a Swedish electronic music artist. As of 2014, he has released fifteen albums, and has also scored all interactive in-game music for the Electronic Arts game '' Mirror's Edge ...
, while the main theme song was composed by Swedish producers Rami Yacoub and
Arnthor Birgisson Arnthor Birgisson (Icelandic: Arnþór Birgisson, born 12 February 1976 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic-Swedish songwriter and producer. Arnþór moved to Sweden in 1978 at age two and lives in Stockholm. Information As young Arn� ...
and performed by Swedish pop star Lisa Miskovsky. Upon release, ''Mirror's Edge'' received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its visuals and immersive first-person perspective, but some criticized its
trial and error Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying. According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (18 ...
gameplay and restrictive levels. The game sold more than two million copies worldwide and won Adventure Game of the Year at the 2009
Interactive Achievement Awards The D.I.C.E. Awards (formerly the Interactive Achievement Awards) is an award show in the video game industry started in 1998 and commonly referred to in the industry as the "video games Oscar". The awards are arranged by the Academy of Inte ...
. Retrospectively, the game has grown in esteem and developed a passionate fanbase due to its unique style. A prequel to the game, also titled '' Mirror's Edge'', was released for
mobile device A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...
s in 2010. A
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
that explores a new origin story for Faith, titled ''
Mirror's Edge Catalyst ''Mirror's Edge Catalyst'' is a first-person action-adventure platform game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in June 2016. It is a reboot of the 2008 game that ...
'', was released in 2016.


Gameplay

''Mirror's Edge'' is an
action-adventure The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...
where the player must control the protagonist, Faith Connors, from a first-person perspective and navigate a city. To progress through the game and its storyline, the player needs to complete a series of levels that involve performing a linear sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres. These include jumping between rooftops, running across walls, climbing pipes, walking along ledges, sliding down zip lines, and getting past opponents controlled by the game's
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech ...
. Faith's arms, legs, and torso are prominent and their visibility is used to convey her movement and interactions with the environment. Her
momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. If is an object's mass ...
is an important aspect of the gameplay, as preserving it through multiple obstacles allows the player to run faster, jump farther and climb higher. To help players chain moves seamlessly, the game employs a navigation system, called Runner Vision, which turns certain objects in a bold red color as Faith approaches them, allowing the player to instantly recognize paths and escape routes. Although the player can perform melee attacks and disarm opponents, using weapons is generally discouraged as they slow Faith down and hinder her acrobatic abilities. For example, carrying a weapon that is heavier than a pistol prevents the player from being able to jump and grab ledges. Weapons have a finite magazine and must be discarded when they run out of ammunition. If Faith has preserved enough momentum, the player may use an ability called Reaction Time, which temporarily slows the gameplay down and allows the player to time their next move. Faith has a certain amount of
health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...
which automatically regenerates when she does not take damage for a brief period. If Faith falls off a significantly high position or her health is fully depleted, the player must start the level again from the latest checkpoint. In each level, the player may also find and collect three hidden yellow bags. These encourage the player to explore the game and unlock achievements. In addition to the game's story mode, ''Mirror's Edge'' features a time trial mode where the player must complete courses as fast as possible. Each course is divided into multiple sections and has three qualifying times to beat. Although the first courses are unlocked as the player progresses through the story mode, additional courses can be unlocked by beating qualifying times. Records can be uploaded to online leaderboards, where the player can compare their performance with others. The player may also download recordings of other players, called Ghosts, to show them the path they took through a course and help them improve their records. Additional achievements can be unlocked by reaching certain milestones.


Plot

''Mirror's Edge'' is set in a near-future city where life is comfortable and crime is almost non-existent. The city's state of bliss is achieved by an oppressive regime that controls the media and its citizens. An underground crew of
parkour Parkour () is an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners (called ''traceurs'') attempt to get from point A to point B in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without assisting equipment and often while performing ...
couriers, called Runners, operate independently from the city's security and surveillance measures, delivering private goods and sensitive information across the city. At the same time, a new candidate, Robert Pope, is challenging the incumbent Mayor Callaghan on a platform of
deregulation Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a ...
. The game follows the story of Faith Connors, a 24-year-old Runner who lost her mother when she was campaigning against the city shifting from its vibrant atmosphere to its current regime 18 years before the events of the game. Faith was trained by former Runner Mercury "Merc", who now provides her with intelligence and radio support. Faith's twin sister, Kate, is a disciplined police officer who has a lot of affection for Faith but is also committed to protecting the city. After completing a delivery to fellow Runner Celeste, Faith learns that Pope has been killed and that her sister has been framed for his murder. Faith tries to get Kate to flee with her, but she refuses, saying it would only make her look guilty. After making her way through the city's
storm drain A storm drain, storm sewer (United Kingdom, U.S. and Canada), surface water drain/sewer (United Kingdom), or stormwater drain (Australia and New Zealand) is infrastructure designed to drain excess rain and ground water from impervious surfa ...
s, Faith learns from former Runner Jacknife that Pope's head of security, Travis "Ropeburn" Burfield, may be connected to Pope's murder. She then infiltrates Ropeburn's office, where she overhears him setting up a secret meeting at an unfinished building. Faith informs Kate's wary superior officer, Lieutenant Miller, of what she has learned, but he refuses to help her. Later at the meeting, Faith confronts Ropeburn, who admits that he framed Kate and hired someone to kill Pope, but he is killed by a sniper shortly afterwards. Before he dies, Ropeburn tells Faith that he was going to meet the assassin at the New Eden Mall. Faith heads there, but the killer flees once they see Faith. Lacking other leads, Faith investigates the security firm that has begun aiding the police forces in capturing Runners. She finds that they are behind Project Icarus, a program designed to train special forces to eliminate Runners and control the city. Faith follows the trail of Ropeburn's killer to a boat that is docked at a nearby wharf. There, she learns that the assassin is Celeste, who decided to collude with Project Icarus to live a more comfortable life. She also explains that Pope had to be killed because he was seen as a threat, especially once he discovered Project Icarus. With Kate convicted for Pope's murder, Merc helps Faith find a way to ambush the police convoy that is transporting her to prison. Faith succeeds and sends Kate to Merc's hideout while she leads the police forces away. Upon her return, Faith finds Merc critically injured and his hideout completely ransacked. Before he dies, Merc tells Faith that Kate has been taken to the Shard, the tallest skyscraper in the city and Callaghan's fortress. With Miller's help, Faith breaks into the Shard, destroying the servers that run the city's surveillance systems. On the rooftop helipad, she finds Kate held at gunpoint by Jacknife, who reveals that he is also part of Project Icarus. As Jacknife takes Kate onto a departing helicopter, Faith jumps onto it and knocks him out to his death. Faith and Kate then jump off to safety before the helicopter crashes. During the game's end credits, the media reports that Faith's actions have only served to intensify the city's security and that the location of both Faith and Kate remains unknown.


Development

''Mirror's Edge'' was developed by the Swedish company
DICE Dice (singular die or dice) are small, throwable objects with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. They are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, role-playing ...
as part of an effort to create something fresh and interesting, anticipating a need to diversify away from the successful ''
Battlefield A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troops ...
'' franchise the studio was known for. The game was conceived in July 2006, when the studio decided to create a first-person game that would not be like a traditional
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
, a genre that was considered very crowded at the time. Because first-person shooters typically focus on weapons and technology, the studio wanted ''Mirror's Edge'' to focus on the player character and their physicality. The opening chase scene of '' Casino Royale'' and the way Jason Bourne fights and runs in the '' Bourne'' film series were major inspirations for the game. Originally, the development team experimented with the player being able to drive vehicles, but the idea was ultimately dropped because they felt it would break the flow of the game. The game's protagonist emerged from a sketch illustrating an athletic female hacker, who art director Johannes Söderqvist felt suited the game very well. He explained that he was interested in a strong female character that would appeal to both women and men, and who became a hero not because of high-tech weapons, but because of her physical abilities. Although some of the game's first-person mechanics were first prototyped in the ''
Battlefield 2 ''Battlefield 2'' is a first-person shooter video game, developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows in June 2005 as the third game in the ''Battlefield'' franchise. Players fight in a modern battlefield, using mode ...
'' engine, ''Mirror's Edge'' was built using
Epic Games Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, ...
'
Unreal Engine 3 Unreal Engine (UE) is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter game '' Unreal''. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genre ...
because DICE's own
Frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in t ...
engine was still in the early stages of its development cycle when production of the game started. Creating all the first-person animations proved to be an ambitious task, but it was considered essential to help orient players in the game world. The game has hundreds of first-person animations and simple moves like using a ladder has over 40 animations alone. These include interactions such as jumping into it from multiple positions, climbing it up or down, or hanging on it with one hand. Although the game has a believable first-person perspective, it is not meant to be a simulation. For example, the player is able to stop quickly after a full sprint because the development team felt that keeping the inertia would make the gameplay irritating. To animate the character's in-game shadows, a different animation system runs simultaneously. The only information that is visible in the game's
heads-up display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...
is a small reticle in the center of the screen, which was added to lessen the simulation sickness associated with the free movement of the camera in first-person view. ''Mirror's Edge'' deliberately makes use of strong
primary color A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a ...
s, with outdoor environments predominantly featuring white and distinctively lacking in green. According to senior producer Owen O'Brien, this stylistic choice grew out of the gameplay, as it allows the player to focus on the Runner Vision guidance. It also serves as a health meter because the colors become less saturated as Faith starts to take damage. A new lighting solution, called Beast, was developed by Illuminate Labs, a company based in south of Sweden, in association with DICE. This technology is able to reflect colors and create a lot of soft shadows, giving the game a unique art style. Getting the
lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing dayl ...
right was a difficult process for the development team, as it involved a lot of hand tweaking and a considerable amount of time to render each level. To speed up the rendering process, DICE invested in around 400
CPU A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor or just processor, is the electronic circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program. The CPU performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, a ...
cores, which were kept cool in a separate room by a very big air conditioning unit. The storm drains in the game's third level were inspired by Tokyo's Underground Discharge Channel. The game's animated
cutscenes A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
were created by an external agency because DICE had no experience with 2D animations, while some of the game's art assets were created by a company based in Shanghai, China. The game's working title was "Project Faith" until it was changed to its current one in mid 2007, suggesting that the game's city is a mirror to its inhabitants. American TV series ''
Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
'' and its film spin-off '' Serenity'' were cited as major influences on the setting. Writer
Rhianna Pratchett Rhianna Pratchett (born 30 December 1976) is an English video game writer and journalist. She has worked on '' Heavenly Sword'' (2007), ''Overlord'' (2007), '' Mirror's Edge'' (2008) and ''Tomb Raider'' (2013) and its follow up, '' Rise of the ...
, who was hired a year and a half before the game was released, described the society portrayed in the game as somewhere between an anti-utopia and a
nanny state Nanny state is a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. The term likens such a government to the role that a nanny has in child rearing. An early ...
, stating that the game explores the contrast between citizens who give up their personal freedom for a comfortable life and those who prefer to live on the edge freely. O'Brien deliberately chose not to give the city a proper name because it was considered an amalgamation of many different cities, blending both
East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
and
West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
aesthetics. Around two and a half hours of in-game music were composed by electronic music artist
Solar Fields Magnus Birgersson, better known by his stage name Solar Fields, is a Swedish electronic music artist. As of 2014, he has released fifteen albums, and has also scored all interactive in-game music for the Electronic Arts game '' Mirror's Edge ...
. To ensure there was a good flow between the player and the game world, the score was designed to be very interactive and different parts transition seamlessly. The game's main theme song, "Still Alive", was composed by Swedish producers Rami Yacoub and
Arnthor Birgisson Arnthor Birgisson (Icelandic: Arnþór Birgisson, born 12 February 1976 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic-Swedish songwriter and producer. Arnþór moved to Sweden in 1978 at age two and lives in Stockholm. Information As young Arn� ...
and performed by Swedish pop star Lisa Miskovsky. The game went gold on November 6, 2008 and took nearly two years to complete.


Marketing and release

''Mirror's Edge'' was first revealed to be in development when an image of Faith holding a pistol was released in June 2007. The game was formally announced by
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the ...
at E3 in July 2007, where DICE stated that they wanted to bring innovation to established first-person mechanics. A video featuring in-game footage was presented at the
Game Developers Conference The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for video game developers. The event includes an expo, networking events, and awards shows like the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival, and a variety of tuto ...
in February 2008, while a playable demonstration of the game was showcased at E3 in July 2008. At that year's E3 Game Critics Awards, ''Mirror's Edge'' won Best Original Game. New in-game footage showing a portion of the game's third level was subsequently presented at the
Games Convention The Games Convention (GC), sometimes called the Leipzig Games Convention, was an annual video game event held in Leipzig, Germany, first held in 2002. Besides video games, the event also covers Infotainment, Hardware, and Edutainment. Its c ...
in
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
, Germany in August 2008. To stimulate interest in the game's universe, Electronic Arts partnered with
WildStorm Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wild ...
to produce a six-issue
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
adaptation drawn by artist
Matthew Dow Smith Matthew Dow Smith (sometimes credited as Matthew Smith) is an American comic book artist. Bibliography * '' Astronauts in Trouble: Live From the Moon'' #1 and #2 * ''Bad Luck Chuck'' #1-5 (Dark Horse) * ''The Book of Fate'' #11 * '' Day of Judg ...
and written by Pratchett. A demo comprising a small portion of the game was released on the
PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smar ...
and
Xbox Live The Xbox network, formerly and still sometimes branded as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It was first made available to the Xbox system on November 15, 2002. A ...
services in October 2008. If the game was pre-ordered at certain retailers, buyers could gain access to a time trial portion of the demo and get a ''Mirror's Edge'' T-shirt by Fenchurch. ''Mirror's Edge'' was first released for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
consoles in North America on November 11, 2008, followed by a European release on November 14, 2008. Alongside the standard edition, a collector's edition, which included a red bag manufactured by
Timbuk2 Timbuk2 is a San Francisco-based bag manufacturer and marketer. The company produces a variety of pre-made and made-to-order bags. Timbuk2 is owned by private equity group TB2 Investors. In 2014, the company was ranked as the 2nd largest manufactu ...
, was made available for purchase. A remix album, '' Still Alive: The Remixes'', featuring the ''Mirror's Edge'' theme song "Still Alive", was also released. Contributing artists include
Benny Benassi Marco "Benny" Benassi (; born 13 July 1967) is an Italian DJ, record producer and remixer. He is widely seen as a pioneer of electro house, a genre brought into the mainstream by his 2002 summer club hit " Satisfaction". He started his career ...
,
Junkie XL Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967), also known by his stage name Junkie XL or occasionally JXL, is a Dutch composer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, producer, and engineer. Originally known for his trance productions, he has moved to producing ...
,
Paul van Dyk Matthias Paul (; born 16 December 1971), known professionally as Paul van Dyk () is a German DJ, record producer and musician. One of the first true renowned DJs, van Dyk was the first artist to receive a Grammy Award nomination in the newly a ...
, Teddybears and Armand van Helden. A
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
version of the game was released in North America on January 13, 2009, and in Europe on January 16, 2009. Unlike its console counterparts, the Microsoft Windows version supports
Nvidia Nvidia CorporationOfficially written as NVIDIA and stylized in its logo as VIDIA with the lowercase "n" the same height as the uppercase "VIDIA"; formerly stylized as VIDIA with a large italicized lowercase "n" on products from the mid 1990s to ...
's PhysX technology, which improves graphical effects such as glass shattering, debris, and smoke. It also includes the SecuROM
digital rights management Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures (TPM) such as access control technologies can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted work ...
software, unless bought on
Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizatio ...
. A new downloadable map for the game's time trial mode was exclusively released on the
PlayStation Store The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable conten ...
for PlayStation 3 users on January 29, 2009. Seven additional time trial maps, which take place in surreal-looking stages outside of the game's city, were released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows versions of the game on February 19, 2009. This was followed by ''Mirror's Edge 2D'', a
browser game A browser game or a "flash game" is a video game that is played via the internet using a web browser. They are mostly free-to-play and can be single-player or multiplayer. Some browser games are also available as mobile apps, PC games, or on ...
adaptation by '' The Fancy Pants Adventures'' developer Brad Borne. A prequel to the game, also titled '' Mirror's Edge'', was released for
mobile device A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...
s in 2010. Due to the use of the "Mirror's Edge"
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from ot ...
, Electronic Arts was in conflict with California-based development studio
Edge Games Edge Games, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher headquartered in Pasadena, California, best known for the practices of its founder and chief executive officer, Tim Langdell, in enforcing trademarks relating to the word "edge", ...
, who claimed the true legal ownership of the word "Edge" and its variations, including the phrases "Cutting Edge", "The Edge", and "Gamer's Edge". Ultimately, Edge Games settled with Electronic Arts and surrendered many of its trademarks on April 17, 2013.


Reception

Upon release, ''Mirror's Edge'' received generally favorable reviews according to review aggregator
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
. The Microsoft Windows version was considered superior to its console counterparts due to its more accurate controls and extra graphical features such as PhysX effects. ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 ...
'' described ''Mirror's Edge'' as an inspiring and "genre-defining" game, while ''
Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website w ...
'' called it "an extraordinary and special game", stating that it takes fatigued first-person mechanics into a new and daring direction. Other reviewers were not as positive towards the game. ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EG ...
'' considered ''Mirror's Edge'' a very divisive game, with both gaping flaws and moments of brilliance. ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
'' felt that the game lacks depth because it forces the player to follow a predefined path, thus failing to capture anything that made parkour popular, while ''
GameRevolution ''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshot ...
'' found the game to be very frustrating and unforgiving. The game's visuals and soundtrack were praised very positively. ''Game Informer'' felt that the mix of protuberant white environments with solid primary colors creates "one of gaming's finest spectacles, and a surreal world for gamers to navigate." The Runner Vision guidance system was said to fit the game's art style, and the setting alone was considered powerful enough to make up the game's story, with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' stating that ''Mirror's Edge'' is more about the environment than the people who inhabit it. Critics remarked that the game's interactive soundtrack makes Faith's runs more fluid, while sound effects such as her breathy heaves and noisy footsteps were said to enhance the sense of speed and tension. The voice acting was also highlighted, with '' IGN'' noting that characters never sound "cheesy or unbelievable". However, the story was criticized for its confusing plot points and the stylistic choice of animated cutscenes were said to lack the dramatic flair of the gameplay. The gameplay was praised for its responsive controls and immersive first-person perspective. ''Game Informer'' noted Faith's fluid acrobatic maneuvers, stating that the game succeeds at making the player feel like they are part of the game world. ''IGN'' editor Nate Ahearn agreed, saying that Faith's movement is accentuated by little nuances on-screen, which together "produce the best feeling of movement and momentum that I've gotten my hands on in a ideo game" The game's
trial and error Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying. According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (18 ...
gameplay frustrated some critics. ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' remarked that the scenarios that involve getting past opponents are particularly annoying and require careful planning because Faith is extremely vulnerable to gunfire. Some reviewers also felt that the levels were too restrictive and linear, offering only a few branching routes for the player to uncover. Although the game was considered to be relatively short, '' 1Up.com'' felt that the option to download Ghosts in the time trial mode adds some longevity to the game. At the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards, ''Mirror's Edge'' was nominated for Best Action Adventure Game, but lost to ''
Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the e ...
''. At the 2009
Interactive Achievement Awards The D.I.C.E. Awards (formerly the Interactive Achievement Awards) is an award show in the video game industry started in 1998 and commonly referred to in the industry as the "video games Oscar". The awards are arranged by the Academy of Inte ...
, the game won Adventure Game of the Year. It was also nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, but lost to ''
LittleBigPlanet ''LittleBigPlanet'' (stylized as ''LittleBIGPlanet''; abbreviated ''LBP'') is a puzzle platform video game series created and produced by British developer Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Most games in the series ...
''.


Sales

DICE marketing director Martin Frain initially projected a total of three million copies of ''Mirror's Edge'' to be sold across all platforms. According to Electronic Arts, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions had combined sold over one million copies as of February 2009. In October 2010, a court document pertaining to the legal conflict between Electronic Arts and Edge Games revealed that ''Mirror's Edge'' had sold more than two million copies worldwide, with more than 750,000 of those copies having been sold in North America. Electronic Arts revealed the game had sold around 2.5 million copies by June 2013.


Legacy

Although ''Mirror's Edge'' received satisfactory reviews upon release, the game has since grown in esteem and developed a passionate fanbase, reaching
cult classic A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
status. In a retrospective analysis, ''Eurogamer'' considered ''Mirror's Edge'' a brave and bold game, stating that no other game at the time tried to expand the potential of first-person action in so many directions. The publication also remarked that, when the game was first released, many people "didn't really 'get' it" because it uses the same template as that of first-person shooters. ''Game Informer'' stated that, while the game is not perfect, it "perfectly balanced innovation and entertainment", and described it as a "more grounded and plausible" platformer than the likes of ''
Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, ...
'' or ''
Prince of Persia ''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is built around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia. The first two games i ...
'', mainly because it took the genre into a new perspective. ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. Histor ...
'' editor Luke Plunkett went so far as to call the game a masterpiece, stating that its unique architecture, colors, characters, perspective, acrobatics, and music give the game a timeless quality. The game's moderate success led DICE to develop ''
Mirror's Edge Catalyst ''Mirror's Edge Catalyst'' is a first-person action-adventure platform game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in June 2016. It is a reboot of the 2008 game that ...
'', a
reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
that explores a new origin story for Faith. ''Catalyst'' was released in 2016 to mixed reviews.


References


External links


''Mirror's Edge'' at EA Games
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