Mirror's Edge

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1468 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,044 out of 1468
  2. Mixed: 313 out of 1468
  3. Negative: 111 out of 1468
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  1. ADarker
    May 7, 2013
    6
    It has potential, but the frustration is just too much. You are going to die, a lot. And most of the times because of game's mechanics, where the protagonist just won't grab a ledge for some reason.
    I didn't play it all the way through but I think it's safe to say that the missions' guidelines are nonexistent.
    I just spent 30 minutes running in circle, being chased by armed guards,    It has potential, but the frustration is just too much. You are going to die, a lot. And most of the times because of game's mechanics, where the protagonist just won't grab a ledge for some reason.
    I didn't play it all the way through but I think it's safe to say that the missions' guidelines are nonexistent.
    I just spent 30 minutes running in circle, being chased by armed guards, unable to figure out where am I supposed to go. I suppose I could keep trying, if I knew how to fight them. At least my copy of the game has a glitch: the tutorial mission stuck's at a certain point, keeps me trying over and over again the wall-jump thing and forces me to just start the story with no idea how to play properly.
    The soundtrack is one of the best I've heard and overall atmosphere is very very nice.
    I bet the game will kick ass on consoles, presumably without the tutorial-problem.    … Expand
  2. X_Matt_X
    Nov 4, 2012
    7
    This is a breath of fresh air from the common RPG or action game. The concept is so foreign to me, and yet so appealing that I just had to pick it up. It turned out to be a rather good decision as I couldn't put it down originally. It's incredibly fun at first, until you reach a point where it gets repetitive and boring. Some glitches or moments when Faith just doesn't feel like climbing.This is a breath of fresh air from the common RPG or action game. The concept is so foreign to me, and yet so appealing that I just had to pick it up. It turned out to be a rather good decision as I couldn't put it down originally. It's incredibly fun at first, until you reach a point where it gets repetitive and boring. Some glitches or moments when Faith just doesn't feel like climbing. I'm giving this game what it deserves in a 7/10 but I hope to see a sequel as it was a great experience nonetheless.… Expand
  3. JonesR
    Jun 10, 2011
    7
    'A' for originality. A very different game than the norm. Suprisingly enjoyable although quite short with little or no replayability. Good attempt at a novel concept. $5 bucket will give you good entertainment value.
  4. muzmuz
    Nov 1, 2015
    7
    Probably one of the most unique FPS games out there. EA totally delivered a new style for FPS. Mirror's Edge is full of exciting gameplay moments. Even though the story is generally bad and nonsensical, the gaming experience is what makes Mirror's Edge stand-out.
  5. EricV
    Dec 3, 2009
    7
    Not a bad game, but if I hadn't paid a mere $5 for it, I would be disappointed. Short, uninteresting story, far too linear. Some parts were really fun, like a lot of the rooftop parts. There's not much replay value besides trying to find quicker paths. Even if you do find a cleverly hidden route, you'll end up meeting back with the main path within 10 seconds.
  6. JoshD
    Aug 24, 2009
    7
    The gameplay and setting are truly revolutionary and I look forward to more games like it. I still felt however, that Mirror's Edge could have been so much more with a few tweaks. First, as others have said, the combat can be frustrating, as can the map layouts occasionally (when you can't find the exit to the next section). I'd really like to see a quicksave, as opposed to The gameplay and setting are truly revolutionary and I look forward to more games like it. I still felt however, that Mirror's Edge could have been so much more with a few tweaks. First, as others have said, the combat can be frustrating, as can the map layouts occasionally (when you can't find the exit to the next section). I'd really like to see a quicksave, as opposed to checkpoint saves, as doing the same path 25 times only to fall on the last obstacle before the next checkpoint really gets old. Finally, I feel like the story could have used better writers, and nearly all the voice actors could have been replaced (Faith was the only major character who didn't sound like she was reading off a cue card). Ultimately, though the foundations are there for game-of-the-year material, it just needs a little more work.… Expand
  7. ave
    Jan 31, 2018
    7
    Mirror Edge has many qualities, among them the fact that it exists in its own design space as a parkour game, has distinctive and readable aesthetics and can be very rewarding.

    Unfortunately for me, my coordination skills aren't that sharp anymore and some trick moves relying on wall run and side jump required many attempts to complete, so the chase at the end of the game was a wall of    Mirror Edge has many qualities, among them the fact that it exists in its own design space as a parkour game, has distinctive and readable aesthetics and can be very rewarding.

    Unfortunately for me, my coordination skills aren't that sharp anymore and some trick moves relying on wall run and side jump required many attempts to complete, so the chase at the end of the game was a wall of difficulty and acted as a stop sign for me.

    I'd have love to be able to finish the game by myself, but my only solution is to watch the ending on youtube. Sad.    … Expand
  8. Tall_But_Short
    Aug 26, 2012
    7
    This is one solid game. Definitely, one of the most creative I have played in the last decade. The atmosphere and graphics are incredible, and the gameplay will be the only thing driving you to finish the game. The ONLY thing. The story in this game isn't anything special and is very forgettable, and that is the biggest fault in this game.
  9. pawq
    May 17, 2018
    7
    Very enjoyable game, especially once you get used to the controls and movement mechanics. Those might feel a bit awkward initially, and will take a few hours to get comfy with. Sadly, the game is so short that after those few hours you're likely near the end of the game, but it's worth replaying in the speedrun mode! Trying to go through the levels as soon as possible pushes you to exploitVery enjoyable game, especially once you get used to the controls and movement mechanics. Those might feel a bit awkward initially, and will take a few hours to get comfy with. Sadly, the game is so short that after those few hours you're likely near the end of the game, but it's worth replaying in the speedrun mode! Trying to go through the levels as soon as possible pushes you to exploit the basic movement mechanics and can be a very fun and rewarding experience. Tip: watch the speedrun videos on youtube after finishing the game, they're amazing!

    The electronic soundtrack makes for a pleasant background, but the story and dialogues are rather disappointing.

    Overall, a pretty fun game for a couple of weeks.    … Expand
  10. Chubac
    Jul 2, 2021
    5
    The atmosphere and music are great but other than that it's a HUGE disappointment.
  11. Justicar
    Sep 4, 2010
    7
    The controls take a while to get used to, but once you get the hang of it the game is kind of a fun little diversion. I picked the game up for $5, at that price it was well worth the money!
  12. Andrew_Paterson
    Mar 2, 2012
    5
    Mirrors Edge probably seemed like a good idea at the time (the concept sounds good to me) but somewhere between thought and execution the game lost it's way - plummeting again, again to the hard streets below. Not to put too fine a point on it, this game is tedious - and very reminiscent of the old 8-bitters where the only way to progress was to learn from death after death.

    Watching    Mirrors Edge probably seemed like a good idea at the time (the concept sounds good to me) but somewhere between thought and execution the game lost it's way - plummeting again, again to the hard streets below. Not to put too fine a point on it, this game is tedious - and very reminiscent of the old 8-bitters where the only way to progress was to learn from death after death.

    Watching your hands drift past what should have been an easy grab or battling to climb onto a low box when fences are easily hopped doesn't help. I'm sort of wondering if it was as an apology that the game sometimes moves you forward a check-point when you die. My cynical soul, though, assumes it's just a bug.    … Expand
  13. awildseaking
    Sep 17, 2011
    7
    Good game, typical EA **** Game has massive drm and requires internet connection to play, so once again publishers **** over a unique and well executed game.
  14. ConR
    Dec 29, 2009
    5
    Some incredibly figity controls make this game one of the most annoying and infuriating games i have ever played! While it is also the only game i've ever played like it. It's fun... sometimes and rewarding even less of the time! It's quite hard from the camera angle to actually get what the character is doing all the time. Which makes improvement in a particular area of Some incredibly figity controls make this game one of the most annoying and infuriating games i have ever played! While it is also the only game i've ever played like it. It's fun... sometimes and rewarding even less of the time! It's quite hard from the camera angle to actually get what the character is doing all the time. Which makes improvement in a particular area of the gameplay just pure chance. Be prepared to get stuck on area's and be frustrated. Good innovation, poor execution.… Expand
  15. metacriticFAN
    Aug 22, 2012
    7
    [Mirror
  16. Paperinik
    Oct 20, 2011
    6
    It's a glorified tech demo. It has it's charms but in the end it feels like an unfinished, unpolished product. It has some great part and ideas which it delivers in a way that could be fun and exciting, but it also contain elements that is so poorly executed that it's almost insulting(fighting and shooting mainly)
  17. hit925
    Dec 30, 2011
    5
    The game is far too short and there are issues everywhere, such as dim enemies, control issues and the drabness of the setting. However, the core gameplay does work most of the time. The whole idea does make sense. A sequel should be made because somewhere in this idea, there is a great game to be made.
  18. PifuLona
    May 5, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Whats good about this game: The graphics. And the feeling. God, it feels so smooth and free. Well, until you fall off because Faith resisted to jump. Or because you thought that you may go this way but NO, you cannot. You die Thats probably the worst aspect of the game: its omnipresent linearity.. I mean, you see a roof which doesn´t lead you anywhere, but its near so why don´t explore it? Well, because, even if the hight isn´t to high, you die. Not cool. Also, there is ONE way to the exit. One. No side ways. Thats not that bad, because the ways are obvious enough, most of the times. Hints are ok, even if not useful at every time. I mean, what does it help me to know where the exit is, if i don´t know how to reach it? Ok, but enough nagging. Because mostly, this game is butter. I mentioned the controls already, sometimes you just fall of because you apparently didn´t hit the button hard enough. But lets forget about that for a moment. Because most of the time, you just slide trough the beautiful clean world. The story is helping I think, because its no big mind bordering stuff. Honestly, you can forget about that completely. All you have to do is running and jumping. And man, thats just smooth. You navigate Faith from cut-scene to cut-scene. Doesn´t sound challenging? Well, perhaps it isn´t. And jumping and running are not that great variety of actions. But the good looking surroundings with different aims (more jumping or running) makes up for that. At the end all I can say is: It isn´t the best game I´e ever played. But it was definitely worth the feeling.… Expand
  19. AVdE
    Jun 18, 2016
    5
    Awesome concept, horrible execution. I really hate super negative reviews and I really really appreciate that the game tries to be unique in an environment where creativity is a rare sight in most AAA studios. Not only in its gameplay, but in the art style as well, it's great.

    What isn't great is the level design. On top of the far too many trial and error moments, the levels are very    Awesome concept, horrible execution. I really hate super negative reviews and I really really appreciate that the game tries to be unique in an environment where creativity is a rare sight in most AAA studios. Not only in its gameplay, but in the art style as well, it's great.

    What isn't great is the level design. On top of the far too many trial and error moments, the levels are very confusing, especially in the indoor sections where everything is cramped together. You are going to need to do a lot of looking around in a very tiny space which leads to awkward camera angles at times; this can get disorienting and in my case even lead to a few instances of motion sickness. Take regular breaks if you want to avoid the sickness and headaches. I have no problem with the game dropping off small puzzles at times, but it's executed in a bad way forcing you to stop for far too long in what is otherwise a pretty fast paced game.

    To counterbalance this the devs made it so things you need to go to are marked in red, and there's a button that turns you in the direction you need to go to. But in my opinion this clashes with the concept of parkour/freerunning, which is to find your own unique creative ways to go to your destination. On top of that I became far too reliant on it, leaving me directionless in cases it didn't gave me a concrete direction the very second I needed it. Especially annoying when you're chased by cops shooting at you, at which point every second counts.

    The platforming sections, hooh boy. The trial and error mentioned before really is a big problem. You will die a lot because of your character performing wrong moves, sending you back to the last checkpoint. Now there are a lot of these, but there's noting fun about playing a certain section over and over again just because you can't make that last jump. The window for error may be very small, you don't know if you're doing something wrong or the character flat out won't do what you want her to; either way these problems pop out more often than they should. I'm sounding more negative then necessary here because this doesn't happen all the time, but when the level design is frustrating it's really frustrating.

    Am I being overly negative here? Of course. The game is not bad but it could do without the frustrating parts. I'm not really a fan of the controller's button layout but it works fine enough. The soundtrack is decent, nothing outstanding, and the graphics are nice. Art style is amazing giving a great color palette that's very pleasing to the eye. The story isn't all that interesting but that doesn't really matter for a game like this. Voice acting is good too.

    I'm a very big (3D) platformer enthusiast and I'm glad I gave this game a try. But I was surprised to see me having such a hard time, expecting my experience with the genre to pull me through comfortably (that sounds more arrogant than meant). It's very much a breath of fresh air in gaming as a whole, but the bad level design and tedious, frustrating segments make it so that the game doesn't click with me.    … Expand
  20. AndrésM
    Jan 12, 2010
    6
    Controls are unconfortable and games is quite repetitive. PC conversion is awful.
  21. C4K3
    Nov 4, 2010
    5
    A fun, but short game. The campaign is alright, and can be completed twice. Time trial is just some worthless crap which makes you spend 3 hours perfecting a 50 second run. The custom maps are fun, but there are far from enough of them. In the end you'll get ~10 hours of fun from this game, don't expect anymore.
  22. Necrotaur
    Jan 10, 2013
    7
    When you manage to keep your freerunning momentum in Mirror's Edge, it's an amazing game. Unfortunately, the action grinds to a halt when you stumble, and it becomes an exercise in frustration as you use trial and error to determine how to proceed. The controls don't really help, as they are clunky regardless of whether you use a controller or mouse + keyboard, and the hit detectionWhen you manage to keep your freerunning momentum in Mirror's Edge, it's an amazing game. Unfortunately, the action grinds to a halt when you stumble, and it becomes an exercise in frustration as you use trial and error to determine how to proceed. The controls don't really help, as they are clunky regardless of whether you use a controller or mouse + keyboard, and the hit detection seems to take a perverse pleasure in letting you miss seemingly easy jumps. The combat is also mostly trial and error. I feel bad saying this, but this game made me appreciate the hand holding, auto-grab stuff that goes on in Assassin's Creed. Apart from the controls and 'flow' though, Mirror's Edge has great graphics (AMD users turn off phys-x) and it's fun running around avoiding enemies.… Expand
  23. FeaxPotts
    Nov 15, 2013
    5
    This game has so much promise, but doesn't really deliver. The mechanics take a while to get used to, and the training level could have been better integrated into the game. It would be nice to practice without falling 100 feet to my death over, and over, and over again.

    Much of the game boils down to either falling to your death, over and over x 50 or getting shot to death. The plot    This game has so much promise, but doesn't really deliver. The mechanics take a while to get used to, and the training level could have been better integrated into the game. It would be nice to practice without falling 100 feet to my death over, and over, and over again.

    Much of the game boils down to either falling to your death, over and over x 50 or getting shot to death. The plot is weak, the characters are weak, they seem like they were put there to satisfy some sort of 'plot' demand.

    The core mechanic has potential though! I love running, jumping, climbing! And the graphics are great, the aesthetic is pretty darn good, with minimal colors, and red objects guiding the player.

    But so much of the game is thin. Super trigger happy cops EVERYWHERE who very quickly forget you when you pass through the right door. Great idea, poor execution. Did I say that already?    … Expand
  24. ricmetal
    Jul 1, 2016
    5
    Oh, wow. How boring can a game be?

    High rating is due to 10 year old kids than haven't managed to get many thousands if hours into playing games, and have no clue they can get the same from any action game, that allows jumping and climbing ladders as as playing Mirror's Edge. I'm baffled at the reception of this game. You can get all the thrills this game has to offer in any other    Oh, wow. How boring can a game be?

    High rating is due to 10 year old kids than haven't managed to get many thousands if hours into playing games, and have no clue they can get the same from any action game, that allows jumping and climbing ladders as as playing Mirror's Edge. I'm baffled at the reception of this game.

    You can get all the thrills this game has to offer in any other game, that's not just a big parkour playground, and offer so much more other that the jumping and climbing this game offers.

    My god, mind-numbing boring.

    As for my 5 rating. I'm taking into consideration that it was probably very good for it's time (2008). I assume the freedom of movement it provided was unparalleled with any other game at the time. It looks good, very cool with it's almost monochromatic aesthetic. That's it. That's what this game had to offer.    … Expand
  25. Budget_Security
    Jan 1, 2015
    5
    A good and highly original game nearly ruined by unforgiving controls and sparse checkpoints, resulting in frustrating trial and error gameplay.
    Graphics are nice, and I liked their ultra clean urban vibe. Environments are well designed and look more realistic than in many other games. The music is minimalist and fits well. The story is fairly short, but well presented and I liked the    A good and highly original game nearly ruined by unforgiving controls and sparse checkpoints, resulting in frustrating trial and error gameplay.
    Graphics are nice, and I liked their ultra clean urban vibe. Environments are well designed and look more realistic than in many other games. The music is minimalist and fits well. The story is fairly short, but well presented and I liked the stylised cutscenes. Most of the story has you running away from a police manhunt, and reminded me of some of the story in HalfLife2. Gun combat is basic, but not bad, and this game is not about combat anyway.
    The first person view can make it difficult to keep your bearings, but is fairly well implemented and refreshing in a market saturated with 3rd person views. The controls are a good concept and quite nuanced, but difficult to master, and can feel very inconsistent. You are either someone who quickly "gets it" and then is free to enjoy the game, or like me, you are not quite able to master them. In my case this is also partly because the parkour is inconsistently realistic and arcade at the same time (only someone with a Crysis style Nano-Suit would be able to do those wall running jumps etc). I think many gamers with perfectly normal keyboard/controller talent will still struggle, like I did. I found some segments a bit too difficult and the scripted events were harsh, also resulting in many frustrating re-attempts. The checkpoint save system is a pain if you are struggling with a segment, and in that respect, it renders this game inferior to something like HalfLife2 which has an excellent manual save system. I had so much trouble at times, that I had to look up some youtube walkthroughs for help. It would have helped if there were more advanced training tutorials. Maybe the random loading screen tips could also have helped, but I have a fast SSD, so never got to read them. Parkour controls in Assassin's Creed may be a bit too simple and forgiving, but at least it is a lot less frustrating most of the time.
    Annoyingly, there is no way to pause or reload cutscenes, as it is easy to accidentally skip them. This game is a fairly good port to PC, with no mouse accel or lag, and rebindable controls. Fortunately, no Origin account is needed with the steam version.

    It is such a pity this game has serious flaws, as it is otherwise quite good and I would have really enjoyed it. I look forward to Mirror's Edge 2, hoping the devs will have ironed out the issues without dumbing the game down.

    Conclusion:
    Whether you will enjoy this game depends entirely on how good you are with your keyboard/controller, and how much trial-and-error gameplay you can tolerate.    … Expand
  26. BeatHour
    Feb 16, 2013
    5
    This is a terrible port of a great game. There are massive memory leaks, and it doesn't run very well in general. At one point when you walk into the subway, the game slows to a crawl; I know I'm not the only one, NerdCubed had the same problem. I have Portal 2 which looks better than this and runs better than this on my computer. Maybe its good if you have a high powered gaming computer,This is a terrible port of a great game. There are massive memory leaks, and it doesn't run very well in general. At one point when you walk into the subway, the game slows to a crawl; I know I'm not the only one, NerdCubed had the same problem. I have Portal 2 which looks better than this and runs better than this on my computer. Maybe its good if you have a high powered gaming computer, but you shouldn't need it for such a technically sub-par game.… Expand
  27. BAPACop
    Jun 25, 2013
    5
    Mirror's Edge has a fantastic concept. It's a shame the final project is so... mediocre. The concept is that of a free-running game over city rooftops, which is unfortunately where the game almost immediately begins to waver. The level design, filled with an entirely too bright art style, is designed to appear open while remaining linear; this is done a bit too well. Most of the time it'sMirror's Edge has a fantastic concept. It's a shame the final project is so... mediocre. The concept is that of a free-running game over city rooftops, which is unfortunately where the game almost immediately begins to waver. The level design, filled with an entirely too bright art style, is designed to appear open while remaining linear; this is done a bit too well. Most of the time it's hard to figure out where you're supposed to go next, and when you figure that part out the method you need to use to get there is often completely unintuitive. The fact that your character will sometimes simply not grab onto things that she really should have doesn't help the frustration. Many times you'll be stuck for quite a while only to discover that the first thing you tried was right and you were just off to the side by an inch or two. Later on, the game throws the running thing to the side and basically tries to become a shooter, and while with one exception it's theoretically possible to play through the game without ever engaging in combat, in reality you're unlikely to be successful if you were to try that. Even considering the inevitable delays and numerous restarts, the game still clocks in at under eight hours of gameplay. To top it off, the game's attempt at a plot falls horribly flat, throwing you into the middle of it too soon and ending rather anticlimactically, complete with characters that we are given no chance to gain interest in and "plot twists" that would make M. Night Shyamalan cringe.… Expand
  28. jangers
    Nov 15, 2013
    7
    Mirror's Edge is definitely a production different from any a game combining FPP with platform game. Visual style and design environment has been well-designed. The overall gameplay is good but combat system should be better. Playing the story mode enough for about 8 hours.
  29. manilabae
    Nov 28, 2015
    5
    I can imagine what kind of great ideas led to the production of this game, but the finished product is dull and frustrating. Good idea, bad execution. It was fun for just a couple of hours.
  30. FloralPetticoa
    Mar 11, 2015
    5
    Mirror's Edge is generally unpolished with temperamental controls, inconsistent use of runner-vision, Merc's often crucial audio being drowned out by combat, bright colours being used for both guidance and decoration which often left me confused as to where to go and what to do. The game should have been cut in half if not more with a much greater emphasis on 'flow' and retailed for $20.
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Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best PC Game of 2009
11
#11 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
15
#15 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. Eurogamer
    80
    Mastering the game's in-body platforming is an urgent thrill, beaten down less violently here under the auspices of our old friends keyboard and mouse, and stands out from the homogenised interfaces of modern first-person and platform games.
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  2. PC Games
    82
    The beautiful visuals look even better on the PC and the controls are smart and responsive. There are some flaws, though, in particular the short play time, some stiff level design and the overall potential for frustration. But if you manage to go with the flow, you will find Mirror's Edge to be a thrilling and unique gaming experience.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    85
    While its elegant controls, visuals and audio weave a dreamlike tapestry that its animated cut-scenes do their best to eat away at, the whole is an experience you'd be remiss to let fly by if you missed it on consoles.
    Read full review
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