Heavenly Sword writer to script Mirror's Edge

by Jason Dobson { Jul 10th 2008 at 8:50AM }

As we nurse a queezy stomach from playing EA DICE's Parkour-inspired Mirror's Edge, we'll be doing so to a story penned by writer and story designer Rhianna Pratchett, who's known for her work on titles such as Triumph Studios' Overlord and Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword.

The story centers on free runner Faith as she jumps, climbs, and tumbles her way to uncovering the truth behind who framed her sister for murder. Notes Pratchett, "Faith is skilled, but she's certainly not a superhero. She has her flaws, like all of us. In short: she's real. That's her appeal." Mirror's Edge remains one of the more interesting original titles in EA's 2008 salvo, and is expected to leave us feeling vertigo when it ships for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC this winter.

Gallery: Mirror's Edge (7/10/08)

Tags: BreakingNews, ea, ea-dice, eadice, electronic-arts, electronicarts, mirrors-edge, parkour, rhiannapratchett, writer, writing

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

LiK @ Jul 10th 2008 9:06AM

hmmm, i don't have high hopes considering that Heavenly Sword's story was average at best.

Ringo @ Jul 10th 2008 5:57PM

In May 2008 issue of PC Zone UK, in a special bit about writing for games it actually says she was working on Mirror's Edge then, and that was back in April, so this isn't really news... but anyway, in the article she said that often the story is the last thing thought of when developing a game with a ""We-didn't-think-we-needed-a-writer-but-now-we-do-and-we-have-no-budget-left-and-four-months-until-we-ship"".
See - there is a reason for reading print mags!

Sparda 23 @ Jul 10th 2008 9:09AM

Ouch... That explains the corny phrases in the story trailer. Heavenly Sword's story was trash, and even though Overlord's was "ok", neither spell greatness for Mirror's Edge. That writer doesn't seem to specialize in "real" type stories.

Or maybe that's all she does, and that's why Overlord and Heavenly Sword ended up the way they did.

So it's either a very bad thing, or a very good one.

Hiroken @ Jul 10th 2008 1:12PM

I think this is a very bad thing.

She says, "She has her flaws, like all of us. In short: she's real. That's her appeal."

Sorry, babe, but that's fiction 101. Every main character (and many secondary and tertitary characters) in ANY half-decent story have 'flaws'. No shit. That's what lets us into the story, not what makes it pay off.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 10th 2008 9:13AM

Wow, nice resume.

^yup, sarcasm^

acefondu @ Jul 10th 2008 9:14AM

So, I wonder how much "twing-twang" we'll get in this one...

Phawx @ Jul 10th 2008 9:19AM

Does this mean Mirror's Edge will be 5 hours long?

Ian Murray @ Jul 10th 2008 2:48PM

Damnit, you stole my quote.

Now I'll have to post something constructive...

Maybe she's grown as a writer since Heavenly Sword? We can hope.

Phawx @ Jul 10th 2008 2:55PM

Great minds think alike.

Will @ Jul 10th 2008 9:19AM

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33585.html

Jakka @ Jul 10th 2008 9:55AM

Is it just me or do the graphics really look like Team Fortress 2?

I like the idea, but right now the color range and simplistic design, makes it look like the revenge of OrangeX.God I hate that map.

Hyams @ Jul 10th 2008 10:35AM

Personally, I like the colour scheme. It's a change from all the dark and gritty games we've had this gen. ^_^

juju187 @ Jul 10th 2008 9:24AM

i'd gametap that...

Zoot Suit Jedi @ Jul 10th 2008 10:08AM

heyooooo!
eye c wut u did thar.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 10th 2008 9:28AM

alanis morissette? o_O

baby sea tuna @ Jul 10th 2008 9:48AM

Well...you oughta know.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 10th 2008 9:58AM

I thought she just wrote songs...

Phranctoast @ Jul 10th 2008 5:06PM

and she stars in weeds!

Dan @ Jul 10th 2008 9:29AM

Wow.. some of ya are harsh. I liked the story in Heavenly Sword, it had rememberable characters, awesome fight scenes, and the story was better then most games out today.

I cant see how that many ppl hate it, and just because it was short doesnt make it horrible. God of War has a short story but its still freaking awesome, and as much as GoW is awesome, heavenly sword has a bit of a deeper story.

baby sea tuna @ Jul 10th 2008 9:50AM

Rememberable? Not really. I mean, I vaguely remember that creepy little sister and some snake chick. That's about it.

Oh, and I think there was some dude that looked like Earthquake from Samurai Showdown.

Taco_Hell @ Jul 10th 2008 10:10AM

I'm kinda with tuna on this. The only one I kinda remember is the Fox dude, only because every time he talked, he reminded me of THE MONARCH! Aside from him, and the twing-twang girl, the other 6 characters were pretty forgettable.

Hyams @ Jul 10th 2008 10:28AM

What about King Bohan (Andy Serkis's character)? He gets a bit cliched towards the end, but apart from that he's an awesome character.

Looky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyS4LnpLRKg and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4LFWA_QN0

Skunk Ape @ Jul 10th 2008 2:23PM

Wow... all this Heavenly Sword hate is making me sad. I must be one weird dude. I love Heavenly Sword and Resistance to me, was totally meh. Can't wait for Mirrors Edge though.

OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Jul 10th 2008 2:39PM

I'm sorry, but she sucks. Heavenly Sword's story was exactly what's wrong with video game stories, and she's even written about about how other people should write video game stories like she has.

When you have delusions of grandeur like that, you deserve to get taken down several pegs, especially when your work does not back it up. (BTW, I find it hilarious that the commenter defending the story doesn't realize that "rememberable" is not actually a word.)

In case any of you haven't played Heavenly Sword yet, here's an example of this hack's "literary brilliance".

You're in charge of keeping this cursed sword. This evil bad guy's trying to get the sword, because it's powerful. His army overruns your clan's fortress. Evil bad guy holds your dad hostage, and demands that you give him the sword, or else he'll kill your dad.

You, the main character, choose that you will instead activate the curse, and use the sword. At this point, the evil bad guy makes good on his threat, and kills your dad.

Oh wait, no he doesn't. He just stands there as a tutorial sequence activates and he tells minions to get the sword from you while insulting them.

Seeing as how he refuses to make good on his threat, you decide to rush this evil guy with all your newfound power, kill him, and rescue your dad.

Oh, wait, you don't do that either. You use the sword's amazing power to...run away and leave your father in the clutches of this evil bad guy.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that this option existed for you BEFORE activating the sword, and that, in fact, that your father tells you to do just so before you decide to curse yourself.

Because of this woman's ungodly WRITING TALENT (/Calculon) she chooses instead to have the main character disobey her father (osetensibly to save him) activate the sword, not rescue her father, and then take the course of action her father told her to.

Brilliant.

The fact that she's writing Mirror's Edge means that I will not be buying it.

sandor.republika @ Jul 10th 2008 7:51PM

You have GOT to be kidding me! In my 23 years of gaming, I can count games that I stopped playing due to OFFENSIVELY ridiculous story on fingers of one hand - and Heavenly Sword is one of them.

In fact after these news I WON'T be buying Mirror's Edge unless it gets at least 90% on Metacritic.

Ocho @ Jul 10th 2008 9:33AM

I actually felt Overlord was one of the better written games I've played lately. That is, if you consider game writing and story design elements that are meant to facilitate gameplay.

I DeX I @ Jul 10th 2008 9:33AM

Do video game script writes get paid as well as video game voice actors?

Goity @ Jul 10th 2008 9:39AM

Must get this now. Heavenly sword's characterisation and script were perfectly done.

BrotherSimon @ Jul 10th 2008 9:40AM

oh.. Well.. I didnt like the game anyway :(

Jakka @ Jul 10th 2008 9:40AM

Overlord was alright but fuck Heavenly Sword.Actually fuck any game in which a character calls any kind of an object "twing-twang".

Jakka @ Jul 10th 2008 9:49AM

Mirror's Edge looks good though considering that I fucking loved Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia.

Hyams @ Jul 10th 2008 10:11AM

'Twing-twang' is actually a game, not an object. Kai turned killing into a game to better cope with the harsh reality of the world. Her childish behaviour and mannerisms are also such a defence mechanism (one that is latter shattered when she's confronted with the corpse of her mother and the man who killed her).

Jakka @ Jul 10th 2008 10:14AM

Umm...yeah...I was just tasting you guys.

baby sea tuna @ Jul 10th 2008 10:17AM

Ninja Theory PR department in the hizzau!

baby sea tuna @ Jul 10th 2008 10:17AM

Were we...delicious?

Jakka @ Jul 10th 2008 10:47AM

lol tasting.

Damn Typos.

rockency @ Jul 10th 2008 9:45AM

Huh! I had no idea that Overlord was written by Terry Pratchett's daughter! Thinking about it, it is a bit Discworld inspired...

Now, someone needs to get working on a Robert Rankin game!

Levi @ Jul 10th 2008 12:21PM

I was wondering if they were related.

tony @ Jul 10th 2008 9:49AM

no mention of her dad, the 2nd best selling living british author (after jk rowling)? his first book, the carpet people, was supposedly pretty poor in its original form, that is before he re-wrote it some years later... and look at him now, he's the author of the finest satirical fantasy series around. sadly he has alzheimer's...

Jakka @ Jul 10th 2008 10:53AM

...and he is an avid gamer.

Jess Q. @ Jul 10th 2008 9:54AM

When I read "Pratchett," I wondered if there was any relation. Is there really or are people just being funny? (Yes, I'm too lazy to look this up through The Internet just now.)

Also, and I can say this because I am a girl and therefore it isn't sexist - she's pretty. ;P

Hyams @ Jul 10th 2008 10:07AM

She's his daughter.

onedollarwilliam @ Jul 10th 2008 10:09AM

Yes, she is his daughter. No, that doesn't make her a literary genius, but I thought the story in Heavenly Sword was one of it's better elements.

rockency @ Jul 10th 2008 9:55AM

I read The Carpet People years ago- it wasn't great, but as you say it was first book. You're right though- he re-did it as "Truckers", then the follow-ups "Diggers" and "Wings" which were/are great books.
Other great non-discworld Pratchett- Good Omens. Brilliant book, one of the best I've read.

Mutagenaric @ Jul 10th 2008 10:36AM

Night Watch (Terry Pratchett's, not the Russian guy's) remains one of the best books I've ever read. It wasn't particularly funny (at least, compared to some others), but it was really good.

Writing skills are not necessarily genetic, though. I thought Overlord was pretty good, overall.