(mashedmarket)

I’m a real fan of Mirror’s Edge, and I feel like that kind of puts me in the minority.

During those first few weeks just after the game’s release, I found myself actively avoiding what appeared to be a general blogosphere backlash: here was a title whose demo I’d really liked, but didn’t seem to be going over spectacularly well, and, for whatever reason, I simply didn’t want my experience to be polluted with others’ impressions. So I tried not to read much of anything that seemed even tangentially focused on it. The exception was Leigh Alexander’s “Gotta Have Faith” post at Sexy Videogameland, which made me suspect that folks were having trouble identifying with the protagonist. After finally playing Mirror’s Edge, I was surprised to find that I count myself among them. 

What’s crazy is that I LOVE the mechanics. This is a game about speed as conveyed through the fluid movement of a human body. It’s a wonderful, unique experience that adds a layer of sophistication (namely proprioception) to the first-person environment. Mirror’s Edge provides an unparalleled sense of urgency, particularly during its chase sequences. Hell, I even bruised my thumb jamming the left stick impatiently forward while waiting as the various Time Trials restarted again and again.

But that’s just it! I was failing. Repeatedly. In other first person games, you’re combatting the enemies; they get you. With Mirror’s Edge it’s the clock, or, worse still, player input. You’re either out of time or the only one to blame.

Mirror’s Edge relies on players to line things up just perfectly — if you’re a foot from straight on that bright red pipe running up the side of the stark white building, well, tough shit…this game doesn’t feature anything even resembling “close call” forgiveness. Faith’s not going to reach out and save you; you’re responsible for successfully navigating her through the harshest surroundings this side of a religous institution. She could meet you halfway, but then she wouldn’t be Faith. 

There’s an element of feminist horror film theory known as gender fluidity of the final girl. Basically, the female protagonist is depicted in such a way as to be identified with by the male-dominated audience, who often exhibit protective feelings toward her. As one might imagine, the whole idea translates remarkably well to video games. Think Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft, Beyond Good & Evil’s Jade, and, to a lesser extent, the Metroid series’ Samus Aran. Other games give players the option to create a female character, and I’d argue the feeling of protectiveness might be even stronger in these cases.

Funny thing is: Faith’s the only female lead I haven’t felt much need to protect. In stark contrast to the aforementioned horror films, she doesn’t appear onscreen, and maybe this accounts for part of the disconnect. That’s not all there is to it, however. Coupling the first-person perspective with unforgiving controls apparently means that I berate her when I perceive that she’s failed me. Probably we all curse our characters from time to time, but I’m ashamed to admit that, while playing Mirror’s Edge, some of my most creative swearing had a decidedly mysogynistic flair.

And I’m not the only one.

Oddly enough, I’ve never heard of folks cursing fellow first-person female Chell of Portal fame. Maybe she’s fundamentally different in that her interactions are mediated by the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Regardless, the question remains: how are developers DICE going to make gamers sympathetic to Faith? Personally, I wouldn’t change anything about her gloriously ornery control scheme. My guess is that the answer lies in finding some way to characterize Faith in-game. We need a story mode with subtle role-playing elements; she revolves around more than plain speed, and her motivations shouldn’t come entirely from stuff that happens in cut scenes. Then again, I’m no designer. Whatever the solution, here’s hoping I can come to love Faith as much as I do the game.