![mirrors edge speedrun mirrors edge speedrun](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wQyMw-Bq5Ic/maxresdefault.jpg)
Just trying something new, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I’ll play it anyway - because I’d rather fail spectacularly than not try at all.I made this piece into a video essay that you can watch above. The game’s sequel, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, is one of the most anticipated games of 2016 - for its photorealistic graphics, because it might correct some of its predecessor’s flaws, and of course, for its potentially even higher difficulty. There are more films than video games that replicate some of its breathless experience - Haywire, Edge of Tomorrow, even Mad Max: Fury Road. You should be saving the blissfully ignorant populace from their oppressive government, but it’s too beautiful to look away.Įight years after its release, Mirror’s Edge remains unique. There’s something oddly existential about standing atop a skyscraper, watching the wind blow across an endless city. But in Mirror’s Edge, life seems to go on without you.
#MIRRORS EDGE SPEEDRUN CODE#
Game environments usually feel transparently like “levels”, lines of code designed to mask the fact that none of it really exists. So instead of running headfirst into another potential death, you learn to stop and appreciate the scenery. It’s like watching a virtuoso musician at work - how many hours did it take to get to that level? Why bother mastering Mirror’s Edge when casual perfection’s all over YouTube? The funny thing is, there’s nothing encouraging about it. Watching other people zoom through levels you barely scraped past, it becomes a purer cinematic experience than actually playing the game itself. But the world of Mirror’s Edge has no seams. For most games, speedruns are about breaking the rules, exploiting unintentional glitches - think finishing Ocarina of Time without a shield. In search of the “right” way to experience Mirror’s Edge, you turn to speedruns. It’s as if the developers have crafted the perfect film set with you as the lead actor - and you keep letting the film down. And the game makes you feel every death - if you fall from a skyscraper, you can literally hear the splat as you hit the ground. Jumps between buildings are easily misjudged you can’t always outrun a bullet. But it’s ruled by its unforgiving difficulty, where it’s impossible to not die dozens of times during your first playthrough. Mirror’s Edge aspires to the grace and fluidity of a great action film. There’s a philosophical conflict at the core of the game. Unfortunately, that skill is entirely determined by you, the player. It has a strong female protagonist, Faith, who the game never objectifies, whose likability is completely determined by her skill at jumping from building to building. Mirror’s Edge is a platformer for the blockbuster cinema generation, raised on The Matrix and first-person shooters alike. Mastery comes with practice, muscle memory, and knowledge of the game’s rhythms.
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When you’re playing a game as elegantly designed as Donkey Kong or Super Meat Boy, you can feel yourself improving with every minute. The most challenging games are often the most rewarding. Mirror’s Edge is the rare blockbuster video game where you can feel an auteur’s design – one I kept ruining with my ineptness. Beneath every gorgeously rendered surface lurks a fascist police state. A first-person runner where you thwart government conspiracies with parkour skills, it’s set in the futuristic digital cityscape of Michael Mann’s wet dreams. Current-day graphics technology progresses at an astonishing rate, but Mirror’s Edge, developed by DICE ( Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront) in 2008, still looks utterly dazzling. Mirror’s Edge is, without a doubt, one of the most cinematic games ever made. Hardcore Henry comes out this weekend ( you can buy tickets here), and to celebrate, we're going to spend the week looking at films that share some element of its first-person, video game inspired aesthetic.