Mirror's Edge

Just a few years ago Electronic Artswasn't exactly known for taking chances on fresh ideas with new intellectual properties. This holiday season has already seen one stellar release from the mega publisher in the form of Dead Space and now we have the company's second attempt at establishing a new videogame franchise. It comes to us in the form of Mirror's Edge. Mirror's tells the story of Faith, a runner in an unnamed city almost completely devoid of personality thanks to the overbearing totalitarian government that rules the region. Faith's job is to deliver important pieces of information to an underground network who still live with a modicum of freedom. She uses her considerable acrobatic abilities to outrun, out-leap, and out-swing "Blues" (cops). Throughout the game players learn that Faith's sister, Kate, has been wrongly accused of murder. Faith must clear her name.The story isn't quite as involving as it reads. Characters are fairly uninteresting with few emotional ties to the player. It doesn't help that all of the cutscenes are presented in a style that's reminiscent of Esurance commercials which instantly hurt my ability to enjoy them. Luckily the story doesn't last long as the game clocks in at less than six hours and even less on your second time through.