The Making of Mirror's Edge

1Up is running a feature about the development of Mirror's Edge, which comes out in November. Two of the developers talk about how they sold the concept for the game to studio execs, and how that concept has changed over the past few years. They also provide an early proof-of-concept video demonstrating some of the gameplay. "When you're doing something that's quite different like this, it's very easy for people to say, 'Oh, but couldn't you do it in third-person as well?' or 'Couldn't you put guns in as well?' or 'Couldn't we have vehicles as well?' And I think the reason we got to where we are is because we stuck to our guns, or lack of guns. [Laughs] We have kept the purity of the core mechanic. And I think that is why it is as good as it is now, because we just focused on that in a very blinkered way and didn't let ourselves get distracted."

Looking forward to this.

[Walkingshark]

I'm really looking forward to this game. Many times I've dreamed of a game that broke the invisible glass barrier that stuck between my character and the rest of the game world. I hope someday we can see games that implement this kind of contextual environmentally interactive gameplay into their core mechanics. Imagine Mirror's edge gameplay in a fantasy MMO setting? We might finally be able to recreate something akin to the seige in the 2nd LOTR movie.

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[JCSoRocks]

That would be incredible. I'm looking forward to Mirror's Edge because it's unique not only in concept (parkour / free running) but also because they essentially made an FPS without the "S". That's not to say I haven't enjoyed gobs of FPS games, but it's always nice to play something completely fresh.

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[Kagura]

You should try Assassin's Creed. The parkour is exceedingly well implemented, and it's a blast to play for the first 5-10 hours before the game quests themselves get repetitive. The environments displayed thus far in Mirror's edge are a lot more bland and contrived than those found in Assassin's Creed.

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[Kopiok]

I dunno... Assassins Creed seemed more just holding one button and running up to specific things, then he'd do an action. This looks like more of a free roaming kind of thing where you really have control of what you do on each object.

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[MikeBabcock]

Actually, AC was a very intuitive control system for a complex action system -- right button for right hand, left button for left hand, bottom button for feet and top button for head.

Contextually, each does what you would expect them to do with those things in mind.

What I missed in AC was the ability to fail -- fail to hide, fail to blend in, fail to run along a rooftop without falling, and so on. Somehow I could run forever without running out of stamina or tripping or anything so long as I stayed away fr

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[TheLink]

What I didn't like with AC was in many situations I ended up in, you HAVE to target X, you have no choice. You can't go - ok let's do things a bit differently.

I guess AC is a decent movie with some playability :).

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[MikeBabcock]

... whereas I spent hours out in the fields between cities assassinating random soldiers and then trying to get away.

The whole premise of the game is that you're living out the genetic memory (bah) of your ancestor's actions, so while the game is very open in what you can do, there are specific actions that must take place (since there's no room for altering history).

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[TheLink]

I spent hours trying to figure out how to exit the darn game properly.

OK I exaggerate, but I actually had to google for it.

In the end, I think alt-f4 is better than the "proper way" which is insane.

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[Reapy]

I think the punishment was just right. In AC you could still aim poorly, or misjudge a distance, and end up falling down on the street having to "restart" the climbing. I think the skill was kind of how fast you could get from point a to point b based on your rout and aiming. I mean AC is the first game that you count on the character knowing that hey, I CAN jump 30 feet straight out, but this ledge is only 10 feet away so I'm going to jump there instead. I thought that was great.

AC failed by not allowing y

I want an improved AvP game :)

[TheLink]

What I'd like is: take something like this + Crysis sort of graphics and make it into an Aliens vs Predator game.

Basically the Aliens will be able to wall hug/run and leap everywhere, the Predators can climb sheer walls (not as fast and they would leave claw marks for the observant, and also make some noise while climbing) and still do big jumps (not as far as aliens), and the Marines can do parkour if they want (but it's probably better to go about with really big gun, keep an eye on your motion detector a

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[Kagura]

I watched a preview of the first couple levels, a total of about 20 minutes of video. I haven't played the final release yet, of course, but what I did see was horribly close-ended level design, which pretty much guarantees I won't play the game. I will be reading reviews after the game's release to see if this changed, but I don't think it has. Please prove me wrong, because the game at least seems very interesting other than this breaking point.

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[Walkingshark]

Yeah, if the whole game is like the introduction/tutorial missions we've seen, then I probably won't buy it (except maybe when it hits the 10$ bin). But I expect good things from them. We'll see how it shakes out.

A bit premature?

[philspear]

And I think the reason we got to where we are is because we stuck to our guns, or lack of guns.

Where exactly is it that they got? The game isn't out yet. It might still not go over with gamers because of a lack of guns vehicles or 3rd person perspective. While I'm still interested as to how they got to release, I think it's a bit early to be doing this type of interview, since it could be a major disaster. Game-makers, don't go emulating them just yet!

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[Draek]

I'd rather have innovative commercial failures than me-too successes, *specially* from EA. Though I would've appreciated a 3rd-person perspective ;)

This game is similar to a concept I devised...

[DragonTHC]

I devised a concept a decade ago about a game based on escape and evade. The focus wasn't on combat, but being clever, skilled, and athletic.

This game, however is going to suck. First person action games are not about doing things, they are about seeing things.

The third time you run off a pipe in midair because you can't see where the hell you are, you're going to throw this game away.

I don't think the game is necessarily bad, but the execution being first person only just doesn't mesh with modern games o

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[Dutch Gun]

I devised a concept a decade ago about a game based on escape and evade. The focus wasn't on combat, but being clever, skilled, and athletic.

About a million other gamers have also devised awesome game concepts. From someone in the game industry, let me offer a piece of unsolicited advice: Awesome game concepts are a dime a dozen. Solid execution of a concept is worth its weight in platinum. Just thinking up a new idea, no matter how cool an idea you may think it is, doesn't count. Not unless you actually implement it.

This game, however is going to suck.

Well, I wish I had your crystal ball to so assuredly declare this game a failure before it comes out. Me, I'll just wait and

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[DragonTHC]

I agree that solid execution of a concept is worth its weight in platinum. The problem that I have is there are too many solid executions of bad concepts lately.

And having bought, played, and watched games for over 25 years, I do have a lot of insight as to what's going to fail in today's market.

I certainly respect anyone who can ship a game, but this concept is nowhere near unique. It's very dated. At least the mechanics are. Seeing gameplay videos of this reminds me of plenty of failed games over the

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[KDR_11k]

And having bought, played, and watched games for over 25 years, I do have a lot of insight as to what's going to fail in today's market.

Did you predict the Wii (along with Wii Sports and Fit) correctly? The analysts failed at that.

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[Dutch Gun]

You should have seen the original incarnation of portal created by a bunch of european college students. they had no idea of the power of their concept. Their execution was decent for college students, but their game was just not the same experience as portal. Valve came along and recognized the power of that concept and put great designers on that project.

Just so you know... the precursor to Portal - Narbacular Drop - was developed by Digipen students (some of my co-workers were classmates of theirs actually). Valve then *hired those students*, who went on to create Portal.

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[Blackmoth]

The third person perspective, it seems, is at the core of the gameplay. Take out the realism of first person intensity and you are left with any other third person platformer in the market. Personally, I think that no one can comment on this game without playing it first. The developers seem to emphasize the experience of playing, not the visuals or the mechanics. So, I assume that your game wouldn't suck, whereas this game will?

But it's from EA!

[Xenophore]

Coming from EA, it will probably be unplayable as it will require the DVD remain in the drive at all times, try to activate itself over the Internet every thirty minutes, and require a blood sample for authentication every time the game is started up.

DRM will ruin it.

[LordJezo]

If it's anything like Spore or other recent EA games then I guess I will have to stay away. They have been so crazy with DRM lately that it's just not worth bothering with.