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At first glance, 2008's Mirror's Edge seemed like an ambitious game. Featuring first-person parkour and gameplay that didn't revolve around massacring aliens, it sought to be a ground-breaking title. Unfortunately, due to various problems, it ended up functioning more as a proof of concept than a fully-featured video game. And while it's true developers DICE spared no effort in creating a unique game world, the game lacked the polish necessary to become a true classic. Luckily, DICE will get to have another stab at making their breakthrough title, as confirmed by EA CEO John Riccitiello, and we'd like to offer up a few ideas for improving on the original.
1. Remove weapon pickups
Mirror's Edge's inclusion of firearm combat was obviously not part of the core gameplay and most likely was a concession to a gaming populace dominated by male gamers obsessed with sweet guns. Proof of this is the way the developers heavily cautioned against using firearms in pre-release demonstrations, truthfully stating that the game is based more on agility and evasion than gunning down every enemy in sight. Removing this mechanic entirely would speed the pace of the game while placing more emphasis on acrobatic takedowns. It would also further individualize the game, and focus the player's actions.
2. Provide edge notification for jumps
Many gamers' initial hours with Mirror's Edge involved repeatedly dying as they learned to gauge how far under the screen a ledge could pass before making them plummet over it. Without any visual or auditory cues, players had to resort to trial and error for this process, a method which doesn't afford the most accommodating of learning curves. To remedy this, the camera could pitch down slightly when approaching a ledge to give a better idea when to jump. Combining this with an audibly different footstep marking the appropriate time to jump would get players in the groove (and off the pavement) much more quickly.
3. More acrobatic / running disarms
Given that most gamers' fantasies involve beating up thugs while doing sweet back flips, playing Faith, Mirror's Edge's heroine, should be a dream come true. Faith can quickly disarm opponents, which is a cool idea, but our enthusiasm for this mechanic wore off quickly—some time around the twentieth unsuccessful disarm attempt. After repeatedly being shot in the face, we desperately wanted to perform some sweet kung fu takedowns, but they simply didn't work well enough to warrant their use. Instead, most thugs had to be dispatched with a sliding kick to the pills and a follow-up punch (which, to be honest, was awesome). Timing windows on disarms should be wider, and there should be more opportunities to use them. Another improvement could involve creating a window of invincibility—a "runner's high" perhaps—after every successful disarm that would allow Faith to dart from one enemy to another. Dispatching an entire group of thugs with crazy acrobatic kung fu action would feel like more of an accomplishment than repeated testicle-bashing.
4. A less traditional
Calling Mirror's Edge's story "traditional" might seem awkward considering the game's wildly original setting, but in many ways the game's story toes a traditional line. The ideas of saving a family member or being betrayed by a friend can both be easily placed into another game. The game's setting offers a lot of potential for unique stories, none of which are realized. Given Faith's occupation as a messenger, it seems natural that the story would explore the unique perils of her job. Perhaps she could deliver a "package" to a public place, unknowingly enabling a terrorist bombing and subsequently dealing with her participation in a wholesale massacre? Creating such twists and integrating them into gameplay instead of relegating them to non-interactive cutscenes would increase immersion as well.
5. Simultaneous multiplayer
OK, this idea's pie-in-the-sky, given the monumental development time involved, but combining simultaneous multiplayer with Mirror's Edge's first-person racing would provide much more depth and playability than the current time trials. The courses could feature multiple time-neutral paths, so players could split up and re-converge later in the race. Even better, the paths could provide options to interfere with the other player. For instance, someone on a higher path could knock a box down in the way of a lower player, or the first player through a gate could close it, forcing the other player to vault over it. Multiplayer modes like these would add a truly unique opportunity for competitive gameplay.
No doubt, when Mirror's Edge 2 finally comes out, it'll claim to be bigger and better. Details on what kinds of improvements the game may have are nonexistent at present but with any luck, they'll feature changes similar to what we've suggested here. Let's hope so, or the Mirror's Edge franchise is in danger of falling off the ledge of greatness into the pit of "what might have been."
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