Mirror's Edge Preview

DICE is doing all it can to prevent motion sickness

So, you can turn off the guides if you don't like them, if you want to play like a pro. And this, we imagine, will be the way to play Mirror's Edge. The way to play with style. Turn off the red guides, turn off the targeting reticule, risk throwing up but look amazingly cool doing it. Find the quickest, slickest route through the game and then brag about it. In a way, we can see glimpses of Valve's mind-bending first-person Portal in Mirror's Edge. And that's no bad thing.

The slow down reaction time ability is another bone of contention. It doesn't seem in keeping with the attempt at realism Mirror's Edge is doing so well to achieve. Like Lars said, Faith is not a superhero, so why then give her ability to slow down time? Indeed why does she see certain objects as red? "The reaction time is because she is so good at this, it's her way of coping" says Lars. "It's her way of seeing the world. And we need to depict it to the player. That's the way we do it." That's the explanation. It remains to be seen how it will affect gameplay over long periods of time.

I spy a Time Trial mode option in the game's opening menu as Lars boots up a later level. This, I imagine, will be for replay value, for online leaderboards and the like. When asked, Lars can't talk about it. In fact there's much he can't talk about, especially regarding the story. But that's fine. I love surprises, especially when we know they're going to be good.

I play the third level, set in a giant cylinder inspired by real world Tokyo storm drains. This, I'm told, will show off the game's combat, and show those who thought the whole game was set on rooftops that there will be variety to the levels. "It was a fear after the trailer people had. They said oh it's all white," Lars says.

After swinging on poles, climbing up red metal beams, pressing switches and ledge walking, I eventually make my way to the top of the storm drain. There a welcoming committee of cops greets me. Faith's combat abilities are all based on martial arts and incorporate the athletic moves she already has at her disposal. So, jump and she will do a flying kick. Run and slide and she will kick low. Or simply punch, if you fancy getting your hands dirty.

Are we looking at a potential game of the year?

Faith can disarm her opponent if she's close enough and the target weapon briefly glows red. This becomes a lot easier when using the slow down ability, but again, it can't be used all of the time. At the moment the combat is my biggest concern. It feels clunky at this stage. Weapon fire and enemy reactions aren't particularly fluid either. Yes, Mirror's Edge isn't a shooter, but shooting will form a sizeable chunk of gameplay, especially during the first play through. It's crucial for DICE to get this right. Given the studio's heritage with first person shooters, there's no reason why it won't be improved before release. And even if it falls just short of the quality of the main platforming, the game won't force you to fire a single bullet to complete. Lars tells me you can play through the game without firing a weapon, and you'll be rewarded with the game's best achievement for doing so. But don't expect an easy ride.

We learn something else during mission three, although I get the feeling Lars is treading on thin ground with what he tells me. Who's speaking on the radio I ask? "Mercury," Lars replies. "He's also a runner. As a kid she broke into his apartment and tried to steal his TV. He caught her, raised her and they've been working together ever since. He runs all the runners, dispatches them. He's helping them all through the game. Jackknife (also the name of the level) is the other runner she is heading for, to retrieve information." So there you go. At least we know why Faith's risking falling hundreds of feet just to get from A to B.

As our hands-on time comes to an end I'm left dazzled. Many of my questions have been answered, replaced by a flood of new ones. But I know for certain that DICE has something here, something special. Something that, hopefully, will prove to be a breath of fresh air when it eventually comes out. The freedom of movement, the liberation of the first-person perspective, the immediately accessible controls, the compelling depth, the entrancing art style, the intelligent story, the uplifting music, the wonderfully designed central character, all of this makes Mirror's Edge my game of E3 and my most anticipated game of this year.

Mirror's Edge is due out for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this November.