A storyline too...
The environment in Mirror’s Edge is littered with obstacles and escape routes that you need to take in order to evade capture. They’ll be many different routes to choose from with split-second decision needing to be made, but the game will also use a system called '"Runner Vision" which will see interactive objects highlighted on screen as you approach them."Runner Vision" won't impact on your freedom however, and although the highlighted routes will lead you in the right direction, they may not be the optimal route or the most interesting!
You’ll be able to chain moves together through expert timing and momentum as you dart around the city. Both of these things will play a big part in the game if you’re hoping to take a safe route to your final destination. Lose your speed and momentum and you could end up taking a nasty fall or getting captured by government officials.
DICE say that it has focused heavily on movement in the game and as you climb drainpipes, leap from building to building and traverse the environment, the camera angles will move with you and around you in an attempt to capture the feeling of speed and danger. A quick look at the trailer on the first page appears as though they've nailed it.
The developer could have could have gone down the road of using Quick Timer Events (QTE’s) similar to that used in the likes of ‘The Bourne Conspiracy’, in which you need to wait for a prompt to appear on screen before pressing the corresponding button on your d-pad to trigger a cut-scene, but instead there’s far more freedom here to tackle the obstacles the way you want.
Vaulting, jumping, somersaulting, diving, sliding hurdling and other movements in the game are all handled via the control pad or keyboard and its in your hands as to which movement you make and which path you take.
Combat does feature in Mirror's Edge, but it’s not the game’s main focus and although you can carry out some simple hand-to-hand combat moves and handle a variety of weapons, the game ensures that you remain focused on the running aspect by making Faith run slower when armed, therefore making escape more difficult. She'll also drop her weapon once a magazine runs out.
With a story penned by the award-winning writer Rhianna Pratchett, daughter of acclaimed author Terry, Mirror’s Edge has all the ingredients to make one heck of a game. It's clear that it's is going to be bring something different to the action adventure genre and judging by the information so far, the trailers and the screenshots, it looks like it could have the whole package.
Click for larger imageCheck out more screenshots overleaf