Given the immense success of the Battlefield series over the past seven years or so, it’s not surprising that Sweden’s premier developers DICE haven’t really experimented with other franchises in that time. So it’s refreshing and perhaps a little surprising that their first new IP in nearly a decade is such a unique and distinct take on the increasingly burgeoning first-person shooter genre. However, to describe Mirror’s Edge as a FPS is a little inaccurate. While it takes place in a first-person perspective and there is shooting to be done, the label feels about as appropriate as calling Metroid Prime the same. And while Retro Studio’s magnum opus is more of an adventure, likewise Mirror’s Edge is very much a platformer at heart.

“Mirror’s Edge is very much a platformer at heart”Mirror’s Edge casts you as Faith, free runner extraordinaire in a dystopian near-future where the government closely monitors and controls information and suppresses those who attempt to rebel. As part of an elite group of messengers who specialise in delivering information best kept from the government’s hands, Faith soon finds herself wrapped up in a murder plot involving her sister and she literally has to run for her life. DICE are keeping the plot close to their chest at the moment, although have suggested that they intend to develop a trilogy. Here’s hoping this decision was made from a storytelling perspective, and is not a marketing ploy.

One of the most immediately striking things about Mirror’s Edge is the clean, clinical graphical style. Taking place largely on the city’s rooftops, architecture is straight and minimalistic and gives everything a sharp, contemporary look. Colours are bold and frequent; stark blues and reds that stand out against the regimented plain white and glass. Character models are well designed and animated, and in particular the feeling of controlling a person is more pronounced than any other game currently available. Clearly some will find the constant motion and acrobatics a little sickening, but we think DICE have done a tremendous job of translating such gameplay to a first-person perspective.

The controls are surprisingly slick for a concept that is so revolutionary. Faith’s moves and abilities are based on momentum, so you need to build up sufficient speed to make large jumps, wall runs and climbs (the edges of the screen gently blur when Faith is running full pelt, which is a nice effect). Everything is handled with the shoulder buttons; L2 deals with ground-based moves (sliding, rolling), L1 with jumps and climbs, R1 with turns and spins (a technique reserved for more advanced manoeuvres) and R2 covers all of Faith’s attacks, which vary depending on whether she has a weapon and what position she is at in relation to her foe[s]. For example, running head-on at an opponent before attacking will unleash a flurry of punches which are effective but take a little while to deal with them, whereas sliding forward and thudding your heel into their groin is faster, more effective and brings a tear to the eye. Conversely, the gunplay doesn’t have too much of a part to play, which seems a little ironic from the creators of Battlefield. You can steal guns from your downed foes by all means, but generally speaking they’re less exciting and far less prominent than melee combat.

In the level available, Faith is making her way across skyscraper rooftops to deliver a rucksack to one of her associates. Leaping between rooftops, bounding fences and climbing walls with considerable ease, there appears to be at least a couple of routes to each destination. Your way forward is always lead by the colour red: if you are unsure of how to progress look for the colour which always acts as a waypoint of sorts. The controls are natural and fluid and you can seem like an expert with just a little practice. It’s certainly more immersive and involving than the Free Running in Assassin’s Creed, and just as much fun as the Prince of Persia trilogy from last-gen. Anyway, I digress. Before long, Faith enters a building and is confronted by four police officers who open fire without warning, and you have no choice but to run for the roof again. Evading them across a few rooftops and sighting a news helicopter, she eventually meets her colleague and delivers the package. However, more police arrive and open fire, so the chase is on yet again. Running across the rooftop with no evident way out, the helicopter returns, hovering at the edge of the building. Shining a tempting red and with no other way out, Faith leaps and manages to grab the bottom, as the pilot, surprised, lowers the ‘copter out of sight of the police. A cutscene seamlessly kicks in at this point, as the pilot spins and we see her reflection on one of the great glass behemoths. She then drops down, landing safely on the roof below and out of reach of her pursuers.

There are concerns of replay value - while Time Trials are going to form the bulk of the game’s online presence, you have to wonder how many times you would want to replay the same section to shave off tenths of a second. However, certainly in the short term, discovering the various routes to your goal and trying to find the best whilst looking effortlessly stylish is sure to keep people busy. This is a game where it is incredibly easy to look incredibly elegant. However, unlike some other games, Mirror’s Edge never makes things too easy for you or removes the challenge.

It’s a thrilling ride, and if the whole game can keep up this level of excitement and immersion, Mirror’s Edge should be one of the big successes of this Christmas. Minor worries aside, DICE have created a game which stands out in a horrendously crowded and formulaic genre, and it could be the start of something very beautiful.