[It's time for another Monthly Musing -- the monthly community blog theme that provides readers with a chance to get their articles and discussions printed on the frontpage. Also, Happy Birthday, Tubatic!-- CTZ]
Last year's hyped-up darling, Mirror's Edge, took a mild critical beating for its low cost cut-scenes, restricted play area and death riddled learning curve. Its shallow and arguably unfair fighting system brought much heat upon the game for failing to bring the "Shooter" along with this First Person runner gameplay. While most gamers considered it a negative, I think the enemy difficulty of the game suggested something that's very hard to swallow:
As an evil organization, the security forces of The City are the most effective and competent outfit in gaming. Every other minion horde could learn at least seven good lessons from The City's Finest.
(1) Funding is key
Having the best peace keeping force in the realm of videogames doesn't come cheap. Hero killing is an investment in even the smallest of detail. Want to control the streets? You'll need a fleet of cop cars. Want to control the rooftops? Five or six helicopters are a good start. From body armor, to training facilities, to repainting the entire city under a strict five color system just so your targets stick out against EVERYTHING, mad bills must be spent. No expense can be spared. Especially since ...
(2) Property damage is not a factor
If you're going to do this peace by force thing, and I mean really do it, you're going to need to step on a few sandcastles. The cost of peace comes in many currencies, including public and private property. Is your perp in a glass overpass? Looks like you're going to have to shoot up a glass overpass then. Is it likely that you'll miss the runner all together? Probably. But sometimes you've just got to.
(3) Line up your target and take your shot
If there's anything that the men (and women?) of the various city forces can take pride in, its their excellent marksmanship scores. Where most minions will be satisfied with sub-par aim in favor of laser or suppressive automatic weaponry, The City's Blues follow their training by the book. Run and gun is simply bad form on The Force. Any good shot is worth planting your feet for, especially if you're wearing the best body armor money can buy.
(4) If you're wearing body armor, you can take a few bullets
I have stared down Blues while wielding the heftiest of automatic rifles, and they have still stood there and clipped off a few shots. Knowing that their body armor can absorb a decent number of snapshots and focus fire alike. SWAT team members will eschew duck and cover for a really good, duel-at-high-noon stand off. Given enough time, you can still get in a few shots and stump a runner bearing right down on you from a dozen yards away. Its worked, and they know it. Runner battles favor the bold, so its crucial that all security forces ...
(5) Work together or die alone
It's rare to get a squad to split up in The City. Within closed spaces, such as warehouses and parking lots, positioning and room cover is key. Maintaining the buddy system is sure to give at least one of you a fighting chance.
Best case scenario, you'll intimidate your hero enough for them to run off and allow you to fight another day. Second chances like this can be a great learning experience.
(6) Learning is a lifelong commitment
Without giving too much away, its incredibly clear 3/4ths of the way through Mirror's Edge that The City is committed to addressing the threat of runners and are sparing no expense to educate and evolve their fighting force. Only a fool does the same thing expecting new results. As a hero gets closer to whatever their looking for, you have to be prepared to turn your workforce output up to eleven.
But, like all good action plans, even the best of evil operations is vulnerable to a major setback.
(7) If all of your immediate superiors are incapacitated, just go home
If you just saw the hero flip out and do some real hardcore, Jackie Chan type stunts on your boss, its time to go. Whether your boss survived or not, seeing a hero manage that all while you've got your guns trained on him or her warrants some silent praise and a subtle walk off. With any luck, you'll work your way into middle management by the time the next major crackdown on runners hits its stride.
What do you think Destructoid? Was the balance and fighting system in Mirror's Edge really that bad, or are you willing to admit that you were put up against an enemy that didn't stroke your gamer ego by pulling its punches?
The only part I didn't like was having to shoot the sniper rifle. I was Merc came in and did it instead.
I personally had no problem with the baddies of Mirror's Edge. I incapacitated each one without firing a shot.
Slide kick FTW!
I don't really play FPS games, but even I can tell that Mirrors Edge has the worst shooting ever.
Albeit, you're not really meant to.
Also, How do you snipe the van that Kate is in if you can't shoot a gun for that achievement/trophy?
Ok, so i played through the game on normal without shooting anybody and it was really difficult...some parts took ridiculous numbers of tries. I still enjoyed it. I then played some parts on easy to fetch the bags...and it made me love the guns. After you deprive yourself the first time i didn't care how bad they felt, i could SHOOT PEOPLE!
I think the guns can really add to the game if you use them sparingly.
I liked the game but next time it needs more running...there was too much time spent in tight quarters climbing up pipes and dumb things. Occasionally i just didn't know where to go and that ruins the flow of the game.
What part of the gameplay, in it's attempt to become a "new age" platformer didn't you like? I felt like it flowed great, and as a first effort (barring Jumping Flash, which no one played), I'm not too worked up if the gunplay system wasn't all that.
Also, a large amount of classic action games have joke stories (DMC, RE4). This didn't surprise me.
If I could change one thing it would be make everything in first person. No horrible Toonami reject cutscenes, or third person scene-cuts. Just first person the entire game, with the cartoon sequences using the in-game engine.
Also, the enemy are incredibly weak even with body armor, since they seem to die with just a kick. They have TERRIBLE aiming. Even the helocpters with a pintle mounted machine gun can't aim! And somehow Faith can take so much damage, which is kind of bizzare seeing how she's not even wearing armor. She can even survire a direct hit from a .50 BMG, that's just nuts.
As for the story, I find it hilarious that the Blues have to train their own evil version of the Runners to beat the Runners at their own game. Also do you know how many packages Faith delivers in the entire game? Only one, and that's at the beginning level.
Also, Faith communicates with Mercury and other Runners via a headset, which brings up a fridge logic...Why the heck doesn't she just deliver info over the headset? I mean the headset seems to be a secure channel. It would save her so much time instead of running. Ropeburn is also a fucking idiot, he actually has the trains run on time just so that Faith can cross over it to the otherside. I swear the city, the police, and the government is RETARDED.
Like I always said...
I like number 7, because I always wondered why at the end after you kill Jackknife the security that was just there a second ago is nowhere to be found while you're pulling Kate up the side of the building.
@ Chronic: Well they did testing if you heard with and without the reticle in the middle of the screen as people without got motion sickness, try playing with it on...? I sit pretty close and I didn't get it all + 90% of people. Also remember this game was never about being an FPS so of course the game engine and AI would not be realistic, if that was the case you'd be dead after one shot for everything and it would be mind-numbingly tedious/repetitive repeating the same parts.
The story develops so Faith doesn't have to deliver packages as it is all about uncovering the truth and saving her sister, so the delivering of packages is irrelevant. And it sounds like you're complaining that trains are on time, did I read that right? So late trains are better?....
In Japan most trains are no more than 3 minutes late on average. If they are you get a refund.
@ Uniquenamehere: yes you just jump up from the elevator on the chair and you're straight up there next to him to deliver a face kick.
Overall I thought 9/10 for Mirrors Edge. Repeated play through I found more easter eggs and trophies were fun to discover.