Choose your own adventure with Mirror's Edge's 'Alternative Paths'

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 30th 2008 at 10:00PM }

Were you entranced by the E3 footage of DICE's highly acrobatic action-platformer Mirror's Edge, but wished you could have seen more of the title's totalitarian cityscape? A recent developer walkthrough, showcased yesterday at PAX, might be right up your alley, over your catwalk, and onto your adjacent roof. Pop some Dramamine, then check out the video after the break to see some of the more unconventional tactics one can use to deliver a package. We just wish our trusty FedEx guy could perform l'art du déplacement with such intrepidness and grace.

Tags: developer-walkthrough, dice, ea, mirrors-edge, pax-2008

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

wicko @ Aug 30th 2008 10:32PM

Except.. those are the exact same paths showed in every other video. Do they know what we mean when we say "linear"? I'm sure it will be a good game otherwise, but I can't see myself getting much more replay out of it.

Replica23 @ Aug 31st 2008 6:19AM

LOL, what exactly are you looking for? At the very beginning of the video dude clearly says there are multiple ways to achieve the same goal, which is exactly what is demonstrated. I did not once get the impression he suggested Mirror's Edge would be non-linear.

When making comments like, "they lost some replay interest in me due to the lack of gunfights" you should probably explain yourself or people like me are going to assume things about you...

From what you wrote it really just seems like Mirror's Edge isn't your cup of tea, linear or not; so complaining about a point that doesn't really exist in a game you don't appear that interested in is a bit silly.

wicko @ Aug 31st 2008 3:23PM

You're right. When he says, and I quote: "You can use your abilities and find new and faster routes", that doesn't give ANYONE the impression that he means there will be alternate paths. And how the video is called Alternate Paths Walkthrough.. this video demonstrated you can slide over something instead of jumping over it.. or you can screw up in some areas (like the wall run) and recover from it by climbing a few walls. Wow, alternate paths indeed.

About my comment, if you had read the very next sentence you'd understand why I said it. Think about it, why would you come back to a first person shooter? For me, personally, its the gunfights. They're fun. Mirror's edge has no gun fights, so what kind of replay value does it have? My guess is that they were hoping this would convince people that it has replay value, and they should be adding replay value if they want to sell a 50-60 dollar game without any multiplayer.

I never said I wasn't interested, in fact I said it would be a good/fun game twice, in both comments. I've been really looking forward to it, actually. But when I hear developers toting around a "feature", I expect it to be actually implemented. Do we want another Fable? It seems to me that someone called them on their game being linear, and they panicked and said it wasn't, and are frantically trying to prove it.

The bottom line is, don't lie about your game. Don't tote it around to be more than it is. Where's did all the honesty go?

Red Leader @ Aug 31st 2008 8:10PM

Joystiq's title for this article is misleading as hell. I do gotta say that this game looks like it will be a lot of fun, and I can see speed runners having a ball with it.

Luke @ Aug 31st 2008 10:00PM

It's also the first level. A lot of first levels don't have a lot of variety. Seems to be normal, right? Hopefully the later levels give us more options. The video in the factory is a better example. I spotted several other very different routes that could be taken.

You are completely right in saying that this looks linear. No other new paths were shown here.

Crazd @ Aug 30th 2008 10:33PM

Dear god I cannot wait for this game to come out.

Pharmacy @ Aug 30th 2008 10:34PM

Frankly I'm a little disappointed. When I heard "multiple routes" I thought it was jumping to different buildings and using a completely different path to get to the end. Jumping to the same buildings and finding new ways to climb up seems a little lackluster. That much should be natural, not touted as a feature.

I'm alot less excited about this game now than I was before.

Jonah Falcon @ Aug 30th 2008 10:41PM

Whew. Cool, it's NOT an "on a rails" FPS. It had been looking like something like The Bourne Conspiracy.

giantenemycrab @ Aug 30th 2008 10:46PM

may I just say that this is my most anticipated game since Call of Duty 4.

Radon @ Aug 30th 2008 10:55PM

Wicko, It may not exactly be GTA in terms of open world exploration but I still think it's going to be a incredible game. Super Mario is the poster boy of linear gameplay but that dosn't stop people from running time trails and enjoying the game years and years down the road.

I think most of us have been spoiled by open-world gameplay, we forget that while yes you can build a city and let you do anything you want in it and it will be fun but it's not the answer to everything.

Assassins Creed had a great big open world that allowed you to complete your missions however you wanted, but it was cursed with bad mission design that left it repetitive even though you could go anywhere.

Linear can be great if the design supports and extends that type of play, and I think that while yes it's not huge detours around the level that take you around on many different paths it's still going to allow for enough replay value and variation.

wicko @ Aug 30th 2008 10:59PM

I agree, but not when they come out and claim that it's a non-linear game and then demonstrate its non-linearity by showing the same linear path as in every other video..

They lost some replay interest in me due to the lack of gunfights. Normally thats what keeps me interested in playing again, so in this case I'd expect them to find another way to keep people interested, and different routes would be a good way of doing that.

It will no doubt be a fun game, but I can't see myself spending 50-60 on it with no replay value.

forestofdeath @ Aug 30th 2008 11:06PM

it's unconventional to rather slide under a set of stairs than to leisurely walk up it? yeah, these alternative paths are incredible.

Eh @ Aug 30th 2008 11:40PM

Ok? That was the same path as the other videos. Multiple paths would be taking other doors, or going across the roof instead of going through the building, things like that. Messing up and falling down only to have to climb up again is not an "alternate path", if that was the case then you could say any game has multiple paths.

The game still looks really good but it also still looks linear. I am very glad to hear that you can turn off that dumb "HEY!!!!!! FOLLOW THIS RED STUFF!!!!" feature though, it really removed any kind of problem solving the game might have had. I have a feeling this games biggest drawback will be its linearity.

Thegamingguy @ Aug 31st 2008 1:32AM

Wow talk about motion sickness!

Psaakyrn @ Aug 31st 2008 2:43AM

Frankly, if it's as non-linear as Portal, I'm happy.

t_m @ Aug 31st 2008 10:42AM

what he said. it looks awesome. Sands of Time was totally linear, with almost NO choice on how you took a route, and it was still an amazing game.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Aug 31st 2008 4:09PM

It's not that much of a deal: I should have been expecting this since this is a new franchise, therefore it's a lot easier and more solid to design a linear level design than an open-world one (where everything gets scattered all over the place, where bug-testing would take forever, etc).

However, I'd expect Mirror's Edge 2 to be open world. =)