I was all set for this Fall release schedule. I had picked out a handful of titles I was going to purchase on day one, and had put titles I was unsure of aside to wait for a price drop following the holidays. Plenty of excellent games should be down to $40 by February, if not more so. I was going to grab the three or four games I really wanted, put the rest on a Christmas wishlist and grab the rest at a cheaper price in ‘09.

Then I played the demo for Mirror’s Edge.

I wasn’t as hyped up for Mirror’s Edge as everyone else had been. I liked the look of it, and I thought it had some great ideas, but I knew it was a title I’d have to play before I had a real idea of it. I felt that the game would’ve done better in third person, like Assassin’s Creed, so there was some level of peripheral vision available. Being able to see from “the corner of your eye” what is next to you seems like a valuable feature in a game such as this. Plus, there was always the issue of how it might control, particularly with how clunky the combat looked.

So Mirror’s Edge was one of those “I’ll just buy it later” titles. I had contented myself with my small list of games I was going to get in October and November.  A few days ago I got word that the demo was released, and I decided to get first hand experience as I had wanted.

I’m going to be honest, no video will give you the idea of how well designed this game is. I’m not just talking about the fact that it is incredibly fun, either. The adrenaline certainly pumps as you navigate the level, leaping over fences, sliding under chutes and leaping over gaps between buildings, hoping to latch onto that pipe across the way so you don’t die. The issue of peripheral vision is also not so much an issue, as you will typically have plenty of time to see where you have to go without worrying much about what is to your sides. It is all about outlining a path ahead of you as you go.

The combat isn’t really up to snuff, but then again, this really isn’t a game about fighting. The fact that it will likely get branded as a first person shooter is quite the detriment to the game, as it isn’t about shooting at all. Of course, I don’t think first person parkour or first person runner would quite catch on, but the game’s source of enjoyment is from the free running aspect of it. You’re supposed to avoid fighting when you can, and only resort to combat when your only available path is blocked by foes. The developers themselves have said this, and actually playing the game only confirms this. Still, while combat could use some work, it also gets the job done. It certainly doesn’t hurt the game or how fun it is.

These are just some of the basics to the game, though. The real beauty is in the other, less noticed aspects of its design. From the get go it feels like someone took an idea for a movie and thought “y’know what? Let’s make a kick ass video game out of this instead”. The game’s menu system is stylized, pretty and gives the feeling of an excellently designed DVD menu. The music itself provides excellent atmosphere for a near future, a sort of precursor to full-blown cyberpunk. The story may not be the most original or creative, but it certainly seems to have more thought put into it than what is coming out of Hollywood these days.

Where the game really gets me is the use of colors, though. One of the reasons the game stands out is because it does not stick to the heavy use of grey and brown that is seen in many games these days. Instead, the rooftops are covered with hues of blue and white, presenting the player with a cool pallette of colors. The pale environment also seems more clean, part of an orderly future compared to the rusty, ill-kept rooftops of modern day cities. It keeps the game’s time setting close enough to present day while painting the picture of a relatively fascist future, kept to order instead of chaos.

This artistic choice also benefits the gameplay, though. Important interactive objects are highlighted in red, letting you know the next sort of obstacle you must overcome in order to keep on your path. While this feature has been made obvious in videos and interviews, you never really notice how helpful it is until you are playing yourself, your mind always looking out for that next big marker. The use of hues of blue, most of them lighter shades, allows the red highlighting to stand out in a sharp enough contrast that it is literally impossible to miss these markers. In the end, the choice of colors not only provides an aesthetic, but also benefits as an excellent design choice as well.

In time to come, I imagine Mirror’s Edge will be looked upon as a game of excellent design, standing alongside many notables such as Legend of Zelda and Half-Life. It not only satisfies the hardcore gamer, but also the “Games Are Art” Hippie.

And now it has become yet another game that I feel the need to buy.

After this and Dead Space, I may have to call off my hatred of EA. Somehow they have remembered what it takes to be a true high-quality game developer, and Mirror’s Edge is the definitive proof.