In trying to create a first-person parkour simulator, DICE did exceedingly well. You might not glide gracefully through the landscape as those found in youtube videos, but there is an exhilaration in the freedom of movement you have while navigating the landscape. Adding to that experience, they’ve also nailed down the sensation of speed and inertia of movement. It all combines into an incredibly fun game mechanic.

So, it’s a disappointment when the game forces your hand in dealing with confrontations with the police. As elegant as freerunning in the game is, the combat is unrefined. You can use firearms but it’s not in keeping with the game’s spirit. A variety of punches and kicks are available to use, but hardly any of these attacks really flow together. The smart option is to disarm opponents but you’re only given a slim window of opportunity to do so. That small opening is only available during a particular melee animation, so you’ll end up just running up to the police and waiting for their animations to trigger, and even then, it doesn’t always seem to work.

The story is boilerplate and poorly put-together with characters just going through the motions. The bulk of the narrative is told through 2D animations, which is befuddling (time constraints?) because the in-game models and environments look great. The art direction here is top notch. I love the stark, sanitary world-look. There’s a certain isolationist feel that comes with it, which they lean too far towards. I think that would be my only criticism about it. Aside from the police you encounter, areas are otherwise unpopulated and desolate to the point of eerie.

Even after the short singleplayer, I’ve booted up Mirror’s Edge a few times just to run around a bit. From what I hear, sales have been less than stellar, which is disheartening because DICE really hit something special here. The game is saddled with some frustrating instances, but it definitely deserves better.