Mirror’s Edge (PS3, Xbox 360) Preview
Posted by Ramon Aranda on 10.13.2008
Hands on: We get a chance to play around with the overlooked and underrated Time Trial mode.
You will learn this area and learn it good!
Much has been talked about Mirror's Edge – the new first person action-adventure game from DICE and EA. We've seen it at E3 and while the story mode seems quite intriguing, there's another game mode that hasn't been talked about – until now. During a recent EA press event in San Francisco, we were given the chance to check out the Time Trial mode which has been kept under the radar but will likely get plenty of playtime when the game releases next month.
Time Trial mode is pretty straight forward but with some definite replayability. You'll jump into one of a handful of areas with the obvious goal of getting to the end as quickly as possible. Since there is no fighting of any kind, you'll simply worry about making the best of your environment to complete your goal. There are only three buttons to worry about – the L1/LB button which allows you to jump, grab on or pull yourself up, the L2/LT button to pull off maneuvers such as kicking or sliding and the R1/RB button to turn 180 degrees. The three-button setup is easy to use but also opens up for you to use your imagination. As you progress through a level, you can do the simplest movements such as climbing up a building by jumping onto a ledge for instance, or you can make take it a little bit further by possibly using some acrobatics to climb up using other objects for a faster result. As we've seen in trailers and gameplay footage as well as our own hands-on with the game at E3, ledges and other objects that will allow you to jump or climb on will be colored red though it's up to you to figure out other alternatives.
One thing to keep in mind however is that you have to cross certain check points, other wise you'll be left standing at the end of the level wondering why the time clock is still ticking away. As you progress through each trial, there is a side bar on the left hand side of the screen that is divided into four parts – each identifying a section of the level. These bars will either be red or green which notify you of your progress. If you are doing better than your previous attempt or that of the ghost (more on that later), that section will show up in green as well as a display on the screen that tells you how much time you've saved. If it is colored red, then naturally it means you are behind.
As for this "ghost" I speak of, well after you've completed the course for the first time or anytime thereafter, you'll see a red "ghost" or shadow representation of yourself (or friend) that you racing against each time; think Mario Kart ghosts. If the ghost has begun to outrun you, you'll see red dots on the ground which shows you in which direction it is going. As we played with the developers and various other journalists, this simplistic mode became quite addictive as we all tried to best each other's time. We played in four different locations though I'd love to see places that we wouldn't normally see in the game. As a bonus, players will be able to trade ghosts with each other to download into the game in order to try and beat their times. But what if you're a loner? Well no need to worry as you can also download ghosts from the best times world wide online.
As we've already seen before, the Mirror's Edge looks absolutely gorgeous on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It runs smoothly and features rich and vibrant colors that stand out amongst some of the games in this generation. We were allowed to play Time Trial for a couple of hours but even then, we found ourselves wanting to keep playing if only to try and find new and unique ways of completing the trials. If Time Trial alone was this enjoyable, you can only imagine what the full game will bring, and we can't wait to get our hands on the final version of the game.
Stay tuned for 411mania's full review of Mirror's Edge after it releases on November 12.
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As a bonus, players who pre-order the game will get access to a demo of the Time Trial mode (a code which unlocks it in the single player demo) along with a MIrror's Edge Music CD.
One thing to keep in mind however is that you have to cross certain check points, other wise you'll be left standing at the end of the level wondering why the time clock is still ticking away. As you progress through each trial, there is a side bar on the left hand side of the screen that is divided into four parts – each identifying a section of the level. These bars will either be red or green which notify you of your progress. If you are doing better than your previous attempt or that of the ghost (more on that later), that section will show up in green as well as a display on the screen that tells you how much time you've saved. If it is colored red, then naturally it means you are behind.
