Mirror's Edge (For Windows Phone)
Price: Free Demo/$3.49 (AU)
Download Size: 131MB
Marketplace Rating: 5 Stars
Since this game has been announced, I've been obviously quite keen to give it a go - Although it was originally only released on the Lumia Marketplace (apparently?) I'm unsure as to whether it is now available on other Windows Phone Devices as of this moment. Nevertheless, I was excited when I heard it was coming out and downloaded the demo almost instantly - I loved the original Mirror's Edge (On xBox 360 and PC) and really hoped this would be a similar if not exact copy of it, portable.
First Impressions
At first, the whole thing is incredibly exciting. The download size is fairly big for a phone game - But, if it's worth it, it doesn't matter really. So after the semi-long wait, you finally get to see the Menu screen which is almost an exact remake of the original game (not for phones). This was great, I was excited. While the game doesn't seem like it really costs a whole heap, always go for the demo (if there is one available) before you buy a game, just incase it's not what you expect. Even if it's $0.99, it's just better to check it out before you buy it, simple as that.
Starting a new game, you can instantly see that this is not going to be as close to the original game as first thought. While I'd love to add more screenshots, we all know the capability of Windows Phones being able to take screenshots is not exactly present, so forgive me for this.
The Bad
At first, the graphics will seem rather blocky - but remember, this is a phone, graphics can't really get that much better than what they have achieved without it being either consistently lagging or having a massive download size, or both. They managed to hit right in the middle of all this. Anyway, the game is not as 3D as the original, so don't expect to ever see classic shots like this:
That first person view of Mirror's Edge was one of the reasons I really loved the entire experience. You were the runner - not just a set person in a story, even though to an extent you were in the cut scenes and such. The phone game is not first person, it's actually a side view, similar to Super Mario, as seen here:
Admittedly, the whole thing left me more disappointed than I'd like to be. While you can still run, jump, slide, wall run etc. It just really doesn't have the feel of the original game. The tutorial you go through is pretty simple, but once you get to the second level it becomes slightly more challenging, and I found myself lost a few times, stuck in a hole I couldn't properly get out of because I missed a jump somewhere. It's a very arcade-style version of Mirror's Edge, and it's official - So it's from the original creators themselves. It feels somewhat like a side-on view of Temple Run.
The Good
While, as I mentioned, the game is not really close to the original, it can't really be expected of them to be able to create a game in first person with similar or all aspects of the original game. It really just is an arcade version of Mirror's Edge, and if you look at it like that, the game itself really isn't that bad. The graphics are neat of the cityscape, and quite well done, probably where the semi-big download size comes from. It's peaceful, but the soundtrack seems a little full on very early.
The controls are fairly workable, sometimes you'll end up sliding or jumping or doing something a bit silly when you slide in slightly the wrong direction with your finger, but it just means you have to pay a lot of attention and get the controls down pretty quick. They're not exactly difficult, just need some getting used to.
The Verdict/Should I buy it?
The game itself just doesn't feel like the original, but it's still nostalgic. Seeing Faye jumping from building to building and over those little/not so little red objects just brings back good memories, and a glimmer of hope for Mirror's Edge 2 being a possibility? I certainly hope so!
The game itself is hard to say whether you should buy it or not. Any fans of the series definitely need to at least give the Demo a go, I know personally even though I loved Mirror's Edge, I won't be buying this phone version. It's just not the Mirror's Edge I remember - But it really all comes down to opinion, give it a go!
(As a Nostalgic Game) My Rating: 5.0
(As an Arcade Game) My Rating: 8.5
Ahh! The confusion!
