Mirror’s Edge Series Review (Xbox, PlayStation & PC)

For the longest time it felt as if Mirror’s Edge was on the precipice of parkour-based innovation. At the time of its initial launch, the mere thought of being able to freely explore and daisy chain through towering city skylines and stained glass monoliths was considered difficult, yet not impossible. But then, as if to strike a match beneath an uncharted wick, Mirror’s Edge came in to prove that parkour could be infused with an action-oriented world. It wasn’t the first to dabble in the concept of merging the two together, but boy did it help popularize it and bring it to the forefront of the mainstream.

Mirror’s Edge might not have had the stamina to span a handful of iterations outside of its first two chapters, but that isn’t to say that it didn’t uphold its promise to conceive and deliver a two-piece journey that would ultimately mirror the finesse and complexity of a stern yet seamless parkour experience. Granted, it didn’t do much to reinvent the wheel in terms of its storytelling style, nor did it go above and beyond to capture the spirit of a timeless protagonist with oh-so-many likable traits and evergreen moments of great personal triumph or growth. But, that was never what Mirror’s Edge was billed to be; it was destined to swivel heads with a fluid and immersive free running experience that could, in essence, transport you to the inner sanctum of a world born to defy gravity and make simple maneuvers feel graceful and satisfying. It didn’t deliver in other wings of its kingdom, but it certainly captured the drive and the imagination of its audience, with every lunge, every barrel roll, and every ascent feeling like a brittle walk on the wild side in a glass utopia.

There was something unique about the way in which Mirror’s Edge presented itself, not so much in terms of its character portrayals, but in its sleek red-and-white porcelain style—a blueprint that would later be used to form the backbone for the series’ primary free running gameplay mechanics. It wasn’t the prettiest of worlds, though it was one that injected a huge amount of excitement into each nook and cranny, whether it was on a towering skyscraper or in the scaffolding of a futuristic construction site. The crimson red bled into open-ended possibilities, and the white canvas soon became an enormous sandbox for creative expression and artistic flair.

While it was the original chapter that gave birth to an innovative blueprint, it was Catalyst that paved the way for a new generation of fluid controls and buttery smooth transitions, consequential effects and high-octane multi-terrain wizardry. And it wasn’t just the parkour that evolved with the times, either; it was the fact that it also found opportunities to improve and expand its world and terrain, obstacles and other environmental challenges. It never developed a perfect narrative, and it still left out some key details that could have been easily addressed in order to flesh out the shortcomings and overall character flaws. That said, Catalyst made good on its promise to build on its previous success with a cleaner, smoother, and more flexible experience.

Say what you will about the downfalls. The truth is, there aren’t all that many IPs that can replicate the same elements of an authentic parkour experience as well as Mirror’s Edge. It’s a little dated as far as audio and visual effects go, true, and it doesn’t always get everything right, nor does it do enough to capture the attention of every single person in the room with its often slow-paced feel. Even still, where most series have often failed to capture the beating heart of an adrenaline-soaked world, Mirror’s Edge has always been able to connect the dots and provide a worthwhile experience that foots the bill. It’s almost a shame, really, that it hasn’t received a boatload of new installments over its tenure as Focus’ once-loved poster child. Nevertheless, Mirror’s Edge remains one of the cleanest and most reliable series when it comes to parkour emulation, and it will continue to hold that status long after its final run across the rooftops.

Verdict

Mirror’s Edge represents the best of parkour-centric video games with its signature free-flowing gameplay and iconic color palette, its futuristic setting and its surprisingly in-depth mechanics. It doesn’t deliver the best storyline in the world, and its characters are far from perfect, much less memorable. That being said, the series has been more than consistent with its ability to bring engaging gameplay to the forefront of the experience, despite having little else to fortify the axis, so to speak. But then, as I mentioned earlier, Mirror’s Edge has never been one for channeling great plot points, only immersive physics and sleek visuals.

Given the lack of parkour games on the market, it does make sense that Mirror’s Edge would continue to garner attention from fans of the genre in future years. As for whether or not there is still a little extra milk in this particular cash cow is another question, though, sadly, one that also isn’t likely to receive a concrete answer for the foreseeable future. Mirror’s Edge may be on the cusp of a shallow grave, but that isn’t to say that its headstone is one without influence or social standing. The story might have been told, but if you take a gander at any new parkour game on the block, then you’ll more than likely catch a reference to Mirror’s Edge. Frankly, not many other IPs can boast such a gargantuan feat.

Of course, if you are unfamiliar with the series, and have yet knuckle in on a parkour game that mirrors the flawless techniques and gratifying maneuvers, then consider Mirror’s Edge as your gateway into a whole new dimension of calculated risks and rewards, intense physics-based trickery and fleeting moments of an anti-gravity sort. Better yet, if it’s a sturdy parkour-based foothold that you want to dig your fingers into, then you honestly needn’t look any further than the apex of Focus’ royal red poster child.