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Video Game Review: Mirror's Edge

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By DOUG BUEL

TBO Extra

Published: December 4, 2008

System: Microsoft Xbox 360

Also available for: Windows PC, Sony PlayStation 3

Publisher: EA

Reviewer's rating: ***

ESRB rating: Teen

Game type: First-person platform

Kind of like: "Assassin's Creed" but with a first-person perspective

Best feature: Running is fun! Especially when you're running crazily on the tops of buildings.

Worst feature: The game is very linear.

The bottom line: We've seen free running and parkour in movies such as "Casino Royale." It's about time somebody made a decent game out of it.

In "Mirror's Edge," you get to run over the glass-and-steel surfaces of a sinister, yet pristine city -- often at dizzying heights. Most of what you see might be useful. Scamper over chain-link fences, run along crane booms and leap across sky-high gaps between buildings.

We've seen aerial antics before in games, such as "Assassin's Creed," but this time we're in first-person perspective. It feels like you're there more than ever.

The reason for all the running is that most of the time, you're being shot at. The protagonist, an agile young lady named Faith, is investigating things that the powers-that-be don't want investigated. Sometimes, the police are shooting at you. Other times there are helicopters after you, with huge, nasty guns.

When you encounter a bad guy, you can fight him and take his weapon. You can even shoot other bad guys with it. But this isn't a shooting game. Just to make sure you understand that, because you never find any ammo for any guns that you take. Also, some guns even slow you down just by carrying them. The vast majority of the time, running is the best solution to your problems.

Strangely, the game uses cell-shaded animated cut scenes that really don't look as good as the game engine. This may be to make the levels look better in contrast.

Games are rated on a scale of 0-4 stars.

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